Prime Minister of Iceland. After graduating top in the school's history from Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík in 1897, he studied civil engineering at Polytechnic College in Copenhagen (now Danish Technical University) and graduated in 1903. He served as Chief Engineer of Iceland for 12 years until his resignation in 1917, when he started his own company for importing building materials. He also continued to work as an independent engineer during this time. In 1921, he was elected to the Icelandic Parliament. Well respected, he very quickly became the leader of the Conservative and Libertarian elements of Parliament, and founded the Conservative Party in 1924. That same year, the Conservatives formed a government and he became the Minister of Finance. Upon then-Prime Minister Jón Magnússon's sudden death on June 23, 1926, and after a brief stint where Magnús Guðmundsson served as Prime Minister, Jón became Prime Minister of Iceland on July 8, 1926, and served in this position until his defeat in the 1927 elections, which then made him the Leader of the Opposition. He was a "classical liberal" who defined himself as a "conservative libertarian" and supporter of free trade and limited government. He had also been in support of the privatisation of two government-managed commercial banks. He became the first leader of the Independence Party in 1929, the party having formed from a merger of the Conservative Party and a small number of Liberal Party members, a post he held until his resignation due to poor health in 1934, only a year prior to his death. He became mayor of Reykjavík in late 1932.
Prime Minister of Iceland. After graduating top in the school's history from Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík in 1897, he studied civil engineering at Polytechnic College in Copenhagen (now Danish Technical University) and graduated in 1903. He served as Chief Engineer of Iceland for 12 years until his resignation in 1917, when he started his own company for importing building materials. He also continued to work as an independent engineer during this time. In 1921, he was elected to the Icelandic Parliament. Well respected, he very quickly became the leader of the Conservative and Libertarian elements of Parliament, and founded the Conservative Party in 1924. That same year, the Conservatives formed a government and he became the Minister of Finance. Upon then-Prime Minister Jón Magnússon's sudden death on June 23, 1926, and after a brief stint where Magnús Guðmundsson served as Prime Minister, Jón became Prime Minister of Iceland on July 8, 1926, and served in this position until his defeat in the 1927 elections, which then made him the Leader of the Opposition. He was a "classical liberal" who defined himself as a "conservative libertarian" and supporter of free trade and limited government. He had also been in support of the privatisation of two government-managed commercial banks. He became the first leader of the Independence Party in 1929, the party having formed from a merger of the Conservative Party and a small number of Liberal Party members, a post he held until his resignation due to poor health in 1934, only a year prior to his death. He became mayor of Reykjavík in late 1932.
Bio by: Daniel
Gravesite Details
Buried: March 1935
Family Members
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