Joseph I. Cahill was born in 1869 in Illinois. He grew up and attended school in Illinois, later completing a teaching course at the Northern Illinois Normal School. He also attended the Northern Indiana Normal School. He served as vice president of the Farmers Equity Union in Greenville, Illinois. He lived in Illinois and Oklahoma before moving to North Dakota in 1904, settling near Leith. He worked as a teacher before becoming involved with the Leith Equity Exchange, serving as its president, and the local grain elevator, serving as its manager. In 1909, he married Evelyn E. Lawfer. Cahill was active in the Leith community, serving as president of the bank, township supervisor, and president of the school board. In the 1910s, he became involved with the Nonpartisan League (NPL). In 1916, he was elected to the North Dakota Senate, serving from 1917 to 1920. In 1919, with majority control of the state legislature, the NPL began passing its reforms. At the start of the 1919 regular session, NPL Governor Lynn Frazier recommended the creation of a new board, replacing existing boards, to increase efficiency and save money by consolidation. Heeding the governor's recommendation, the legislature created the Board of Administration. This new board would administer all penal institutions, charitable and educational institutions, and oversee the public and common schools for the state. Cahill was the sponsor of the Board of Administration bill (SB 134). Opponents of the NPL, especially the Independent Voters Association (IVA), viewed the board as a political power grab. Upon its creation, a majority of the board had ties to the NPL. The board had several controversies in its first few years of existence. In 1920, Cahill was the NPL's unsuccessful candidate for Secretary of State, losing to incumbent Thomas Hall in the Republican primary. In early 1921, Cahill was appointed by Governor Frazier to the Board of Administration to fill the spot vacated by Patrick M. Casey upon his resignation. In October 1921, the special recall election deposed Governor Frazier and replaced him with IVA-endorsed R. A. Nestos. In February 1922, Governor Nestos demanded the resignation of Geroge A. Totten and Cahill from the board. Totten complied within two weeks. Cahill, on the other hand, refused to step down. He took to the courts but later lost and was forced out, and his spot was filled by Robert B. Murphy. By 1930, Cahill had left the state and moved to San Diego, California, working as a farmer and rancher. He died in 1942 in San Diego.
Board of Administration member, 1919-1921
Patrick M. Casey was born in Wisconsin in 1880 or 1881. Between 1909 and 1911, he moved to Lisbon, North Dakota, area. He farmed and raised hogs and cattle in Ransom County. He served as president of the Farmers Equity Elevator in Lisbon. He was also vice president of the North Dakota Union, which was an organization for farmers. In 1915, Casey married Elizabeth Cooper. Casey was further involved in local politics, serving as a school trustee and township assessor. In the 1910s, he became involved with the Nonpartisan League (NPL). In 1916, he ran as the NPL candidate for state treasurer on the Democratic ticket. However, he narrowly lost the election to incumbent John Steen. In late 1916, Casey was named president of the Equity Cooperative Packing Company outside of Fargo. He continued to live in Lisbon until April 1917 when he moved to Fargo. Casey's involvement with the NPL continued. Casey served as the Sergeant-at-Arms of the North Dakota House of Representatives during the 1917 legislative session. In December 1917, he was appointed by Governor Frazier to the state's Board of Control, serving until 1919. When the NPL-controlled legislature created the Board of Administration in 1919, the Board of Control dissolved. Casey's service in state government continued when Governor Frazier appointed him to the Board of Administration in the summer of 1919. He served on the board until his resignation in early 1921. Casey left the board to devote his full attention to the packing plant. However, the plant experienced financial troubles and Casey was ousted as president in early 1922. By 1930, he had moved to Edgeley, North Dakota, and worked as proprietor of a hardware store. By 1940, he had left the state, living in Colorado, and working as a salesman. Casey died in 1942.
