Cliffard Dale Carlson

Cliffard Dale Carlson (December 30, 1915 – August 28, 1977) was an American politician and businessman who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Illinois. A member of the Republican Party, he represented his Illinois constituents in the House of Representatives during a significant period in American political history, contributing to the legislative process and participating in the broader democratic governance of the nation.

Carlson was born and raised in Aurora, Illinois, on December 30, 1915. He grew up in this Fox River Valley community and received his early education in local schools. He later attended North Central College in nearby Naperville, Illinois, before continuing his studies at the University of New Mexico. He completed his higher education there, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1939, an academic foundation that preceded both his military and business careers.

Following his graduation, Carlson served in the United States Naval Reserve, contributing to the nation’s defense during a period that encompassed World War II and its aftermath. After his naval service, he entered the private sector and established himself as a manufacturer. His business career provided him with experience in industry and management, which would later inform his political perspectives and legislative interests, particularly in matters affecting commerce and economic development in Illinois.

Carlson became increasingly active in Republican Party politics at the state and national levels during the mid-twentieth century. He served as an Illinois Republican Central Committeeman, helping to shape party strategy and organization within the state. He was also selected as a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1960, 1964, and 1968, participating in the nomination of the party’s presidential candidates and in the development of national party platforms. Through these roles, he gained prominence within Republican circles and built the political relationships that would support his later congressional service.

Carlson’s opportunity to serve in Congress arose in 1972, when a vacancy occurred in an Illinois House seat following the resignation of Representative Charlotte Thompson Reid. Running as a Republican candidate, he won the special election to fill the vacancy and took his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 4, 1972. His term extended through the remainder of the Ninety-second Congress, ending on January 3, 1973. During this single term in office, Carlson participated in the legislative process, represented the interests of his Illinois constituents, and contributed to congressional deliberations at a time marked by domestic policy debates and the winding down of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. He did not seek re-election to a full term in 1972, but he later attempted to return to Congress and was unsuccessful in a 1974 election bid to rejoin the House.

After his brief but notable service in Congress, Carlson returned to private life, remaining identified with Republican politics and his longstanding business background. He continued to be regarded as part of the generation of midwestern Republican leaders who combined party activism with professional experience outside government.

Cliffard Dale Carlson died in Dixon, Illinois, on August 28, 1977. He was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in Geneva, Illinois. His career reflected a trajectory from local roots in Aurora and academic training in the Midwest and Southwest, through military and business service, to participation in state and national Republican politics and, ultimately, to service in the U.S. House of Representatives.