M. Blaine Peterson

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Morris Blaine Peterson (March 26, 1906 – July 15, 1985) was a U.S. Representative from Utah.

M. Blaine Peterson
Official congressional photo
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Utah's 1st district
In office
January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1963
Preceded byHenry A. Dixon
Succeeded byLaurence J. Burton
Member of the Utah State Legislature
In office
1955–1957
Personal details
Born(1906-03-26)March 26, 1906
Ogden, Utah
DiedJuly 15, 1985(1985-07-15) (aged 79)
Ogden, Utah
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMary Lucile Parry
Children4
Alma materGeorgetown University University of Utah
OccupationLawyer

Biography edit

Born in Ogden, Utah, Peterson's father was an immigrant from Norway.[1] He attended the public schools and Weber College before graduating from the University of Utah in 1931 and from Georgetown Law School in 1938. He was a law clerk to Justice Eugene E. Pratt of the Utah Supreme Court and served as Weber County attorney. He engaged in the private practice of law in 1941 and served in the Utah State legislature 1955-1957. Peterson married M. Lucile Parry on May 18, 1932, and they had four children.[2]

Congress edit

Peterson was elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-seventh Congress (January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1963) in an extremely close election against A. Walter Stevenson. Peterson won by just 68 votes.[3]

He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1962 to the Eighty-eighth Congress.

Later career and death edit

After leaving Congress, he served as chairman of the Weber County, Utah, Taxpayers Association. He served as special consultant to director of Food for Peace Program, 1963. Having served as a young man in Leipzig, Germany, as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Peterson later served as president of the Southern Germany Mission from 1970 to 1973.[4]

He was a resident of Ogden until his death there July 15, 1985. He was interred in Ogden City Cemetery.

Electoral results edit

1960 United States House of Representatives elections[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic M. Blaine Peterson 65,939 50.03
Republican A. Walter Stevenson 65,871 49.97
Total votes 131,810 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican
1962 United States House of Representatives elections[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Laurence J. Burton 59,032 50.88
Democratic M. Blaine Peterson (Incumbent) 56,989 49.12
Total votes 116,021 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

References edit

  1. ^ "United States Census, 1910", FamilySearch, retrieved March 6, 2018
  2. ^ Lucille Peterson's obituary in the Deseret News
  3. ^ Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1960, Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives
  4. ^ M Blaine Peterson obituary on KSL.com, retrieved on May 16, 2022.
  5. ^ "1960 Election Results" (PDF).
  6. ^ "1962 Election Results" (PDF).

External links edit

  This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Utah's 1st congressional district

1961–1963
Succeeded by