Thor Carl Tollefson (May 2, 1901 – December 30, 1982) was an American attorney and politician who was a

U.S. representative 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 c ...

for

Washington's 6th congressional district Washington's 6th congressional district encompasses the Olympic Peninsula, most of the Kitsap Peninsula, and most of the city of Tacoma. Its counties include the entirety of Clallam, Kitsap, Jefferson, and Grays Harbor counties, and part of ...

from 1947 to 1965.

Early life and education

Born in Perley, Minnesota, Tollefson moved to

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, Olympia, and northwest of Mount ...

, in 1912. He attended public schools and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1924. He graduated from the

University of Washington School of Law The University of Washington School of Law is the law school of the University of Washington, located on the northwest corner of the main campus in Seattle, Washington. The 2023 '' U.S. News & World Report'' law school rankings place Washingt ...

in 1930.

Career

Tollefson was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1930 and commenced practice in Tacoma. He was the prosecutor of Pierce County from 1938 to 1946. He was a delegate to the Republican State conventions in 1936, 1938, 1940, 1942 and 1944. 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 eightieth and to the eight succeeding congresses (January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1965). He represented Washington's 6th congressional district. He sat on the committee on merchant marine and fisheries. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1964 to the eighty-eighth congress. Tollefson voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

, and

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

, as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Tollefson was later appointed director of the

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is a department of the government of the state of Washington, United States of America. The WDFW manages over a million acres of land, the bulk of which is generally open to the public, and mor ...

. He was also a special assistant to the

Governor of Washington The governor of Washington is the head of government of Washington and commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.WA Const. art. III, § 2. The officeholder has a duty to enforce state laws,WA Const. art. III, § 5. the power to either a ...

in charge of international fisheries negotiations.

Personal life

Tollefson was a resident of Tacoma until his death there on December 30, 1982. He was interred in Mountain View Memorial Park.

Sources

External links

Guide to the Thor C. Tollefson Papers University of Washington Libraries. Digital Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tollefson, Thor Carl 1901 births 1982 deaths American Lutherans American people of Norwegian descent University of Washington School of Law alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Washington (state) 20th-century American politicians 20th-century Lutherans