View source for J. A. O. Preus

{{Short description|American politician}}
{{For|other people with the same name|Jacob Preus (disambiguation){{!}}Jacob Preus}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name=Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus
|image=Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus I circa 1920 (cropped).jpg
|order1= 20th [[Governor of Minnesota]]
|term_start1= January 5, 1921
|term_end1= January 6, 1925
|lieutenant1=[[Louis L. Collins]]
|predecessor1= [[Joseph A. A. Burnquist]]
|successor1= [[Theodore Christianson]]
|order2= 8th [[Minnesota State Auditor|Auditor of Minnesota]]
|term_start2= January 5, 1915
|term_end2= January 5, 1921
|governor2= [[Winfield S. Hammond]]<br>[[J. A. A. Burnquist]]
|predecessor2= Samuel G. Iverson
|successor2= [[Ray P. Chase]]
|birth_date= {{birth date|1883|8|28|mf=y}}
|birth_place= [[Columbia County, Wisconsin]], U.S.
|death_date= {{death date and age|1961|5|24|1883|8|28|mf=y}}
|death_place= [[Minneapolis]], Minnesota, U.S.
|party=[[United States Republican Party|Republican]]
|alma_mater=[[Luther College (Iowa)|Luther College]]<br>[[University of Minnesota]]
|spouse=Idelle Louise Haugen
}}
'''Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus''' ({{IPAc-en|p|r|ɔɪ|s}} {{respell|PROYSS}}; August 28, 1883 – May 24, 1961) was an [[American politician]]. He served as the 8th [[Minnesota State Auditor|state auditor]] of [[Minnesota]] from January 5, 1915, to January 5, 1921, and as the [[List of Governors of Minnesota|20th Governor of Minnesota]] from January 5, 1921, to January 6, 1925. He was a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]].

==Background==
He was born in [[Columbia County, Wisconsin]], on August 28, 1883, of Norwegian descent. The grandson, son, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather of Lutheran pastors, he chose to serve the state rather than the church. He was a 1903 graduate of [[Luther College (Iowa)|Luther College]] in [[Decorah, Iowa]], where his extended family has had a key role in the development, governance, and academic life of the college-community since its founding in 1862.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

As a recent graduate of the [[University of Minnesota Law School]] he cut his political teeth in Washington as executive clerk to Senator [[Knute Nelson]]. Back home after three years, he continued his climb up the Republican ladder of state service toward the governor's office.

==Career==
When Preus first ran for governor in 1920, he adamantly opposed the [[Farmer-Labor Party]], a coalition of discontented farmers and laborers who had formed a new political organization. The party, he declaimed, represented "socialism—a political cult that would destroy the principles of private property, our religion, and our homes."

Despite his reservations about the Farmer-Labor philosophy, Governor Preus nonetheless encouraged the legislature to meet some of the farmers' demands by broadening cooperatives' legal powers, making low-interest loans available through the [[Rural Credit Bureau]], and creating the [[Minnesota Department of Agriculture|Department of Agriculture]]. Preus also demanded higher taxes from the owners of ore-rich mines on the [[Iron Range]], expanded highway construction, and improved equal rights and election procedures. His political savvy, combined with an apparent desire to correct inequities, made him a surprisingly prolific reformer.

After completing his second term, Preus became an insurance executive in Chicago. He returned to Minneapolis in 1958 and served until his death as board chairman of [[Lutheran Brotherhood]], a fraternal insurance society he had co-founded in 1917. Lutheran Brotherhood merged with Aid Association for Lutherans in 2002 to become [[Thrivent Financial for Lutherans]].

==Personal life==
Preus was married during 1909 to Idella Louise Haugen. Their son, [[J. A. O. Preus II|Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus II]], was a theologian, professor, author, and president of the [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]]. Their other son, [[Robert Preus]], was a Lutheran pastor, professor, author, theologian, and president of [[Concordia Theological Seminary]]. He died on May 24, 1961.<ref>{{cite news|title=J. A. O. Preus, Ex-Governor, Dies at 77 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89129360/j-a-o-preus-1883-1961/ |newspaper=Star Tribune |date=May 25, 1961 |location=Minneapolis, MN |page=29 |via = [[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate = November 18, 2021}} {{Open access}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Herman Amberg Preus]] (1825–1894)
*[[Christian Keyser Preus]] (1852–1921)
*[[Ove J. H. Preus]] (1880–1951)
*[[J. A. O. Preus III]] (1953-2022)
*[[David W. Preus]] (1922–2021)

==References==
{{reflist}}
*[http://www.mnhs.org/people/governors/gov/gov_22.htm Biographical information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404020150/http://www.mnhs.org/people/governors/gov/gov_22.htm |date=April 4, 2013 }} and his [http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/gov034.xml  gubernatorial records] are available for research use at the [https://web.archive.org/web/20090131030751/http://www.mnhs.org/ Minnesota Historical Society.]

==External links==
'''Photos'''
*[https://archive.org/download/EleonoraAndEthelOlson/09EthelAndEleonoraWithJ.a.o.Preus.jpg J. A. O. Preus] with [[Eleonora and Ethel Olson]]

{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Samuel G. Iverson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for [[Minnesota State Auditor]]|years=1914, 1918}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ray P. Chase]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Joseph A. A. Burnquist]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for [[Governor of Minnesota]]|years=[[1920 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1920]], [[1922 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1922]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Theodore Christianson]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Knute Nelson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for [[United States Senator|U.S. Senator]] from [[Minnesota]]<br>([[Classes of United States Senators|Class 2]])|years=[[1923 United States Senate special election in Minnesota|1923]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Thomas D. Schall]]}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box|title=[[List of Governors of Minnesota|Governor of Minnesota]]|years=1921–1925|before=[[Joseph A. A. Burnquist]]|after=[[Theodore Christianson]]}}
{{succession box|title=[[Minnesota State Auditor]]|years=1915–1921|before=[[Samuel G. Iverson]]|after=[[Ray P. Chase]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Governors of Minnesota}}
{{MNStateAuditors}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Preus, Jacob Aall Ottesen}}
[[Category:1883 births]]
[[Category:1961 deaths]]
[[Category:Politicians from Columbia County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:American Lutherans]]
[[Category:American people of Norwegian descent]]
[[Category:Republican Party governors of Minnesota]]
[[Category:Minnesota state auditors]]
[[Category:University of Minnesota alumni]]
[[Category:University of Minnesota Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Luther College (Iowa) alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Lutherans]]
[[Category:20th-century Minnesota politicians]]