Morgan Foster Larson

Morgan Foster Larson (June 15, 1882 – March 21, 1961) was an American Republican politician who served as the 40th governor of New Jersey.

Early life Morgan Foster Larson was born on June 15, 1882, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, to Peter and Regina (Knudson) Larson. His father was a Danish immigrant who arrived in the United States at the age of twenty-two and worked as a blacksmith.

He attended Perth Amboy public schools before studying engineering at the Cooper Union Institute in New York City. Larson took night classes and worked in Perth Amboy during the day; by the time he graduated, he had logged over 60,000 miles of commuting.

Term in office: 1929–1932 The Larson administration was quickly plagued by internal party divisions and challenges to his authority, a consistent theme for New Jersey governors through the 1920s and 1930s. Larson in particular struggled despite his party's control of both chambers of the legislature, as he developed an early reputation as a maverick unwilling to cooperate on appointments. He became rapidly unpopular and politically ineffective shortly after taking office.

His first confrontation was over the office of Attorney General, for which he nominated Senator William A. Stevens of Monmouth without consulting leadership. He further upset state leaders by declining to nominate his primary opponent Carey for Hudson County prosecutor. The decision brewed serious controversy, re-raising the implication that Larson was insufficiently willing to attack Hague or the Hudson County machine. He followed the Carey decision by nominating his close friend and ally, Morristown mayor Clyde W. Potts, for another term on the State Board of Health. The Potts nomination outraged the legislature, given that a Senate committee had implicated Potts in a scheme to suppress competition for a state contract, in violation of state law. In response, the Governor only offered that "there didn't seem to be anything that involves his work as a member of the State Board of Health." Under mounting pressure and criticism, the Governor eventually withdrew the nomination. His final appointment in his first year was to nominate Senator Clarence E. Case to the New Jersey Supreme Court. The nomination throttled Case's Senate committee, charged with investigating impropriety in state government.

The Republican legislature spent much of the year stripping the Governor's office of authority to appoint officials, making efficient administration virtually impossible. Larson's problems compounded when the Great Depression hit the state. In September 1930, he directed the Attorney General to bring an action against alleged discriminatory freight costs in New York Harbor; the case was rejected by the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Though by now a political liability within his state, Larson's second year in office was more successful; he cooperated with Governor of New York Franklin D. Roosevelt to construct the Lincoln Tunnel. His final year in office was the most frustrating. In his third and final annual message to the legislature, Larson prioritized unemployment and called on the legislators to "meet the state's responsibility in the crisis." He backed the creation of the temporary state Emergency Relief Administration.

Later career After leaving office in 1932, Larson worked as an engineer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. His financial holdings in banks, gas and petroleum collapsed as a result of the Depression.

In 1945, Governor Walter Evans Edge appointed Larson to his cabinet as commissioner of the new Department of Conservation; he remained in office until 1949. He continued on the state payroll as a consulting engineer with the Water Policy and Supply Council.

Personal life Larson married Jennie Brogger in 1914; their marriage lasted until her death in 1927. He remarried to Adda Schmidt, a native of Denmark and his mother's secretary and companion, during his second year as Governor.

In 1921, Larson's brothers Lawrence and George were killed in a grade-crossing accident. He adopted his brothers' seven children and provided each with a college education.

Death Larson died March 21, 1961, and was buried in Alpine Cemetery in Perth Amboy.