Assistant Attorney General, 1917-1920
Edward B. Cox was born in 1888 in Sanborn, North Dakota. His father was A. B. Cox, who served in the North Dakota Senate (1899-1904). Cox attended schools in Sanborn, Valley City, and Fargo. In 1905, he graduated from Fargo High School. He then attended the teachers' college in Valley City, graduating in 1906. He also attended the University of North Dakota and the University of Michigan. In 1910, he graduated with his law degree from the University of Michigan. In 1912, he married Genevieve McFarland. He practiced law in Courtenay, North Dakota, before working as an attorney for the State Tax Commission in 1917. In the fall of 1917, he was appointed Assistant Attorney General under William Langer. Cox was a frequent collaborator with Langer on any cases against Minnie J. Nielson, Superintendent of Public Instruction. Nielson won the 1918 election against incumbent Neil C. Macdonald, who was the Nonpartisan League's (NPL) endorsed candidate. In early January 1919, Nielson and her staff arrived in Bismarck to assume her office and duties. However, Macdonald refused to leave the office and relinquish the duties. Macdonald claimed Nielson did not meet the legal qualifications for the office. Langer and his office took the matter before the North Dakota Supreme Court, which ruled against Macdonald and forced him out. However, for several months afterward, Macdonald refused to admit defeat and continued to challenge Nielson's legitimacy in the courts. With the support of Langer and Cox, Nielson was able to keep winning the legal battles and remained in office. After leaving the Attorney General's office in 1920, Cox formed a successful law firm in Bismarck with H. F. O'Hare. Cox continued practicing law until his death in 1954.
[Biography unavailable]
Board of Administration member, 1923-1929
F. E. (Frisby Etter) Diehl was born in Pennsylvania in 1873. By 1900, he was working as a lawyer in Clark County, South Dakota. Around 1907, he moved to Bowman, North Dakota. In Bowman, he worked as a lawyer, contractor, and builder. He also served as a county judge. In the 1910s, Diehl became associated with the Independent Voters Association (IVA), which was the opposition to the Nonpartisan League (NPL). In October 1921, the IVA held a successful recall election that removed the three NPL members on the Industrial Commission (Governor, Attorney General, and Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor), replacing them with IVA-endorsed candidates. In December 1921, the new IVA-controlled Industrial Commission appointed Diehl to be the manager of the Home Building Association, which was a controversial program of the NPL. In July 1923, Governor R. A. Nestos appointed Diehl to the Board of Administration, filling the vacant spot formerly held by Robert T. Muir. Diehl served on the board until his term ended in 1929. Governor George F. Shafer decided not to reappoint Diehl to the board. Instead, he appointed J. E. Davis, a former state legislator. Diehl remained in Bismarck for several years, working as a salesman and contractor. By 1950, he had moved to Los Angeles, California. Diehl died in 1959.
Governor, 1917-1921
Lynn Joseph Frazier was born in 1874 in Minnesota. A few years later, the Frazier family moved to North Dakota, near the town of Hoople. After graduating from Grafton High School, Frazier received a teaching certificate from Mayville Normal School. For the next few years, he worked as a teacher and farmer. He then attended the University of North Dakota (UND). He attended UND around the same time as P. E. Halldorson, William Lemke, Neil C. Macdonald, Robert T. Muir, William L. Nuessle, and Laureas J. Wehe, all of whom would have prominent roles to play in the future political battle between the Nonpartisan League (NPL) and the Independent Voters Association (IVA). The early deaths of this father and brother brought him back to the family farm. In the 1910s, Frazier became involved with the NPL, a political party advocating for small farmers and small businesses that had risen to prominence in the state. Frazier was humble, down-to-earth, and well-liked by the citizens of North Dakota. The NPL chose him as their candidate for governor, and he was elected in a landslide in 1916. He was reelected again in 1918 and 1920. Under his leadership, and with the help of the NPL-controlled legislature, the state enacted many reforms, such as the establishment of the Bank of North Dakota, the North Dakota Mill and Elevator, and the Industrial Commission. All of which still exist to this day. However, Frazier was governor during a turbulent time. The state was in an economic downturn following the end of World War I, and there was drought and declining grain prices. There wasst also a tremendous political battle between two opposing factions: the NPL and the IVA. Eventually, public support for the NPL declined, while support for the IVA increased. In 1921, the IVA held a recall election, and Lynn Frazier became the first governor in the United States to be successfully recalled from office. However, Frazier remained popular, and in the election of 1922, he was successfully elected to the U.S. Senate, defeating the IVA-endorsed James Francis Thaddeus O'Connor. He served in the Senate from 1923 to 1941, having been defeated in the 1940 primary election by William Langer. Frazier died a few years later in 1947.
