Don Samuelson

Donald William "Don" Samuelson
25th Governor of Idaho
In office January 2, 1967 – January 4, 1971
Preceded by	Robert E. Smylie
Succeeded by	Cecil Andrus
Born	July 27, 1913 Woodhull, Henry County, Illinois
Died	January 20, 2000 (aged 86) Seattle, Washington
Resting place	Pinecrest Memorial Park in Sandpoint, Idaho.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Ruby A. Samuelson (married 1936-2000, his death)[1]
Children	Two children
Residence	Sandpoint, Bonner County, Idaho
Occupation	Sporting goods
Military Service
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1944–1946
Rank	Gunner's mate
Unit	Farragut Naval Training Station, Idaho; Weapons instructor
Battles/wars	World War II

Donald William Samuelson, known as Don Samuelson (July 27, 1913 – January 20, 2000), was the 25th governor of Idaho, having served a single term from 1967 to 1971. A conservative Republican, he defeated in the 1966 primary, 61 to 39 percent, Governor Robert E. Smylie, a Moderate Republican who had pushed to passage the state's first sales tax.^[2]

Samuelson was born in Woodhull in Henry County in western Illinois. He attended the private liberal arts institution, Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. He served in the United States Navy in World War II, a weapons instructor and gunsmith at the Farragut Naval Training Station in Lake Pend Oreille in northern Idaho. After his military service, Samuelson relocated his family from Illinois to Sandpoint in Bonner County, at which he owned a sporting goods store.

After he defeated Smylie, Samuelson prevailed over the Democrat Cecil Andrus, 41.4 to 37.1 percent, with three Independents holding the remaining vote. Andrus turned the tables on Samuelson in 1970 and unseated him, 52.2 to 47.8 percent.

Samuelson died of a heart attack at the age of eighty-six in Seattle, Washington. He and his wife, Ruby A. Samuelson, are interred in Sandpoint at Pinecrest Memorial Park.

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