Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I whanau i West St. Paul, Minnesota, i pootihia a Stassen hei kaitohutohu rohe o Dakota County, Minnesota i muri i tana tohu mai i te Whare Wananga o Minnesota. I wikitoria ia hei Kawana o Minnesota i te tau 1938. Ko Stassen i taua wa, a, ko ia tonu te tangata taitamariki i pootihia ki taua tari. I hoatu e ia te korero matua i te 1940 Republican National Convention. I whakarerea e ia tana tūranga hei kawana hei mahi i te United States Navy i te Pakanga Tuarua o te Ao, hei kaiawhina ki a Admiral William Halsey Jr. I muri o te pakanga, ka riro ia hei perehitini mo te Whare Wananga o Pennsylvania, i taua tuunga mai i te 1948 ki te 1953. I whai a Stassen i te tohu perehitini i te
1948 Republican National Convention, i wikitoria i te waahanga nui o nga kaitono i nga pooti tuatahi e rua o te huihuinga. I te wa o nga kaupapa tuatahi a te Republican i mua i te huihuinga, i uru ia ki te tautohetohe a Dewey<unk>Stassen, te tautohetohe tuatahi i tuhia i waenga i nga kaitono perehitini.