Board of Administration member, 1923-1925
Harry P. Goddard was born in 1867 in New York. By 1900, he was living in Minneapolis working as the secretary of the YMCA. In 1901, he married Mabel Fenton in Iowa. By 1910, he was living in Burleigh County, North Dakota. Goddard became active in the Bismarck community, serving as president of the Bismarck Commercial Club and working as president of the First National Bank. In the late 1910s, he directed various fundraising campaigns for Burleigh County, such as Liberty Loan drives and a memorial fund for Theodore Roosevelt. In the late 1910s or early 1920s, he became active in the Independent Voters Association (IVA), which was the opposition to the Nonpartisan League (NPL). In late January 1923, following the sudden death of Frank S. Talcott, Governor R. A. Nestos appointed Goddard to the Board of Administration. The spot was originally held by George A. Totten, who had left the board in 1922 following the resignation demand from Gov. Nestos. Goddard served on the board until his term ended in 1925. Goddard remained in Bismarck for several more years, serving as the secretary of the Bismarck Association of Commerce for a time. By 1950, he had moved to Burbank, California. He died in Los Angeles in 1955.
John N. Hagan was born in 1873, near Arcola, Indiana. In 1900, he graduated from Valparaiso University. In the fall of 1900, Hagan moved to North Dakota, accepting a school administration job at St. John. He served in this role until 1903 when he moved to a homestead around Deering, North Dakota. In 1904, he married Rhea Smith. Hagan farmed for several years before getting involved in politics. In 1916, he joined the Nonpartisan League (NPL), becoming one of its earliest members. Also in 1916, Hagan received the endorsement of the NPL for North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor. Hagan won the election, and he would be reelected again in 1918 and 1920. As Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor, and under the state leadership of the NPL, Hagan served on many boards and commissions, including the newly formed Industrial Commission and the Board of Administration. In 1921, a special recall election, initiated by opponents of the NPL (the Independent Voters Association or IVA) successfully removed Hagan from office. He was replaced by Joseph A. Kitchen. The other two members of the Industrial Commission, Governor Lynn Frazier and Attorney General William Lemke, were also removed from office. The NPL's influence over North Dakota government had waned. However, the NPL saw a resurgence in the 1930s. Hagan was again elected Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor, serving one term from 1937 to 1938. In 1938, he unsuccessfully ran for North Dakota Governor but was defeated by John Moses. Hagan primarily retired from politics and returned to farming. He died on June 4, 1952.
Joseph Ambrose Kitchen was born in 1878 in Illinois. He grew up and attended school in Illinois. From July 1898 to April 1899, he served in Company A of the 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry in the Spanish-American War. The unit was deployed and served in Cuba. After the war, he attended Valparaiso College, graduating from law school in 1903. In June 1903, he was admitted to the bar in Indiana, but instead of practicing, he continued his studies at Ralston University, graduating in 1904. In August 1904, he married Pearl S. Smith in Kentucky. Kitchen then moved to North Dakota, settling near Sentinel Butte. From 1904 to 1909, he was in charge of the public school in Sentinel Butte. He then served as superintendent of schools in Billings County. When the western portion of Billings County split and formed a new county (Golden Valley County), Kitchen served as its superintendent of schools. He also operated a farm and ranch in the area. In September 1918, Kitchen enlisted with the Army during World War I. He was sent to officers training school in Arkansas and remained there until his discharge in December 1918. In the late 1910s or early 1920s, he became involved with the Independent Voters Association (IVA), which was the opposition to the Nonpartisan League (NPL). In 1920, he was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives. In the fall of 1921, the IVA called for a special recall election to depose the top three NPL candidates that made up the state's Industrial Commission. In October 1921, voters decided to remove the Governor, Attorney General, and Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor. Kitchen was the IVA's candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor. He replaced John N. Hagan. One of the many duties of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor was to sit on the Board of Administration. In 1925, Valparaiso College bestowed him with an honorary doctorate. Kitchen was re-elected multiple times and served as Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor until 1932. By 1935, he had moved to Florida and resided in that state until his death in 1942.
