Harlan Hagen

Who was Harlan Hagen?

Harlan Francis Hagen was a United States Representative from California. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1953 to 1967, representing the 14th District of California.

Born in Lawton, North Dakota, Hagen graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California. He went on to graduate from Long Beach Junior College in 1933 and from the University of California, Berkeley with an A.B. degree in 1936. In 1940, he received an L.L.B. from Berkeley.

After receiving his law degree, Hagen entered the private practice of law. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946.

Hagen was elected to the city council of Hanford, California in 1948. Later that year, he was elected to the California State Assembly where he served from 1949 to 1952. In 1952, Hagen was elected to the 83rd Congress as a Democrat, defeating Republican Congressman Thomas Werdel with 51% of the vote. He went on to serve seven terms in the House of Representatives, from January 3, 1953 to January 3, 1967.