# Howard Olson
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{{short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Howard Olson
| image =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|8|25}}
| birth_place = [Madelia, Minnesota](/source/Madelia%2C_Minnesota), U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date|1996|11|23}}
| death_place = [St. James, Minnesota](/source/St._James%2C_Minnesota), U.S.
| state_senate = Minnesota
| district = 18th and 27th
| term_start = January 5, 1971
| term_end = January 5, 1981
| preceded = [Walter J. Franz](/source/Walter_Franz_(Minnesota_politician))
| succeeded = [Darrel Peterson](/source/Darrel_Peterson)
| party = [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) ([DFL](/source/Minnesota_Democratic-Farmer-Labor_Party))
| alma_mater = [Minnesota State University, Mankato](/source/Minnesota_State_University%2C_Mankato)
| occupation = [Farmer](/source/Farmer), [legislator](/source/legislator)
| majority =
| spouse = Coleen Skarpohl
| children = 1
}}
'''Howard D. Olson''' (August 25, 1937 – November 23, 1996) was a Minnesota politician and a member of the [Minnesota Senate](/source/Minnesota_Senate).
A [Democrat](/source/Minnesota_Democratic-Farmer-Labor_Party), Olson was first elected in 1970, and was re-elected in 1972 and 1976. During his first six years, he caucused with the Liberal [Caucus](/source/Caucus), as the [Minnesota Legislature](/source/Minnesota_Legislature) was officially [nonpartisan](/source/Nonpartisanism) until 1976. He represented the old districts 18 and 27, which changed somewhat through [redistricting](/source/redistricting) in 1972, and included all or portions of [Cottonwood](/source/Cottonwood_County%2C_Minnesota), [Jackson](/source/Jackson_County%2C_Minnesota), [Martin](/source/Martin_County%2C_Minnesota), [Nobles](/source/Nobles_County%2C_Minnesota) and [Watonwan](/source/Watonwan_County%2C_Minnesota) counties in the southwestern part of the state.[{{cite web |url=http://venus.library.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10484 |title=Minnesota Legislators Past & Present — Legislator Record — Olson, Howard D |publisher=Venus.library.leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2010-07-20 |archive-date=2016-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312060841/http://venus.library.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?id=10484 |url-status=dead }}]
While in the Senate, Olson served on the Agriculture and Natural Resources, Health and Welfare, Local Government, Education, Rules and Administration, Taxes and Tax Laws, and Veterans' Affairs committees. He was also a member of the Natural Resources and Agriculture Subcommittee for Environmental Protection, of the Education subcommittees for Post-Secondary and Higher Education Planning and Coordination, for Special Education in State Institutions, and for Special Programs, and of the Taxes and Tax Laws Subcommittee for Sales and Property Tax.