Attorney General, 1917-1920
William "Wild Bill" Langer was a prominent lawyer and politician from North Dakota. Langer was born in 1886 near Casselton, Dakota Territory (North Dakota). He attended school there, and he would later receive degrees from the University of North Dakota and Columbia University. In the 1910s, he was appointed state's attorney of Morton County, North Dakota. Langer was elected North Dakota Attorney General in 1916, with the endorsement of the Nonpartisan League (NPL). However, a few years later, a rift had formed between Langer and the NPL. He began distancing himself from the party and criticizing its leaders. He still supported the farmers and the initial measures of the NPL, but he claimed the NPL's leaders were becoming misguided. He also accused some, especially A. C. Townley of being a socialist. The turning point for Langer's relationship with the NPL started in late 1918 and early 1919 when he supported the candidacy of Minnie Nielson for Superintendent of Public Instruction, who had defeated the NPL's candidate in the election. In early 1919, during the regular session of the state legislature, Langer (and several others in state government) spoke out against certain NPL bills, including the Board of Administration bill and State Publication and Printing Commission bills. By the fall of 1919, Langer defected and it was open warfare against the NPL. As Attorney General, Langer used the power of his office to undermine certain initiatives of the NPL. He was aided by Thomas Hall, Secretary of State, and Carl Kositzky, State Auditor, who were also unhappy with the NPL's leadership. Langer and Hall, making up a majority of the State Banking Board, were growing suspicious of the NPL's banking practices and how it was purchasing banks. This eventually lead to Langer and Hall, over the objections of Governor Lynn Frazier, who was the third member of the banking board, to temporarily close the Scandinavian American Bank in Fargo in early October 1919. The Scandinavian American Bank was a prominent NPL bank. This bank scandal also created problems for the newly created Bank of North Dakota, which was a product of the NPL. In December 1919, as members of the State Auditing Board, Langer, Hall, and Kositzky rejected an invoice for books that were to be purchased for the State Library Commission. The Board of Administration and the library had recently been exonerated by a N.D. House committee investigating a "scandal" of seemingly controversial books. The trio used this invoice rejection to take another jab at the NPL. During the special session of the state legislature in late 1919, there were calls to impeach Langer and demands for his resignation among the NPL-controlled legislature. Langer hung on, although temporarily. The legislature did retaliate by slashing the appropriations for Langer, Hall, and Kositzky's departments. Langer stepped down as Attorney General and ran against Lynn Frazier in the 1920 gubernatorial election, but he narrowly lost in the primaries. Langer would later make amends with the NPL and was elected Governor of North Dakota in the early 1930s. However, a scandal forced him out of office. Langer remained popular and was again elected governor in the late 1930s. Langer served as a United States Senator for North Dakota from 1941 until his death in 1959.
Board of Administration secretary, 1919-1922
Charles Liessman was born on September 24, 1878, in Germany. As a teenager, he joined the merchant marine and served as a sailor for Germany and other European countries. Around 1900, he established a residency in the United States and joined the Navy. During his time as a sailor, Liessman extensively traveled the world. From 1905 to 1909, he served on the personal staff of the commander-in-chief of the Pacific fleet. He resigned in 1909 and homesteaded in North Dakota. On June 3, 1909, he married Viola A. Stramblad. The Liessmans farmed in Kidder County and McLean County. Liessman was admitted to the state bar in 1916. He was also active in other organizations, serving as organizer of the North Dakota Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union in 1916. During the 1910s, Liessman became involved with the Nonpartisan League (NPL). During the late 1910s, he served in many state government roles, such as clerk for the Department of State and Chief Clerk of the State Selective Service. In 1917, he was named Deputy Land Commissioner, serving under W. J. Prater. In 1918, he was named secretary of the State Board of Regents. In 1919, Liessman was appointed Executive Secretary of the newly created Board of Administration. He held this role until his resignation in December 1922 to serve as state's attorney for Kidder County. In 1925, Liessman became Deputy Secretary of State and served until 1935. Liessman died in 1963.
