Jon Huntsman, Jr.

official photo of Jon Huntsman, Jr., in 2009, United States Department of State

Birth Name: Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr.

Place of Birth: Redwood City, San Mateo, California, United States

Date of Birth: March 26, 1960

Ethnicity: English, some Scottish, one eighth Norwegian, one eighth Swedish, 1/16th Danish, distant Dutch, remote French Huguenot

Jon Huntsman is an American politician, diplomat, and businessperson. A Republican, he has served as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, from September 22, 1992 to June 15, 1993, Governor of Utah, from January 3, 2005 to August 11, 2009, U.S. Ambassador to China, from August 28, 2009 to April 28, 2011, and U.S. Ambassador to Russia, from October 3, 2017 to October 3, 2019, among other duties.

He was a candidate for the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 2012.

Jon is the son of Karen Christina (Haight) and Jon Huntsman, Sr. (Jon Meade Huntsman), a billionaire businessman and philanthropist, who founded the Huntsman Chemical Corporation. Jon’s father also served as White House Staff Secretary, from February 22, 1971 to January 1, 1972. His brother is business executive Peter R. Huntsman, who is chairman, president, and CEO of the family company. Jon is married to Mary Kaye (Cooper) Huntsman, an activist. Among their seven children is television personality Abby Huntsman. Jon has English, some Scottish, one eighth Norwegian, one eighth Swedish, 1/16th Danish, distant Dutch, and remote French Huguenot, ancestry.

An AncestryDNA test taken by Jon’s daughter Abby whose results were displayed on the show The View (2018) stated that Abby’s genetic ancestry is:

*69% England, Wales & Northwestern Europe
*16% Sweden
*12% Ireland & Scotland
*3% Norway

Jon is a third half-cousin, once removed, of politician Mitt Romney. Jon’s paternal great-great-great-grandfather, early LDS leader Parley Parker Pratt, was also Mitt’s paternal great-great-grandfather.

Jon is a member of the LDS (Mormon) faith.

Other persons of the LDS faith who have mounted plausible or semi-plausible campaigns for a major party’s Presidential nomination are:
*George W. Romney (who sought the 1968 Republican nomination, and whose name was placed in nomination for 1964’s)
*Mo Udall (who sought the 1976 Democratic nomination)
*Orrin Hatch (who sought the 2000 Republican nomination)
*Mitt Romney (who was the Republican Party’s nominee for President of the United States in 2012, and was also a candidate for the 2008 Republican nomination for President)

Jon’s paternal grandfather was Alonzo Blaine Huntsman (the son of Gabriel Alonzo Huntsman and Nellie Dean Melville). Jon’s grandfather Alonzo was born in Utah. Gabriel was the son of Gabriel Riley Huntsman and Hannah Hanson, whose parents were Danish. Nellie was the daughter of Daniel Dutson Melville, whose parents were Scottish and English, and of Emma Dean McBride.

Jon’s paternal grandmother was Sarah Kathleen Robison (the daughter of Joseph Alfred Robison and Mary Elizabeth/Mattie Keith). Sarah was born in Utah. Joseph was the son of Franklin Alonzo Robison and Isabella Eleanor Marden Pratt. Mary Elizabeth was the daughter of James Allen Keith and Sarah Velda/Velia Ball.

Jon’s maternal grandfather was David B. Haight (David Bruce Haight, the son of Hector Caleb Haight and Clara Josephine Tuttle). Jon’s grandfather David was born in Idaho, and was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS church. Hector was the son of Horton David Haight and Louisa Leavitt. Clara was the daughter of Norton Ray Tuttle and Helen/Hellen Elizabeth Utley. Through his Haight line, Jon is a fourth cousin, once removed, of musician Nikki Six. Jon’s maternal great-great-great-great-grandparents, Caleb Haight and Keturah Horton, were also Nikki’s three times maternal great-grandparents.

