Ásgeir Ásgeirsson

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Ásgeir Ásgeirsson

Ásgeir Ásgeirsson (IPA: [ˈausceir̥ ˈausceir̥sɔn]) (13 May 1894 – 15 September 1972) was the 2nd president of Iceland, from 1952 to 1968.

Educated as a theologian he graduated with honours from the University of Iceland in Reykjavík in 1915, but was considered too young to be ordained as a minister. He married Dóra Þórhallsdóttir in 1917. Dóra was the daughter of Þórhallur Bjarnarson, bishop of Iceland 1908-1916. Her brother was Tryggvi Þórhallsson, who was Prime Minister of Iceland 1927-1932.

Ásgeir was elected to the Althing in 1923 at the age of 29 for the Progressive Party. He spoke as the president of the Althing at Þingvellir on the occasion of the Althing's 1000th anniversary celebrations in 1930, and became Minister of Finance in 1931 and Prime Minister in 1932. He left the Progressive Party in 1934, but stood for election as an independent for while until he joined the Social Democratic Party, and remained in the Althing until he was elected president in 1952. From 1938 and until he was elected president he was the director of Útvegsbanki Íslands, an Icelandic bank which later merged with three other banks and became Íslandsbanki (now Glitnir).

Ásgeir was elected the second President of Iceland in a closely contested election in 1952, which had been called upon early due to the untimely death of Sveinn Björnsson, Iceland's first president. Ásgeir's main opponent, Bjarni Jónsson, minister in the Reykjavik Cathedral, had the endorsement of the governing parties in Iceland, the Independent Party and the Progressive Party. Still Ásgeir managed to receive 46,7% of the vote, compared to Bjarni Jónsson's 44,1%. The third candidate, Gísli Sveinsson, a former MP for the Independent Party, got 6,0%.

Ásgeir was re-elected unopposed in 1956, 1960, and 1964. Shortly after his fourth term started, his wife, Dóra, died from leukemia. In 1968 Ásgeir decided not to seek re-election. It was widely expected that his son-in-law, Gunnar Thoroddsen would be elected as his successor, but starting as the frontrunner according to opinion polls, he lost his ground to Kristján Eldjárn.

Political offices
Preceded by Tryggvi Þórhallsson	Prime Minister of Iceland 1932–1934	Succeeded by Hermann Jónasson
Preceded by Sveinn Björnsson	President of Iceland 1952–1968	Succeeded by Kristján Eldjárn
Preceded by Tryggvi Þórhallsson	Chairman of the Progressive Party 1932–1933	Succeeded by Sigurður Kristinsson