Kathrine Belanger was born in 1878 in Wisconsin. In 1884, the Belanger family moved to Dakota Territory, settling in Traill County. In 1902, Kathrine graduated from the University of North Dakota with a bachelor's degree in English, which she taught in Valley City. In 1904, she married Neil C. Macdonald. In the early 1900s, the Macdonalds lived in Lidgerwood. Neil served as the school's superintendent, while Kathrine worked as a teacher and principal of the high school. Around 1905, while in Lidgerwood, Neil and Kathrine became surrogate parents of three boys: Kathrine's nephew, Chester Fritz; and Neil's younger brothers, Alex and Donald, who came to live with their brother after the death of their father. Kathrine received a master's degree in English in 1908, and she later continued her graduate studies at a number of universities. The Macdonalds moved to the Bismarck-Mandan area in 1910 when Neil served in a superintendent role in Mandan. He then worked for a number of years for the Department of Public Instruction. In 1916, Neil decided to run for Superintendent of Public Instruction and received the endorsement of the Nonpartisan League (NPL). Neil won the election. In 1917, Neil appointed Kathrine to be deputy superintendent. Although she was qualified, opponents viewed this as nepotism. Neil ran for re-election in 1918, but he narrowly lost to Minnie J. Nielson, who had served many years as the superintendent of Barnes County schools. The Macdonalds clung onto claims that Nielson did not meet the qualifications for the role, ignoring the recent ruling from Attorney General William Langer. In January 1919 when Nielson came to Bismarck to assume her duties, the Macdonalds refused to surrender the office to her. The North Dakota Supreme Court reviewed the issue and sided with Nielson, forcing the Macdonalds out. Neil continued legal challenges to hold onto office, but he lost each one. The Macdonalds did not go far, however. In 1919, Neil was hired by the newly formed, and NPL-controlled, Board of Administration as an educational advisor and general school inspector with a salary equal to Nielson. When the NPL-controlled legislature created the Board of Administration, it took away several powers that had previously been given to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Once the new board was formally organized, it further removed duties from that office. The board created a supervisor of teacher certification and named E. P. Crain to this role. Crain had held a similar position under Neil when he was state superintendent. Kathrine worked under Crain and did the actual certification. The Macdonalds eventually resigned and left the state. Neil left North Dakota an unhappy man, and he soon discovered that his reputation had suffered because of his actions toward Nielson and because of his involvement with the NPL. Neil died unexpectedly of uremic poisoning in Montana while traveling to accept the role of dean at Seattle Pacific College. Kathrine taught English at Seattle Pacific College and then Whitworth College. After Neil's death, she married Orrin E. Tiffany. Kathrine and Orrin moved to Illinois and joined the faculty at Wheaton College. Kathrine taught English there for nearly two decades. Kathrine died in 1978 in Pennsylvania.
Neil C. Macdonald was born in Canada in 1876. He immigrated to Dakota Territory (Cavalier County) with his family in 1885. Macdonald had an extensive career in North Dakota as a teacher and administrator. He was a long-time friend of Governor Lynn Frazier, having met in college. Macdonald received degrees from the Mayville Normal School and the University of North Dakota (UND). He attended UND around the same time as Lynn J. Frazier, P. E. Halldorson, William Lemke, Robert T. Muir, William L. Nuessle, and Laureas J. Wehe, all of which would have prominent roles to play in the future political battle between the Nonpartisan League (NPL) and the Independent Voters Association (IVA). In 1916, Macdonald was elected North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction, after receiving an endorsement from the NPL. In 1918, after a difficult campaign, Macdonald lost his bid for re-election to Minnie J. Nielson. Macdonald, however, would not admit defeat and held onto claims that Nielson was not qualified to hold the office of state superintendent, despite an official opinion from North Dakota Attorney General William Langer. He refused to vacate the office, but he was quickly forced out by a ruling from the North Dakota Supreme Court. He continued to challenge Nielson in the courts but continued to lose. Macdonald did not go far, however. In 1919, he was hired by the newly formed, and NPL-controlled, Board of Administration as Educational Advisor and General School Inspector with a salary equal to Nielson. Macdonald soon left this role and the state. He had been made a victim of the battle between the NPL and the IVA, and his reputation had suffered because of his actions toward Nielson. To make matters worse for Macdonald, he suffered from a case of mistaken identity when William Howard Taft, former U.S. President and fervent opponent of the NPL, waged a campaign against the NPL in the papers. In one article, published on December 13, 1920, in Philadelphia's "Public Ledger," Taft confused Macdonald with Charles E. Stangeland, a one-time consultant of the North Dakota Board of Administration who, in 1919, recommended a number of controversial books for the State Library Commission to purchase. Taft accused Macdonald of putting controversial books into the hands of schoolchildren. Although Macdonald was not mentioned by name and Taft later apologized and published a retraction, the damage had already been done. After losing the election, Macdonald had mental and physical health problems. He died unexpectedly in 1923.