Jon’s maternal grandmother was Ruby Mildred Olson (the daughter of Pehr Olofsson/Olson and Christena Maria Larsen). Ruby was born in Utah. Pehr was born in Ofratop, Kvistbro, Sweden, the son of Olof Olofsson and Stina Lotta Persson. Christena was born in Utah, to Norwegian parents, Lars Larsen and Marine/Maren Oline Olsen.

Two people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry have served as Vice President of the United States, Hubert Humphrey, from January 20, 1965 to January 20, 1969, and Walter Mondale, from January 20, 1977 to January 20, 1981. Both were members of the Democratic Party.

Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale were also the two people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry who were nominated for President of the United States by a major party, Humphrey in 1968 and Mondale in 1984, both by the Democratic Party.

Mondale was also the Democratic Party’s nominee for re-election as Vice President in 1980. Aside of Humphrey and Mondale, three people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry have been nominated for Vice President of the United States by a major party. They were/are:
*Earl Warren (1948; Republican; Warren was of Norwegian and Swedish descent)
*Lloyd Bentsen (1988, Democratic; Bentsen’s father was of Danish descent)
*Tim Walz (2024, Democratic; Walz’s paternal grandmother was of Swedish descent)

Jon is one of several people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry to have run a plausible or semi-plausible campaign for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States. Of these candidates, several won a major party’s caucus and/or primary. They were:
*Earl Warren (who sought the 1936, 1944, 1948, and 1952 Republican nominations; each time, won 1 state, California)
*Charles A. Christopherson (who sought the 1944 Republican nomination; won 1 state, South Dakota; Christopherson’s parents were Norwegian)
*Hubert Humphrey (Democratic; in 1952, he won 1 state, Minnesota; in 1960, he won 2 states; in 1972, he won 5 states)
*Joe Foss (who sought the 1956 Republican nomination; won 1 state, South Dakota; Foss’s father was of Norwegian descent)
*Henry M. Jackson (Democratic; ran in 1972 and 1976: in 1976, he won 4 contests; Jackson’s parents were Norwegian)
*Walter Mondale (1984, the year he was nominated; Democratic; won 20 contests)

Other people of heavily Scandinavian heritage who have mounted plausible or semi-plausible campaigns for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States are:
*George T. Mickelson (who sought the 1952 Republican nomination; Mickelson’s father was Norwegian)
*Pat Paulsen (who sought the 1968, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, and 1996 nominations, usually Democratic; Paulsen’s father was Norwegian)
*Frank Carlson (who sought the 1968 Republican nomination; Carlson’s parents were Swedish)
*Lloyd Bentsen (who sought the 1976 Democratic nomination)
*John B. Anderson (who sought the 1980 Republican nomination, and was later an independent 1980 candidate; Anderson’s father was Swedish and Anderson’s mother was of Swedish descent)
*Bob Smith (who sought the 2000 Republican nomination; Smith’s paternal grandfather was of Danish descent)
*Gary Johnson (who sought the 2012 Republican nomination, and was the Libertarian Party’s 2012 and 2016 nominee for President of the United States; Johnson’s father was adopted by Danish and Norwegian parents, and was possibly himself of Scandinavian descent)
*Michele Bachmann (who sought the 2012 Republican nomination; Bachmann is of Norwegian descent)
*Eric Swalwell (who sought the 2020 Democratic nomination; Swalwell’s mother is of Swedish and Danish descent)
*Perry Johnson (who sought the 2024 Republican nomination; Johnson’s father was of Swedish and Norwegian descent)

Sources: Genealogies of Jon Huntsman – http://www.wargs.com
https://www.geni.com

Genealogies of Jon’s paternal grandparents, Alonzo Blaine Huntsman and Sarah Kathleen Robison – http://www.findagrave.com

Genealogies of Jon’s maternal grandparents, David Bruce Haight and Ruby Mildred Olson – http://www.findagrave.com