Harold Stassen

Born: 1907 | Died: 2001

Harold Edward Stassen was born in West St. Pauli. His mother Elsie was born in Germany and came to the United States as a young child. Stassen graduated from high school at age fourteen and from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1929. At age 32 he was the youngest governors ever in office in the state of Minnesota. In 1943 he resigned from office to serve in the United States Navy during the Second World War.

After returning he was delegate at the 1945 San Francisco Conference that established the United Nations. From 1948 to 1953 he was president of the University of Pennsylvania and later served as an adviser in the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration.

Often described as the “perennial” presidential candidiate, Stassen campaigned nine times from 1948 to 1992 for the nation’s highest office.