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Permanent LinkSenator Harold A. Thordsen View All Years
HAROLD A. THORDSEN
Harold A. Thordsen was born on September 25, 1907, in Davenport, Iowa, to Jess and Hazel Thordsen. He passed away on November 8, 1999, in Davenport, Iowa, at the age of ninety-two. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; sons and daughters-in-law, the Reverend Jerry and Vicki Thordsen of Bondurant, Iowa, Jim and Marsha McKinney of Eldridge, Iowa, and Lt. Col. Joseph and Ann Arnold of Price George, Virginia; a daughter, Pat Simms of Madison, Wisconsin; daughters and sons-in-law, Nadine and Charles Palmer of Peoria, Illinois, and Nancy and Ronald Pike of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.; 24 grandchildren; 46 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren; sisters Marsha Bogue of Tucson, Arizona, and Honey Weber of Davenport; plus several nieces and nephews.
Harold Thordsen joined the Davenport Police Department in the 1930s and worked there for more than eighteen years. He was the first Davenport police officer to attend the FBI’s National Police Academy in Washington, D.C. When he graduated in 1942, he personally received his diploma from J. Edgar Hoover. Mr. Thordsen was chief of detectives for the Davenport Police Department.
During World War II, he served in the United States Navy.
Harold Thordsen was a Scott County Republican and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1966. He served there during the 62nd General Assembly. He was elected to the Senate in 1968 and served during the 63rd and 64th General Assemblies until 1972. As a state legislator in the early 1970s, he was chairman of the Law Enforcement Committee and was largely responsible for the creation of Iowa’s first Law Enforcement Academy in Des Moines. He also played a key role in introducing a bill in the Iowa Legislature to legalize bingo.
After serving in the Legislature, Senator Thordsen and his wife owned and operated a Wisconsin Dells resort for four years. He also worked as a real estate broker in Davenport and played pro football with the Moline Indians for four seasons. He founded and was past president of the Davenport Alumni Diamond Ball Association.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF IOWA: That in the passing of the Honorable Harold A. Thordsen, the State has lost an honored citizen and a faithful and useful public servant, and that the Senate by this resolution expresses its appreciation of his service to the State and tenders its sympathy and kindest regards to the members of his family.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That a copy of this resolution be spread upon the Journal of the Senate and that the Secretary of the Senate be instructed to forward an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.
MAGGIE TINSMAN, Chair
RICHARD F. DRAKE
JACK RIFE
Committee