Kristjan Valdimar "Val" Bjornson (August 29, 1906 – March 10, 1987) was an American writer, newspaper editor, and politician who served as State Treasurer for more than two decades. Bjornson was born in Minneota, Minnesota of Icelandic descent. In

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, he served in Navy intelligence, stationed in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

. Besides English, he was fluent in Icelandic, Finnish, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian. He was part owner of the '' Minneota Mascot'' newspaper and an associate editor at the '' St. Paul Pioneer Press''. Running as the

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 ...

candidate in the 1954 United States Senate elections, Bjornson lost to

Hubert Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Mi ...

, with whom he sometimes shared a car to travel around the state. Bjornson died in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

on March 10, 1987. The

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

, his alma mater, and the

University of Iceland The University of Iceland ( is, Háskóli Íslands ) is a public research university in Reykjavík, Iceland and the country's oldest and largest institution of higher education. Founded in 1911, it has grown steadily from a small civil servants' s ...

have a student exchange scholarship named in his honor.

Bibliography

References

1906 births 1987 deaths United States Navy personnel of World War II American people of Icelandic descent Military personnel from Minnesota Minnesota Republicans People from Minneota, Minnesota State treasurers of Minnesota United States Navy sailors University of Minnesota alumni Writers from Minnesota 20th-century American politicians {{Minnesota-politician-stub