{{short description|American governor for Colorado (1876-1926)}} {{more footnotes needed|date=May 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = George Alfred Carlson |image = George Alfred Carlson in 1914.jpg |order = 20th |office = Governor of Colorado |term_start = January 12, 1915 |term_end = January 9, 1917 |lieutenant = Moses E. Lewis |predecessor = Elias Milton Ammons |successor = Julius Caldeen Gunter |birth_date = {{birth date|1876|10|23|mf=y}} |birth_place = Alta, Iowa, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|1926|12|6|1876|10|23}} |death_place = Denver, Colorado, U.S. | spouse = Rosa Lillian Alps<ref name=Marquis>[https://archive.org/details/whoswho141926/page/415/mode/2up Carlson, George Alfred], in ''Who's Who in America'' (1926 edition); p. 415</ref> |party = Republican |profession = |signature = Signature of George Alfred Carlson (1876–1926).png }}
'''George Alfred Carlson''' (October 23, 1876 – December 6, 1926) was the 20th governor of Colorado from 1915 to 1917.
==Biography== He was born on October 23, 1876, in Alta, Iowa.<ref name=Colorado>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/historycolorad04stat/page/n37/mode/1up |title=History of Colorado |volume=IV |publisher=Linderman Co. |place=Denver |pages=34–37 |date=1927 |access-date=2026-01-10 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>
Carlson graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1902 and earned his law degree there in 1904. He practiced law in Fort Collins, Colorado, from 1905 to 1908, and was district attorney in Fort Collins from 1908 to 1914. He ran for governor as a Republican in 1914 and won, benefiting from vote-splitting between Democrats and Progressives.
Carlson's administration was noted for labor reforms, including the passage of a workers' compensation law and the establishment of the Industrial Commission of Colorado. He also supported and signed into law a prohibition bill making Colorado a "dry state."
Carlson was defeated for reelection in 1916. After leaving office, he returned to law practice in Denver.
He died on December 6, 1926, in Denver, Colorado.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|George Alfred Carlson}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20031014212105/http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/govs/carlson.html State of Colorado biography] *[http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_colorado/col2-content/main-content-list/title_carlson_george.html George Alfred Carlson entry] at the National Governors Association *[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/carlsmith-carlson.html#686.53.54 George Alfred Carlson entry] at The Political Graveyard *{{find a Grave|7365365}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Clifford C. Parks}} {{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for Governor of Colorado|years=1914, 1916}} {{s-aft|after=Oliver Henry Shoup}} {{s-off}} {{succession box |before=Elias M. Ammons |years=1915–1917 |title=Governor of Colorado |after=Julius C. Gunter }} {{s-end}}
{{Governors of Colorado}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carlson, George Alfred}} Category:1876 births Category:1926 deaths Category:Republican Party governors of Colorado Category:People from Buena Vista County, Iowa Category:University of Colorado Boulder alumni Category:University of Colorado Law School alumni