Oscar W. Magnuson
Oscar Williams Magnuson, circa 1931
OSCAR WILLIAMS MAGNUSON was born in Philadelphia PA in 1891 to Wilhelm and Frederika Magnusson, who had come to America in 1888 and 1889 respectively. He married Bertha Mae Murphy on August 24, 1923 in Philadelphia.
At the time of the 1930 census Oscar and Bertha Magnuson were living in a rented house at 119 South 27th Street in East Camden. Mr. Magnuson was then working for the City of Camden, while Bertha Magnuson was the office manager for a company involved in direct advertising. Also at home were Mr. Magnuson’s elderly parents. The couple had children after the census was taken.
Oscar W. Magnuson served as Deputy to Parks Commissioner Clay W. Reesman during the administration of Mayor Winfield S. Price, which ran from 1927 through 1931. During the 1930s the Magnuson family purchased a home at 365 Burwood Avenue in East Camden. Oscar Magnuson’s mother passed away during the 1930s, as did his father, Wilhelm Magnuson, on June 16, 1939 at the age of 84.
After leaving city government in the 1930s, Oscar Magnuson worked as a reporter for the Camden Courier-Post, and stayed with that paper for many years. In his later years with the Courier-Post he was the obituaries writer.
Oscar Magnuson passed away on May 11, 1956 of cancer of the tongue. Bertha Magnuson remained a Camden resident until her death on June 7, 1975, a month before her 82nd birthday. The Magnuson family remained in Camden as late as the fall of 2012.
Checked and Double Checked by JIMINY
Camden Courier-Post —
Personals: Vic Scharle’s oldest daughter, Mary E., marries James R. Epperly at St. Monica’s in Philadelphia today…Vic will hold open house tonight, if Oscar Magnuson can get there…Bill (Pretzels) McCloskey is recovering at the Wills Hospital after an eye operation…
Old GOP Headquarters Being Razed For Stores at Broadway and Stevens
Camden Courier-Post —
Wreckers Now Busy Where Party Bigwigs Once Made Historic Decisions; First Used in 1923 for Political Purposes
By OSCAR MAGNUSON
The building which housed the headquarters of the old Republican Organization at Broadway and Stevens’ street is being torn down to make way for two stores. By the end of next week the building will have been razed and carried off by the wreckers. About the middle of September, it is explained, a shoe store and a hosiery shop will be opened on the site.
Much political history of Camden county was written in this building, which came into being as a headquarters for the Camden County Republican Executive Committee after the first election in 1923 for city commissioners.
Change Came In 1923
After Camden citizens, in 1923, decided to change the form of city government from councilmanic to city commission, thereby handing the Republican Organization a defeat at the polls, leaders of the party decided in the revamp of the Organization to have a headquarters that would be open the year round for party activity.
Planned As Permanent
Decision to have a permanent home, open the year round and which would be used as campaign headquarters, came as the party was being built up after the first city commission election. Prior to that it was the practice to open headquarters a couple of months before a campaign. Either the old Goff building on Broadway or the old Frost building, Federal street at Hudson street, were utilized for such purposes.
In 1925 the building was obtained and from then on to 1940 it was the headquarters of the party organization. There the county committee met for regular sessions, there the leaders of the party met to decide upon candidates and other matters political. There was a second floor conference room, a room on the third floor where the speakers’ bureau gathered at the beginning and during campaigns and where the county committee members met. The basement was outfitted for luncheons and dinners. The first floor was outfitted as an office where election records were kept and as a reception room.
From this headquarters was conducted the successful campaign in 1927 when the organization elected its ticket of five city commissioners, the first of many successes that were to be attained there. On the winning ticket were Gen. Winfield S. Price, later named mayor; T. Yorke Smith, now deceased; Dr. David S. Rhone, at present a city commissioner; William D. Sayrs, now deputy city clerk, and Clay W. Reesman, now city clerk.
Replaced Old Group
They replaced the members of the first nonpartisan city commission of Victor King, mayor; M. F. Middleton, Jr., director of revenue and finance; H. Raymond Staley, director of parks and public property, now deceased; Carroll P. Sherwood, director of public works, and Frank G. Hitchner, director of public safety.
Many political personages were in the old headquarters from time to time. There were the late Dwight Morrow, later U.S. Senator and Ambassador to Mexico; Walter E. Edge, governor and later ambassador to France; U.S. Sen. Hamilton F. Kean; Gov. Morgan F. Larson; Congressman Charles A. Wolverton, to mention but a few.
While the headquarters itself is gone, yet the political history that was made there will ever remain with the people of Camden city and county. Though the building is disappearing, there are no longer year round headquarters, yet Republican party workers are going on in their work of maintaining the two party system in politics, the American way of democracy.