John N. Hagan (August 4, 1873 – June 4, 1952) was a

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

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 ...

/ NPL politician who served as the

North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor The North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor was an elected official who headed the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and Labor. The office was established with the state's constitution in 1889, and was split into two separate offices ...

from 1917 to 1921 and from 1937 to 1938. He is one of three politicians in the state ever to be recalled; he was recalled during his first time in the office along with fellow NPL politicians

Governor of North Dakota The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of North Dakota and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The Constitution of North Dakota specifies that "the executive power is vested in the governor" in Secti ...

Lynn J. Frazier Lynn Joseph Frazier (December 21, 1874January 11, 1947) was an American educator and politician who served as the List of governors of North Dakota, 12th Governor of North Dakota from 1917 until being 1921 North Dakota gubernatorial recall electi ...

and

North Dakota Attorney General The North Dakota Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the North Dakota state government. The Attorney General's office represents the state government in court cases and issues opinions of points of law upon request. Drew Wrigley was appo ...

William Lemke William Frederick Lemke (August 13, 1878 – May 30, 1950) was an American politician who represented North Dakota in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Republican Party. He was also the Union Party's presidential cand ...

in 1921.

Biography

Early years

John N. Hagan was born on August 4, 1873, near

Arcola, Indiana Arcola is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Lake Township, Allen County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population of the community is only 33. Once a booming train station for farm products and a regional U.S. postal ...

, to parents William and Wilhelmina (Rapp) Hagan. In 1900, he graduated from

Valparaiso University Valparaiso University (Valpo) is a private university in Valparaiso, Indiana. It is a Lutheran university with about 3,000 students from over 50 countries on a campus of . Originally named Valparaiso Male and Female College, Valparaiso Universit ...

. In the fall of 1900, Hagan moved to

, accepting a job school administration job at St. John. He served in this role until 1903 when he moved to a homestead around

Deering, North Dakota Deering is an unincorporated rural village in McHenry County, North Dakota, United States. In addition to homes, there are a church, a bar, a combined country store and restaurant, an auto body shop, an agricultural supplies outfit, and a set of ...

. In 1904, he married Rhea Smith. Hagan farmed for several years before getting involved in politics.

Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor

In 1916, Hagan joined the

Nonpartisan League The Nonpartisan League (NPL) was a left-wing political party founded in 1915 in North Dakota by Arthur C. Townley, a former organizer for the Socialist Party of America. On behalf of small farmers and merchants, the Nonpartisan League advocate ...

(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

Industrial Commission {{Distinguish, Industrial Relations Commission The Industrial Commission was a United States government body in existence from 1898 to 1902. It was appointed by President William McKinley to investigate railroad pricing policy, industrial concentr ...

and the Board of Administration. In 1921, a special recall election, initiated by opponents of the NPL (the

Independent Voters Association The Independent Voters Association, or IVA, was a North Dakota, United States, political organization. It formed on May 1, 1918, at the height of the Nonpartisan League's influence on the North Dakota Republican Party. The IVA was a conservative, ...

or IVA) successfully removed Hagan from office. He was replaced by Joseph A. Kitchen. The other two members of the Industrial Commission,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Lynn Frazier Lynn Joseph Frazier (December 21, 1874January 11, 1947) was an American educator and politician who served as the 12th Governor of North Dakota from 1917 until being recalled in 1921 and later served as a U.S. Senator from North Dakota from 192 ...

and

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

, were also removed from office. Because of infighting, controversies, and the recall election, the NPL and its influence over North Dakota government was weakened. However, the programs of the NPL and some of its prominent leaders remained popular, and the NPL saw a resurgence in the 1930s. Hagan served as Deputy Administrator of the Prohibition Board until 1933. In 1936, Hagan was again endorsed by the NPL and elected Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor, serving one term from 1937 to 1938.

Later years

In 1938, Hagan received the Republican nomination for governor, but he was defeated by

John Moses John Moses may refer to: * John Moses (Norwegian politician) (1781–1849), member of the Norwegian Constituent Assembly * John Moses (Illinois politician) (1825–1898), Illinois judge and politician *John Moses (American politician) (1885–1945), ...

, the Democratic contender. In 1942, Hagan received the Democratic nomination for

Commissioner of Insurance An insurance commissioner (or commissioner of insurance) is a public official in the executive branch of a state or territory in the United States who, along with his or her office, regulate the insurance industry. The powers granted to the office ...

, but he was defeated by Republican incumbent Oscar E. Erickson. After this, Hagan retired from politics and returned to farming. He died on June 4, 1952.

External Links

References