Stafford King

Background

King was born in 1893 in Fair Haven, Minnesota to Cyrus Murdock King and Minnie King (née Cooper).

Education

He was raised on the family homestead in Itasca County and attended school in Deer River, Minnesota. Later he attended the University of Minnesota and the Saint Paul College of Law.

Career

During World War I King served in the army, first as an enlisted soldier on the Mexican border and later as a first lieutenant. After the war he worked in a variety of state and local government positions and also became active with the American Legion. During World World War II he left his position on an unpaid leave of absence to serve as a lieutenant colonel with the United States Air Force.

King retired from office in 1969, and died just over a year later in 1970.

Achievements

• In 1930 he won election as Minnesota State Auditor, a position he held for ten terms. Between his political connections as state auditor and his social connections through various civic and community organizations, King made several attempts to win higher office (most notably running in the Republican primaries for governor against Luther Youngdahl in 1947 and against C Elmer Anderson in 1952).

Politics

Republican Party of Minnesota, Republican Party.

Membership

Participant of King"s difficulty may have been press stories from the 1920s exposing him as a member of the Ku Klux Klan.