Henry M. Jackson

official photo of Henry M. Jackson

Birth Name: Henry Martin Jackson

Date of Birth: May 31, 1912

Place of Birth: Everett, Washington, U.S.

Date of Death: September 1, 1983

Place of Death: Everett, Washington, U.S.

Ethnicity: Norwegian

Henry M. Jackson, also known as Scoop Jackson, was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, from January 3, 1941 to January 3, 1953, a U.S. Senator from Washington, from January 3, 1953 to September 1, 1983, and Chair of the Democratic National Committee, from July 17, 1960 to January 21, 1961.

He was a candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 1972 and 1976.

Henry was the son of Norwegian parents, Marine S. (Andersdatter/Anderson), from Alvenes, Nordfold, Nordland, and Peter Gresseth, later Jackson.

He was married to Helen Hardin, with whom he had two children.

Henry’s maternal grandfather was Anders Mikal Andersen (the son of Anders Hansen and Berit Jensdatter). Henry’s grandfather Anders was born in Alvenes. Henry’s great-grandfather Anders was the son of Hans Andersen and Kristina Larsdatter. Berit was born in Lakså, Nordfold, the daughter of Jens Jensen and Martha Larsdatter.

Henry’s maternal grandmother was Anne Sophia Bondesdatter (the daughter of Bonde Sivertsen and Ane Martha Olsdatter). Henry’s grandmother Anne was born in Storli, Sørfold, Nordland. Bonde was born in Strømsnes, the son of Sivert Edisen and Elen Reinholtsdatter. Henry’s great-grandmother Ane was born in Nævelen, Kjerringøy, the daughter of Oluf Olsen and Ingeborg Hansdatter.

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)

Henry was one of several people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry to win a major American party’s Presidential caucus and/or primary. He won 4 contests in 1976. The others 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)
*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)
*Jon Huntsman, Jr. (who sought the 2012 Republican nomination; Huntsman is of one eighth Swedish, one eighth Norwegian, and one sixteenth Danish, 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)