Donald H. Magnuson

Donald Hammer Magnuson (March 7, 1911 - October 5, 1979) was a U.S. Representative from Washington and an investigative journalist for the Daily Olympian and Seattle Times.

Background

Born on a farm near Freeman, in Spokane County, Washington. He was the son of Ellis William Magnuson and Ida (Hammer) Magnuson. Magnuson attended the public schools and Spokane University from 1926 to 1928. He was graduated from the University of Washington at Seattle in 1931. After graduation he worked as a harvester and then as a riveter in an aircraft factory.^[1]

Journalism career

He was a newspaper reporter for the Daily Olympian and Seattle Times from 1934 to 1952. In 1942, he wrote a series of reports about loafing in the Seattle-Tacoma Shipyards. He was instrumental in obtaining the pardon of Clarence Boggie.^[2] He earned a Broun Award for his coverage and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting in 1949 by the managing editor of the Seattle Times.

In 1950, Magnuson wrote a series on alcoholism. He interviewed 6,000 men who had been treated over 15 years. He described the "conditioned-reflect treatment" which was intended to create an aversion to alcohol. This treatment was based on Pavlov's work on conditioned reflex. The treatment for alcoholism was for the staff at the sanitarium to give a patient alcohol and at the same time induce nausea with an additive.

Political career

Magnuson was elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-third and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1953-January 3, 1963). Magnuson was named to the Committee on Merchant Marines and Fisheries in 1955. During his time in Congress he served on the Appropriations Committee subcommittee on Department of State, Justice and Judiciary, and the Department of the Interior. He also served on the Public Works Committee with oversight over the Corp of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Atomic Energy Commission.

On January 30, 1959, Magnuson introduced a bill to establish a shield law to keep reporters from having to reveal their sources. On February 2, 1959, he introduced a bill to grant a second income tax exemption to college students who down a job. On February 7, 1959 he was named to the board of oversight of the US Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs for 4 consecutive years. On May 22, 1959, Magnuson voted for an addition to the public works bill in an Appropriations subcommittee for $724,000 to start the Greater Wenatchee reclamation project. On August 4, 1959, Magnuson said about the upcoming Khruschev visit, "What Khruschev sees here may help guard against a fatal miscalculation on his part."

On January 21, 1960, the Bellingham Labor News said that as a member of the Public Works Committee, Magnuson sponsored a resolution to authorize the United States Army Corps of Engineers to review flood control studies in western Washington. On that same day, he was appointed to become a charter member of the Democratic Study Group. In 1960, as a member of the Appropriations Committee, he voted to against an additional $73,000,000 for the development of nuclear airplane according to The Labor Journal.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1962 to the Eighty-eighth Congress. He was employed by Department of Interior from 1963 to 1969, and by Department of Labor from 1969 to 1973.

Retirement

After he retired, he resided in Seattle, where he died October 5, 1979. He was interred in Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park. His papers can be found at the University of Washington Library. The collection contains 18 cubic feet (0.51 m³) of papers plus 8 film strip reels.^[3]

References

1. ^ Donald H. Magnuson (Biographical Directory)
2. ^ Spokane Daily Chronicle - Dec 25, 1948
3. ^ [1] Preliminary Guide to the Donald Hammer Magnuson Papers 1953-1962

Other Source

• Donald H. Magnuson at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by New district formed after 1950 Census	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's At-large congressional district 1953–1959	Succeeded by At-large district abolished
Preceded by None	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 7th congressional district 1959–1963	Succeeded by K. William Stinson

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

Persondata
Name	Magnuson, Donald Hammer
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 7, 1911
Place of birth
Date of death	October 5, 1979
Place of death