, ▁Washington , ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁ste ved ore ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Work ers ▁of ▁the ▁World . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁Ol son ▁read ▁widely ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁adopt ▁a ▁popul ist , ▁semi - social ist ▁philosophy ▁he ▁would ▁retain ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁Return ing ▁to ▁Minnesota ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁Ol son ▁en rolled ▁at ▁William ▁Mitchell ▁College ▁of ▁Law ▁( then ▁the ▁North western ▁College ▁of ▁Law ), ▁ear ning ▁his ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁he ▁met ▁and ▁married ▁Ada ▁Kre j ci ▁in ▁New ▁Prag ue , ▁Minnesota ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁pract icing ▁lawyer . ▁ ▁Hen ne pin ▁County ▁Att orney ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁Ol son ▁was ▁h ired ▁as ▁an ▁Ass istant ▁Hen ne pin ▁County ▁Att orney ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁had ▁himself ▁become ▁the ▁Hen ne pin ▁County ▁Att orney ▁after ▁the ▁previous ▁att orney ▁was ▁fired ▁for ▁accepting ▁b rib es . ▁ ▁During ▁that ▁period , ▁he ▁made ▁his ▁first ▁for ay ▁into ▁politics ▁when ▁he ▁helped ▁form ▁the ▁Committee ▁of ▁ 4 8 , ▁an ▁organization ▁that ▁attempted ▁to ▁draft ▁Senator ▁Robert ▁M . ▁La ▁Fol lette , ▁Sr . ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁president ▁on ▁a ▁third - party ▁ticket . ▁The ▁effort ▁proved ▁un success ful , ▁but ▁La ▁Fol lette ▁would ▁later ▁run ▁on ▁the ▁Progress ive ▁Party ▁ticket ▁in ▁ 1 9 2