Born in
Ferndale, California, Clausen graduated from elementary and high schools of Ferndale, where he was an honors student and lettered five sports: tennis, track, basketball, football and baseball as well as being the
drum major of the school band. He attended
San José State University,
California Polytechnic State University (in
San Luis Obispo, California),
Weber State University (in
Ogden, Utah), and
Saint Mary's College of California. and the
Voting Rights Act of 1965. He voted for the initial House Resolution for the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 but voted against the accepting the final Senate amendments to the Act. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the
Ninety-eighth Congress in 1982, narrowly losing to
Democrat Douglas H. Bosco. was named in his honor and the Redwood National Park Bypass on US Highway 101 was renamed the Don Clausen Highway in 1996 by act of the California Legislature due to his efforts at obtaining appropriations for building that road and the Redwood National Park Visitor Center.
Death and legacy Clausen died in a hospital on February 7, 2015, in
Fortuna, California, from complications of
diabetes,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and heart and lung disease. His
congressional papers are archived at
Humboldt State University library and his congressional desk and other office memorabilia are exhibited at the
Ferndale Museum. == Electoral history ==