August H. Andresen

Who was August H. Andresen?

August Herman Andresen was a lawyer and politician from Minnesota. He served in the U.S. Congress as a Republican for thirty-three years.

Andresen was born in Newark, Illinois to Reverend Ole and Anna Andresen. He graduated from St. Olaf College in 1912 and William Mitchell College of Law in 1914. He married Julia Lien the same year.

He was first elected to Congress in 1925, serving the third district from 1925–1933, in the 69th, 70th, 71st, and 72nd congresses, and the first district from 1935 – 1958, in the 74th, 75th, 76th, 77th, 78th, 79th, 80th, 81st, 82nd, 83rd, 84th, and 85th congresses.

By 1948, Andresen was the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. In 1952, Andresen had been one of President Dwight Eisenhower's finalists for Secretary of Agriculture, but Andresen declined to give up his seat.