In 1915, Edwin J. Taylor, current North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced he would not seek re-election and would resign at the end of his term. Previously, Taylor had served as the Superintendent of Grand Forks County Schools and then served several years as Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction. He was elected Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1910, with subsequent re-elections in 1912 and 1914.
This vacancy left the door open for Neil C. Macdonald and the Nonpartisan League (NPL).
Macdonald announced his candidacy and received the endorsement of the NPL. Macdonald was well-qualified for the role and had an extensive background in education. At the age of 16, he received a North Dakota teaching certificate after completing the necessary examination. He went on to receive degrees from the Mayville Normal School and the University of North Dakota. While in college, he befriended Lynn J. Frazier, future Governor of North Dakota.
Between 1900 and 1911, Macdonald served as superintendent for Cavalier County, Lidgerwood, and a similar role in Mandan.
In 1911, Macdonald joined the staff of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, serving under state superintendent Taylor. Between 1911 and 1916, Macdonald worked in various roles for the department, including State Inspector of Elementary Schools. In 1913, Macdonald's zeal for education earned him national recognition. He received a place in Who's Who in America, and he was a keynote speaker at the National Education Association meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. He spearheaded an initiative to improve educational opportunities for rural students, and he called this "A Square Deal for the Country Boy."
In the election of 1916, Macdonald, with the backing of the NPL, was elected North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction, defeating W. E. Hoover by more than 35,000 votes.
Having grown up in rural North Dakota and experiencing the hardships of rural education directly, he made rural schools a priority of his administration. He formed workshops called "Better Rural School Rallies," which helped boost schoolchildren attendance. He also recommended schools adopt a calendar that was more supportive of farm life.
Portrait of Neil C. Macdonald, 1915
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