Harold Arthur Thordsen (25 September 1907 – 8 November 1999) was an American politician, police officer, and football player.

Career

Harold Thordsen was a Davenport, Iowa, native born on 25 September 1907 to parents Jess C. and Hazel D. Thordsen. His younger brother was actor Kelly Thordsen. Harold Thordsen graduated from Davenport High School, and played American football for the Moline Indians for four professional seasons. During the 1930s, he joined the Davenport Police Department, and, in 1942, became the first person within the department to graduate from the National Police Academy run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During World War II, Thordsen served as a FBI agent. After the war ended, he served in the United States Navy for some time. Thordsen became a real estate broker upon ending his eighteen-year career in Davenport law enforcement, which included a stint as chief of detectives.^[1][2]

Politically, Thordsen was affiliated with the Republican Party. Prior to his election to the Iowa General Assembly, Thordsen served on the Davenport city council as an at-large alderman. He served a two-year term on the Iowa House of Representatives for District 43 from 9 January 1967 to 12 January 1969, followed by four years on the Iowa Senate, first for District 15 from 13 January 1969 to 10 January 1971, then for District 39 from 11 January 1971 to 7 January 1973. After stepping down from the Iowa legislature, Thordsen moved to Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, for four years as owner-operator of a resort located there.^[1][2]

Thordsen was married to his first wife Reva Ashcraft from 1928 to her death in 1964. Later that year, he married Ruby McKinney. McKinney died in 1990, and Thordsen married Carolyn Bertram in Bondurant, Iowa in 1994. Thordsen died on 8 November 1999 in Davenport.^[1][2]

References