Board of Administration member, 1919-1923 (chair, 1921-1922)
Robert T. Muir was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1875. His parents were Joseph and Janet (Burns) Muir. In 1880, the Muir family immigrated to the United States, settling in North Dakota. Robert Muir later attended the University of North Dakota (UND). He attended UND around the same time as Lynn J. Frazier, P. E. Halldorson, William Lemke, Neil C. Macdonald, William L. Nuessle, and Laureas J. Wehe, all of which would have prominent roles to play in the future political battle between the Nonpartisan League (NPL) and the Independent Voters Association (IVA). He lived in Bowesmont, Reynolds, Bisbee, and New Rockford, before settling in Sarles to take up farming. In 1902, Robert Muir married Isabella J. Lemke, who was the sister of William Lemke (the future "political bishop" of the NPL). In the 1910s, Muir became involved with the NPL. In 1917, Muir was appointed to serve on the State Board of Regents. In 1919, the NPL-controlled legislature created the Board of Administration, which replaced the Board of Regents, and Governor Lynn Frazier appointed Muir to be a member. He was a member of the Board of Administration until his term ended in the summer of 1923, serving as chair of the board from the summer of 1921 to December 1922. In the fall of 1921, the NPL's opposition, the IVA, held a special recall election that removed the three NPL members on the Industrial Commission. IVA candidates took their place. In early 1922, the new governor, R. A. Nestos, considered demanding the resignation of Muir from the board. However, the governor backed off from this and waited for Muir's term to end. When Muir left the board, he was replaced by Frisby E. Diehl. Muir later farmed near Waubon, Minnesota, and also lived in Idaho. Muir later moved to Washington. He died on May 15, 1942, in Spokane.
Board of Administration member, 1922-1931 (chair, 1922-1929)
Robert B. Murphy was born in 1880 in Prince Edward Island, Canada. He attended public schools on Prince Edward Island before attending Prince of Wales College. In 1898, he married Beatrice McLeod. Murphy became a teacher on Prince Edward Island before moving to North Dakota in 1904. He attended Mayville Normal School, graduating in 1905, and the University of North Dakota, graduating in 1911. He served as school superintendent in Tower City for several years, until 1913. He then moved to Michigan, North Dakota, and served as school superintendent there. He was active in the Tower City and Michigan communities, belonging to local Masonic lodges and serving as the city treasurer in Michigan. In 1915, he was elected president of the department of secondary education of the North Dakota Education Association. In 1917, he left Michigan and moved to Grafton, again serving as school superintendent. In the fall of 1921, the Independent Voters Association (IVA) called for a special recall election to depose the top three Nonpartisan League (NPL) candidates that made up the state's Industrial Commission. In October 1921, voters decided to remove the Governor, Attorney General, and Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor. A couple of months later, in February 1922, the new governor, R. A. Nestos, demanded the resignation of two members of the Board of Administration. One, Geroge A. Totten, complied, but the other member, Joseph I. Cahill did not. He decided to take the issue to the courts. Meanwhile, Governor Nestos appointed Murphy to the board, filling Cahill's seat. The board voted to recognize Murphy, but Cahill refused to back down and both men attended and participated in meetings. In August 1922, a district judge ruled against Cahill and he was forced out. In December 1922, Murphy was appointed Chair of the Board of Administration, serving in this role until 1929. In 1927, he was reappointed to the board by Governor Arthur G. Sorlie. In 1931, Murphy decided to resign. He would be replaced by Laura B. Sanderson. Murphy remained active in state government and education, serving as secretary of the Board of Higher Education. Murphy died in Bismarck in 1950.
Governor, 1921-1925
Ragnvold Anderson Nestos was born in Norway in 1877. In 1893, Nestos immigrated to the United States, settling in Buxton, North Dakota, where he had relatives. He spoke no English when he came to the United States. Nestos attended school in Buxton and worked at a number of jobs. He attended the Mayville Normal School and graduated in 1900. In 1902, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin. He then attended law school at the University of North Dakota, graduating in 1904. He opened up a law practice in Minot. In 1910, Nestos was elected to the North Dakota House, serving one term from 1911 to 1912. In 1912, he was elected state's attorney for Ward County and served two terms. In 1916, he was unsuccessful in his bid for the Republican nomination for United States Senator, losing to incumbent Porter J. McCumber. During this time, the Nonpartisan League's (NPL) rise to power in the state was being challenged by the Independent Voters Association (IVA). In October 1921, the IVA held a special recall election to depose the three prominent members of the NPL in state government: Governor Lynn Frazier, Attorney General William Lemke, and Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor John N. Hagan. All three were members of the NPL-created Industrial Commission, which oversaw the utilities, industries, enterprises, and business projects owned, administered, and operated by the state. Nestos was the IVA-endorsed candidate for governor. Nestos defeated Frazier in the election and became the 13th Governor of North Dakota. Nestos completed the term and was re-elected in 1922, defeating the NPL's candidate William Lemke. In 1924, lost in the primary to Arthur G. Sorlie, an NPL moderate. Nestos was involved in many state and national organizations throughout his life, especially ones relating to literacy. In the 1910s, he served as president of the North Dakota Library Association (NDLA), and he was involved with the Minot Public Library and the State Library Commission. Nestos never married. He died in 1942 following complications from a stroke.
