Representative Alec Gehard Olson

Alec Gehard Olson (born September 11, 1930) is an American politician from the state of Minnesota who served in both the United States Congress and in high state office during a period of significant political and social change in the mid-20th century. A member of the Democratic Party, he became a prominent figure in Minnesota’s Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) tradition and held elective office at both the federal and state levels.

Olson was born in 1930, a time marked by the Great Depression, and came of age during World War II and the early Cold War era. These formative years shaped the political environment in which he would later build his career, as Minnesota and the nation grappled with economic transformation, the expansion of federal social programs, and evolving debates over civil rights and foreign policy. His early life in Minnesota rooted him in the concerns of his future constituents, particularly those in the communities he would later represent in Congress and the state legislature.

Olson’s rise in public life coincided with the consolidation of the DFL as a major political force in Minnesota. Identifying with the Democratic Party, he became active in public affairs at a time when Minnesota politics were increasingly focused on balancing agricultural, industrial, and urban interests. His political alignment placed him within a tradition that emphasized labor rights, social welfare, and broad-based economic development, priorities that would inform his subsequent legislative work.

Olson was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat and served two terms representing Minnesota’s 6th congressional district from 1963 to 1967. His tenure in the House occurred during a significant period in American history, encompassing the administration of President John F. Kennedy, the transition to President Lyndon B. Johnson, and the early escalation of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. As a member of the House of Representatives, Alec Gehard Olson participated in the democratic process and contributed to the legislative work of the 88th and 89th Congresses, representing the interests of his Minnesota constituents while the nation debated major civil rights legislation, Great Society programs, and foreign policy challenges.

After leaving Congress in 1967, Olson continued his public service at the state level. He was elected to the Minnesota Senate, where he served from 1969 to 1976. In the Senate, he was part of a legislature that addressed issues of state governance, education, infrastructure, and economic development during a period of demographic change and shifting economic patterns in Minnesota. His experience in the U.S. House of Representatives informed his work in the state legislature, where he helped shape policy affecting communities across Minnesota.

Olson’s state legislative career led to higher executive responsibility when he became the 40th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, serving from 1976 to 1979. In that role, he worked alongside the governor in overseeing the executive branch and supporting the implementation of state policies and programs. His tenure as lieutenant governor extended his long record of public service and placed him in a key position within Minnesota’s state government during the late 1970s, a period marked by economic challenges and ongoing debates over the role of government at both state and federal levels.

Across his career, Alec Gehard Olson’s service in Congress and in Minnesota state government reflected a sustained commitment to public life. From his two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Minnesota’s 6th congressional district from 1963 to 1967, through his years in the Minnesota Senate from 1969 to 1976, and his service as the 40th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota from 1976 to 1979, he participated in the legislative and executive processes that shaped both his state and the nation during a transformative era in American history.