Laurits

Laurits S. Swenson was an American diplomat who served as Ambassador to Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Denmark. Laurits Selmer Swenson was born in New Sweden, Minnesota to Norwegian immigrant parents. His father, Swen Swenson, (1836–1905) was a Minnesota State Representative. He graduated from Iowa's Luther College with bachelor's (1886) and master's (1889) degrees and became Principal of Lutheran Academy in Albert Lea, where he worked from 1888 to 1897. From 1895 to 1897 Swenson served on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. Swenson also pursued a business career, serving as Vice President of Union State Bank and President of the Wiprud Land & Colonization Company, an effort to attract European immigrants to settle in Minnesota.