Minnie J. Nielson was born in Michigan in 1874. In 1880, she moved with her family to Dakota Territory, settling in Barnes County. After graduating high school from Valley City, she attended the University of North Dakota, the University of Michigan, and the University of Chicago. Nielson taught physics and chemistry at Valley City High School. She also had experience with rural schools and grade schools. In 1906, she was elected superintendent of Barnes County Schools and served in this role for twelve years. In 1918, she turned her sights on North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction. The 1910s was a time of great change for the political landscape of North Dakota. The Nonpartisan League (NPL) had risen to prominence in the state. Nielson, who was not associated with the NPL, would go head-to-head with the NPL-endorsed candidate, and incumbent, Neil C. Macdonald. Nielson's qualifications were called into question prior to the election. Nielson turned to an unlikely ally: William Langer, NPL-endorsed Attorney General. Nielson asked Langer to issue an opinion on her qualifications for state superintendent. At that time, Langer was becoming dissatisfied with the NPL, and he sided with Nielson and validated her as a candidate. On election day, Nielson would win by more than 5,000 votes. With this victory, Nielson was the only candidate not endorsed by the NPL to win a state office during the election of 1918. In early January 1919, Nielson and her staff arrived in Bismarck to assume her office and duties. However, outgoing state superintendent Neil C. Macdonald refused to leave the office and relinquish the duties. Nielson again turned to Langer for help, and they brought the matter before the North Dakota Supreme Court. The Supreme Court heard the case and issued their ruling in favor of Nielson. Macdonald was forced to leave. Also around this time, the NPL-controlled legislature created the Board of Administration, which stripped away many of Nielson's duties. The Board of Administration quickly got busy, and within a few months, submitted its first annual report to the governor. In the report, the board boldly recommended abolishing the Superintendent of Public Instruction position, or at least making it a position this NPL-controlled board could appoint. It was also made known that the board was excluding Nielson (its only non-NPL member) from meetings and not providing her with meeting minutes. Nielson persevered, and she survived the upcoming political battle between the NPL and the Independent Voters Association (IVA). The NPL's influence was waning, and an initiated measure approved by voters during the 1920 election transferred some powers back to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Nielson resigned in 1926. After politics, Nielson campaigned for literacy across the county and served in a leading role for the North Dakota Teachers' Insurance and Retirement Fund. Nielson died on February 27, 1958.
William Howard Taft was born in 1857 in Ohio. He graduated from Yale and practiced law. Taft rose to prominence in the legal and political fields, serving as Solicitor General, federal judge, Governor of the Philippines, Governor of Cuba, and Secretary of War. With the endorsement of Theodore Roosevelt, Taft was easily elected President of the United States. After his term as President of the U.S. ended in 1913 and before he was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1921, he dabbled as a political writer. He had regular columns published in Philadelphia's "Public Ledger." In 1920 and 1921, Taft set his sights on North Dakota and its Nonpartisan League (NPL). Taft was a fervent opponent of the NPL, and he wrote at least three articles denouncing the NPL, its leaders, and its practices. He also gave speeches denouncing the NPL. Taft reportedly said the NPL was "not a patriotic American party." In one article, published in December 1920, Taft confused Neil C. Macdonald, former North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction, with Charles E. Stangeland, a one-time consultant of the North Dakota Board of Administration who, in 1919, recommended a number of controversial books for the State Library Commission to purchase. Taft accused Macdonald of putting controversial books into the hands of schoolchildren. Later, Taft was forced to publicly apologize and a retraction was published, but the damage to Macdonald's reputation had already been done. Taft served as Chief Justice until just before his death in 1930.
Board of Administration member, 1922-1923
Frank S. Talcott was born in 1863 in New York City. He grew up in New York. He attended school in Buffalo, New York, and Williams College, where he studied law. In 1878, he moved to Cass County in Dakota Territory to look after his maternal grandfather's interests in the Northern Pacific Railroad. In 1881, he established what would become a large and prosperous farm. In 1893, he married Agnes W. Thompson. The Talcott family became prominent citizens in the Buffalo, North Dakota, area. In 1900, Talcott was elected to the state legislature, serving in the North Dakota Senate until 1913. He then served as warden of the state penitentiary, resigning in early January 1919 after multiple prisoners had escaped, although he denied this was the reason for stepping down. He worked in the private sector for a couple of years before coming back to government. In April 1922, Governor R. A. Nestos appointed him to the Board of Administration. He officially joined the board in early May 1922, replacing George A. Totten after his forced resignation. On January 16, 1923, Talcott, suffering from appendicitis, was taken to the St. Alexius hospital in Bismarck. Initially, his condition seemed to be improving, but then his health quickly declined. Doctors did what they could, operating twice, but the attack of appendicitis proved fatal. Talcott died on January 22, 1923. The state legislature, convening during this time for its regular session, adjourned early out of respect for Talcott and his service to the state.
Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1911-1916
Edwin J. Taylor was born in 1869 in New York. He grew up and attended schools in New York. In 1890, he graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. Later that same year, he moved to Grand Forks County in North Dakota and worked in education. In 1892, he was elected superintendent of schools in Grand Forks County. He held this office for three terms. In 1903, he was appointed Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction under Walter L. Stockwell. He served in this role for eight years. In 1910, he was elected Superintendent of Public Instruction. He was re-elected in 1912 and 1914. In 1915, Taylor announced he would not seek re-election and would resign at the end of his term, which paved the way for Neil C. Macdonald, a member of Taylor's staff, to be elected in 1916 following his endorsement from the Nonpartisan League (NPL). Taylor later worked for many years as a law librarian and reporter for the North Dakota Supreme Court. Taylor died in 1956.
Board of Administration member, 1919-1922 (chair, 1919-1921)
George A. Totten, Sr. was born in England in 1870. In 1884, the family immigrated to Ontario, Canada. Totten received a mix of private and public education in England and Canada. He was also educated for the ministry, following in his father's footsteps. In 1894, Totten married Mary H. Bryne. In 1889, he immigrated to the United States. He was then involved in missionary work in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. In 1906, Totten moved to North Dakota, and he was ordained a Congregational minister in 1907. He served several churches in the state (including Tolna, Lawton, and Lakota) before moving to Bowman, North Dakota. After serving a couple of years as a minister in Bowman, he resigned and became editor of a local newspaper, the "Bowman Citizen," from 1909 to 1912. Totten became active in the Nonpartisan League (NPL) in the 1910s. In 1917, Totten was appointed by NPL Governor Lynn Frazier to the State Board of Regents, serving until 1919 when he was appointed, again by Governor Frazier, to serve on the newly created Board of Administration. Totten was named chair. As chair, Totten, already a complicated figure and openly labeled as "socialist" and "radical" by his opponents, oversaw several controversial aspects of the new Board of Administration: excluding Minnie Nielson, non-NPL member and newly-elected state superintendent, from meetings; appointing Neil C. Macdonald, outgoing state superintendent and NPL member, to serve as Educational Advisor and General School Inspector with a salary equal to Nielson's; and the hiring of Dr. Charles E. Stangeland to serve as a consultant and provide an overview of the State Library Commission, which resulted in a number of books being added to the library's collections that were deemed provocative by the NPL's opponents, especially the Independent Voters Association (IVA). In February 1922, recently elected Governor R. A. Nestos, who was part of the IVA, demanded Totten's resignation. Totten complied a few days later. Totten later moved to Fargo and lived there for several years. He became an active minister again, serving parishes in Minnesota (including Graceville and Ortonville) until his retirement in 1937. Totten died in Minneapolis in 1955.
Board of Administration secretary, 1922-1937
Ernest G. Wanner was born in Wisconsin in 1870. In 1883, the family moved to North Dakota, settling near Pingree. Wanner later graduated from Jamestown College. In 1898, he served in the Spanish-American War. By 1900 he was working as a bank clerk in Barnes County. He worked as a storekeeper in Wimbledon. By 1910, he was working as an abstractor in Valley City. In 1913, he moved to Bismarck. During the 1910s, he worked as secretary for the state Board of Control. During World War I, Wanner was a captain of the Bismarck home guard. In 1919, the state legislature, with a Nonpartisan League (NPL) majority, created the Board of Administration, and the Board of Control was dissolved. In the late 1910s or early 1920s, Wanner became involved with the Independent Voters Association (IVA), which was the NPL's opposition. Wanner served on the board of the North Dakota Good Roads Association and worked at a law office. In December 1922, Wanner was appointed executive secretary of the Board of Administration, replacing Charles Liessman who had recently resigned. Wanner served as the board's secretary until August 1937. By 1940, he was serving as the Superintendent of Grounds for the North Dakota State Capitol. Wanner died in 1947.
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