Sveinbjorn Johnson
Sveinbjorn Johnson | |
---|---|
12th Attorney General of North Dakota | |
In office 1921–1922 | |
Preceded by | William Lemke |
Succeeded by | George F. Shafer |
Personal details | |
Born | Hólar, Iceland | July 10, 1883
Died | March 16, 1946 Champaign, Illinois, U.S. | (aged 62)
Education | University of North Dakota |
Sveinbjörn Johnson (July 10, 1883 – March 16, 1946) was an Icelandic-born American lawyer, politician and scholar.[1]
Biography
Johnson was born at Hólar in the Skagafjörður district of northern Iceland on July 10, 1883, the oldest of ten children born to John and Gudbjorn Johnson.[2][3] He came to Dakota Territory with his parents in 1887 at the age of four. His family settled on a farm in Pembina County, North Dakota.[3]
Johnson received his early education in the state's public schools, completing the combined seven-year high school and college course in four years.
North Dakota legal career
In 1911 Johnson opened a law office in Cavalier, North Dakota. In 1913, he moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota to become a law partner of J. F. T. O'Connor.[3] In 1913 and 1915, he assisted members of the state legislature in drafting bills.[3] While overseeing his private practice, Johnson simultaneously lectured in Political Science and Law at the University of North Dakota.[5] In 1916, Johnson ran for State's Attorney of Grand Forks County, but lost to the incumbent.[6][7]
Following the recall of
On December 1, 1926, Johnson resigned from the North Dakota Supreme Court and became legal counsel and
Illinois legal career
Johnson became a professor of law at
Johnson resigned from the University of Illinois on September 1, 1944. He ran unsuccessfully against Barrett for the position of Illinois Attorney General in 1944.[1][10] On January 1, 1945, he opened a law office in Chicago, practicing law in both Chicago and Champaign, Illinois.[1]
Johnson suffered from a
Johnson was the author of numerous books on law and history, particularly with regards to his native Iceland.[5] He was a recipient of honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from the University of Iceland in 1930 and the University of North Dakota.[1] In 1939 he was decorated a Knight of the Order of the Falcon by Christian X of Denmark.[5]
Selected works
- Pioneers of Freedom, 1930
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Sveinbjorn Johnson". North Dakota Supreme Court. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
- ^ "Sveinbjorn Johnson". Chicago Bar Records. 28: 187–?. 1946.
- ^ a b c d e f "Former N. D. Supreme Court Justice Dies". The Bismarck Tribune. March 20, 1946. p. 1.
- (PDF) from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
- ^ a b c d e "Sveinbjorn Johnson, Former Counsel At State University, Dies at Age 62". Daily Dispatch. March 20, 1946. p. 2.
- ^ "Grand Forks herald. [volume] - 1916-11-18 - 8".
- ^ "The nonpartisan leader. [volume] - 1916-11-02 - 34".
- ISSN 2333-0058. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
- ^ "Sveinbjorn Resigns Supreme Court Work". The Daily Illini. November 30, 1926. p. 1.
- ^ "Johnson, Sveinbjorn (1883-1946)". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved December 29, 2019.