Donald H. Clausen
| Donald Clausen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 1st district | |
|
In office January 22, 1963 – January 3, 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Clement W. Miller |
| Succeeded by | Harold T. Johnson |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 2nd district | |
|
In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Harold T. Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Eugene A. Chappie |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Donald Holst Clausen April 27, 1923 Ferndale, California, U.S. |
| Died |
February 7, 2015 (aged 91) Fortuna, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Jessie Oleva Piper |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Battles/wars | Pacific Theater, World War II |
Donald Holst "Don" Clausen (April 27, 1923 – February 7, 2015) is a former U.S. Representative from California.
Biography
Born in Ferndale, California, Clausen graduated from elementary and high schools of Ferndale,[1] where he was an honors student and lettered five sports: tennis, track, basketball, football and baseball as well as being the drum major of the school band.[2]
He attended San José State University, California Polytechnic State University (in San Luis Obispo, California), Weber State University (in Ogden, Utah), and Saint Mary's College of California.[1] He took part in the U.S. Navy V5 Aviation Cadet Program. He served as a carrier pilot in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of the Second World War from 1944 to 1945,[1] flying F4U Corsair aircraft.[2] Post-war, Clausen helped found the Del Norte County Airport,[2] and served as a member of the board of supervisors of Del Norte County, California from 1955 to 1962.[1] He ran two companies in Crescent City, his insurance business, Clausen Associates, and Clausen Flying Service, an air ambulance service.[1]
Clausen was elected as a Republican to the Eighty-eighth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of United States Representative Clement Woodnutt Miller (who had been re-elected posthumously), and to the nine succeeding Congresses (January 22, 1963 – January 3, 1983).[1]
Clausen authored the bill creating the Lady Bird Johnson Grove in the Redwood National Park.[2] Former president Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson, sitting president Richard Nixon, and future president Ronald Reagan and many other federal and local dignitaries attended the dedication of the grove.[2] Clausen said that this was his proudest accomplishment.[2]
He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Ninety-eighth Congress in 1982, narrowly losing to Democrat Douglas H. Bosco.[1] He served as director, special programs, Federal Aviation Administration from 1983 to 1990 and is a resident of Santa Rosa, California.[1]
The Don Clausen Fish Hatchery in Sonoma County[3] was named in his honor and the Redwood National Park Bypass on State Highway Route 101 was renamed the Don Clausen Highway in 1966 by act of the California Legislature due to his efforts at obtaining appropriations for building that road and the Redwood National Park Visitor Center.[4]
Clausen died in a hospital on February 7, 2015 in Fortuna, California, from complications of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and heart and lung disease.[5][6] His congressional papers are archived at Humboldt State University library.[7]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Clausen, Donald Holst, (1923 - ), Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, accessed April 20, 2013
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Retired congressman from Ferndale to celebrate 90th birthday April 27, The Ferndale Enterprise, April 18, 2013
- ↑ Lake Sonoma, Parks and Recreation in Sonoma County, accessed April 20, 2013
- ↑ Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 92--Relative to the Don Clausen Highway, June 10, 1996
- ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/2015/02/12/82fe4214-b20d-11e4-854b-a38d13486ba1_story.html
- ↑ GUY KOVNER (February 9, 2015). "Longtime lawmaker Don Clausen dies at 91". Press Democrat. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ↑ Don H. Clausen Congressional Papers, 2010, accessed April 20, 2013
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Clement Woodnutt Miller |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 1st congressional district 1963–1975 |
Succeeded by Harold T. Johnson |
| Preceded by Harold T. Johnson |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 2nd congressional district 1975–1983 |
Succeeded by Eugene A. Chappie |
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
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