Representative Odin Elsford Stanley Langen

Odin Elsford Stanley Langen (January 5, 1913 – July 6, 1976) was an American politician from the state of Minnesota who served six terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1959 to 1971. A member of the Republican Party, he represented his Minnesota district during a significant period in American history, contributing to the legislative process over six consecutive terms in office and participating actively in the democratic process on behalf of his constituents.

Langen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 5, 1913. Around 1914, his family moved to the small community of Kennedy in Kittson County, in the northwestern part of the state. He was educated in the local public schools and later attended the Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis from 1933 to 1934, where he received technical and vocational training that complemented his agricultural pursuits. After his studies, he returned to Kittson County and engaged in farming near Kennedy, establishing himself as a farmer in the Red River Valley.

Alongside his farming activities, Langen became involved in agricultural administration and local public affairs. From 1935 to 1950, he was associated with the Production Marketing Administration in Kittson County, Minnesota, a role that connected him closely with federal farm programs and the economic concerns of rural communities. His commitment to local governance was reflected in his service on the South Red River Town Board from 1947 to 1950. He also served on the Kennedy School Board, acting as its president from 1948 to 1950, where he helped oversee local educational policy and administration.

Langen’s experience in local government and agricultural administration led to his election to the Minnesota House of Representatives, where he served from 1951 to 1959. During his tenure in the state legislature, he rose within the Republican ranks and became the Republican leader of the Minnesota House in 1957. In this capacity, he played a key role in shaping legislative priorities and representing his party’s positions on state policy, further establishing his reputation as a capable and experienced lawmaker.

In 1958, Langen sought national office and ran for the United States House of Representatives as a Republican candidate against incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) Party Representative Coya Knutson. Although Knutson was initially favored to win re-election, her campaign was severely damaged when her husband publicly released the now-famous “Coya, Come Home” letter, urging her to leave Washington and return home. The controversy surrounding the letter undermined her support, and Langen narrowly won the election by 1,390 votes. He took his seat in Congress in January 1959, beginning a twelve-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives.

During his congressional service from 1959 to 1971, Langen served on key committees, including the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Appropriations, where he was positioned to influence federal spending and agricultural policy, matters of particular importance to his largely rural district. He participated in major legislative debates of the era and cast notable votes on civil rights legislation. Langen voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1960, 1964, and 1968, supported the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibited poll taxes in federal elections, and voted for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, reflecting his support for expanding and protecting voting rights and civil liberties. He was re-elected five times, serving a total of six terms, and remained an active Republican voice in the House throughout the 1960s.

Langen’s congressional career came to an end following the 1970 election. That year he again faced Robert Bergland, a farmer and former official in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, whom Langen had previously defeated in 1968. Amid growing local agricultural concerns and changing political currents, Bergland was able to capitalize on dissatisfaction within the farm community and defeated Langen in the general election. Langen’s service in Congress concluded in January 1971, marking the end of his twelve-year tenure in the House of Representatives.

After leaving Congress, Langen continued his involvement in agricultural affairs at the federal level. He was appointed Administrator of the Packers and Stockyards Administration of the United States Department of Agriculture, serving from January 1971 to April 1972. In this position, he oversaw regulatory activities related to livestock markets and meatpacking, areas central to the nation’s agricultural economy. He resigned from this post in April 1972 and returned to Kennedy, Minnesota, where he resumed his farming pursuits and remained engaged in his local community.

In his personal life, Langen was married to Lillian Thelma Clauson (1911–1988), and the couple had three children. He lived most of his adult life in and around Kennedy, maintaining close ties to the rural community that had shaped his early years and his political outlook. Odin Elsford Stanley Langen died on July 6, 1976. His funeral was held at the Red River Lutheran Church in Kennedy, Minnesota, reflecting his long-standing connection to the region and its people.