loyd ▁B . ▁Ol son ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁side ▁of ▁Min ne apolis , ▁Minnesota , ▁the ▁only ▁child ▁of ▁a ▁Norwegian ▁father ▁and ▁a ▁Swedish ▁mother . ▁The ▁North ▁Side ▁neighborhood ▁where ▁Ol son ▁grew ▁up ▁was ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁a ▁s izable ▁Orth odox ▁Jewish ▁community , ▁and ▁Ol son ' s ▁friend ships ▁with ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁Jewish ▁families ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁sh abb os ▁go y , ▁assist ing ▁Jews ▁on ▁the ▁S abb ath ▁by ▁performing ▁actions ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁permitted ▁to ▁do . ▁Ol son ▁picked ▁up ▁Y idd ish ▁from ▁his ▁child hood ▁associations ▁with ▁his ▁Jewish ▁neighb ors ▁and ▁years ▁later ▁spoke ▁the ▁language ▁flu ently ▁while ▁campaign ing ▁in ▁Jewish ▁communities , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁having ▁several ▁Jews ▁serve ▁him ▁in ▁advis ory ▁roles ▁while ▁in ▁elected ▁office . ▁ ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁North ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁Min ne apolis ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁Ol son ▁went ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁the ▁Northern ▁Pacific ▁Railway . ▁The ▁next ▁year , ▁he ▁en rolled ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Minnesota , ▁but ▁he ▁left ▁after ▁only ▁a ▁year , ▁during ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁always ▁in ▁trouble ▁for ▁we aring ▁a ▁der by ▁in ▁viol ation ▁of ▁school ▁rules ▁and ▁for ▁ref using ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁required ▁R OT C ▁dr ills . ▁ ▁He ading ▁west , ▁Ol son ▁worked ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁odd ▁jobs ▁in ▁Canada ▁and ▁Al aska ▁before ▁sett ling ▁briefly ▁in ▁Seattle