Brynhild Haugland (July 28, 1905 – August 9, 1998) was an American

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician, who was well known for being one of the first female legislators in the

North Dakota Legislative Assembly The North Dakota Legislative Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Dakota. The Legislative Assembly consists of two chambers, the lower North Dakota House of Representatives, with 94 representatives, and the upper North ...

, as well as for being the longest serving state legislator in the history of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

because of her continuous 52-year tenure in the

North Dakota House of Representatives The North Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly and is larger than the North Dakota Senate. North Dakota is divided into between 40 and 54 legislative districts apportioned by population as d ...

Biography

Haugland was born in 1905 near

Minot, North Dakota Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 20 ...

, the daughter of

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

immigrants Nels and Sigurda (Ringeon) Haugland, who were dairy farmers. She taught in Ward County from 1923 to 1925 and received her teaching certificate in 1928 from what is now

Minot State University Minot State University (MSU or MiSU) is a public university in Minot, North Dakota. Founded in 1913 as a normal school, Minot State University is the third-largest university in North Dakota, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. ...

. Her political career began in 1936 when she first ran a Minot district House of Representatives seat, however, she was unable to win because a broken leg kept her from campaigning. She tried again in 1938 for the same seat, and this time was successful. She held the same seat without ever losing an election until her retirement in 1990 at age 85. During her tenure, she even was dropped from the Republican Party in 1962, but still won the primary as an independent, however two years later she was accepted back into the party. Haugland missed very few votes during her time in office, and voted an estimated 22,000 times in all during her service. During her time in office, Haugland's main focus was on improving education and a commitment to aiding farmers. She successfully helped

acquire 10 new buildings. Haugland's efforts to improve farmer's problems and living conditions was recognized by former first lady

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

in her book, '' Ladies of Courage'' (New York, Putnam. 1954), when she wrote "Go down the list of laws passed by the North Dakota legislature in the last 15 years to help meet the farmer's problems and improve his living conditions, and you will find that Brynhild Haugland had a hand in every one of them." Haugland died at the age of 93 in 1998.

Awards and recognition

*In 1984, Brynhild Haugland was awarded an honorary degree (LL.D.) from the North Dakota State University. *In 1984, Haugland was among the first class of inductees in th
Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame
held in Minot, N.D. *In 1988, Haugland was one of the two award winners in the Public Service category of the

Council for Advancement and Support of Education The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is a nonprofit association of educational institutions. It serves professionals in the field of educational advancement. This field encompasses alumni relations, communications, marketing ...

(CASE). *On March 20, 1995, the State of North Dakota recognized Haugland for her time of public service by awarding her the state's highest honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Roughrider Award.

References

External links

Brynhild Haugland Papers (Chester Fritz Library. University of North Dakota)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haugland 1905 births 1998 deaths Minot State University alumni Members of the North Dakota House of Representatives Women state legislators in North Dakota American people of Norwegian descent People from Ward County, North Dakota North Dakota Independents North Dakota Republicans Schoolteachers from North Dakota 20th-century American women educators 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians 1988 United States presidential electors 20th-century American educators