Charles Andrew Christopherson (July 23, 1871 – November 2, 1951) was an American lawyer and politician in

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

. He was elected to the state legislature in 1912. In 1918 he was elected to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, where he was re-elected to a total of seven terms until being defeated in 1932, during the Great Depression.

Early life and education

Christopherson was born in

Amherst Township, Fillmore County, Minnesota Amherst Township is a township in Fillmore County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 405 at the 2000 census. Amherst Township was organized in 1858, and named after Amherst, Ohio, the native home of the wife of an early settler. Ge ...

, to Norwegian parents, Julia (Nelson) and Knute C. Christopherson. His father came to the United States at age fourteen. He was one of seven children and was raised in the Lutheran Church. He attended public schools. Christopherson moved to

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up ...

, where he attended Sioux Falls Business College and Normal School. He graduated in 1890 and read the law with an established firm until he qualified for the bar."George W. Kingsbury"
''History of Dakota Territory'', Vol. V (1915), p. 248Dana R. Bailey, ''History of Minnehaha County, South Dakota'' (1899), p. 491

Career

Christopherson was admitted to the bar in 1893, and started his practice in Sioux Falls at the

Joe Kirby Joe Kirby (October 5, 1863 - February 8, 1926) was a self-educated son of Irish immigrants who became an important figure in South Dakota history. He helped shape South Dakota law in its formative years, started one of the preeminent law offices ...

law office He later practiced alone until taking Fredolph H. Melquist as a partner in 1913. Christopherson became active in local issues. He was elected as a member of the Board of Education of Sioux Falls from 1908–1918, and President of it from 1911-1915 and served as president of the board of directors of the Union Savings Association (1912).

Political career

In 1912, he was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the

South Dakota House of Representatives The South Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 70 members, two from each legislative district. Two of the state's 35 legislative districts, Districts 26 and 28, are each subdivided into ...

, and served as

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

beginning in 1915, in his last term. In 1918, Christopherson successfully ran for Congress from

South Dakota's 1st congressional district South Dakota's 1st congressional district is an obsolete congressional district that existed from 1913 to 1983. When South Dakota was admitted into the Union in 1889, it was allocated two congressional seats, both of which were elected state-wid ...

. He was re-elected six times, but lost re-election in

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort to assassinate Emperor Hiro ...

to Democrat Fred H. Hildebrandt. He ran against Hildebrandt again in

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...

, but lost by a wider margin. In

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

, Christopherson ran for the U.S. Senate, but lost in the Republican primary to

Chan Gurney John Chandler "Chan" Gurney (May 21, 1896March 9, 1985) was an American businessman and politician from South Dakota. A Republican, he was most notable for his service as a U.S. Senator from 1939 to 1951. Early life Gurney was born in Yankton, S ...

. He subsequently returned to Sioux Falls full-time to pursue his legal career.

Personal life

Christopherson married Abbie M. Deyoe (1871-1952) from

Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 40,713. It is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university. History Cedar Falls was first settled in March 1845 b ...

on November 30, 1897. Her parents were both born in New York State. They had two children: Wanda M. and Charles A. Christopherson. He and his family belonged to the Congregational Church. He participated in the Masons, the International Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, and the Elks. He died in 1951 and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in

Minnehaha County, South Dakota Minnehaha County is a County (United States), county on the eastern border of the U.S. state, state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 197,214, making it the state's most populous county. It con ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christopherson, Charles A. 1871 births 1951 deaths People from Fillmore County, Minnesota Politicians from Sioux Falls, South Dakota Speakers of the South Dakota House of Representatives Republican Party members of the South Dakota House of Representatives Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota Candidates in the 1944 United States presidential election 20th-century American politicians American Congregationalists South Dakota lawyers American people of Norwegian descent Members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota