Clarence Norman Brunsdale (July 9, 1891January 27, 1978) was an American politician who served as the 24th Governor of North Dakota and a

United States senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from the state of

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...

Biography

Clarence Norman Brunsdale was born in

Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional cou ...

Steele County, North Dakota Steele County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,798, making it the fifth-least populous county in North Dakota. Its county seat since 1919 is Finley. History The Dakota Territory legis ...

. he was the son of Knute H. Brunsdale (1855–1899) and Anna Margaret (Nordgaard) Brunsdale (1860–1927), both of whom were of Norwegian immigrant heritage. He was educated in public schools and the Bruflat Academy at

Portland, North Dakota Portland is a city in Traill County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 578 at the 2020 census. Portland is the smaller neighbor of nearby Mayville. History The first settlement at Portland was made in 1871. Portland was laid out ...

. In 1913, he graduated from Luther College in

Decorah, Iowa Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S. Route 52, and is the largest commun ...

. He returned to Portland, teaching at Bruflat Academy and worked the family farm operations in Traill and

Steele Steele may refer to: Places America * Steele, Alabama, a town * Steele, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Steele, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Steele, Missouri, a city * Lonetree, Montana, a ghost town originally called Steele ...

counties.

Career

Brunsdale served in the

North Dakota State Senate The North Dakota Senate is the upper house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly, smaller than the North Dakota House of Representatives. Per the state constitution, North Dakota is divided into between 40 and 54 legislative districts appor ...

(1927–34, 1941–51). He was an alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from North Dakota (1940) and a member of Republican National Committee from North Dakota, (1948–52). He was

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 ...

from 1951 to 1957 and U.S. Senator from November 19, 1959 to August 7, 1960. As governor, Brunsdale was an avid supporter of water development projects. During his administration

Garrison Dam Garrison Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Missouri River in central North Dakota, U.S. Constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1947 to 1953, at over in length, the dam is the fifth-largest earthen dam in the world. The re ...

was completed and the Legislature established the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District. The early 1950s also saw the establishment of the Highway Department and the passage of major highway legislation. Education, agriculture, and mental health issues were also important to Governor Brunsdale. In 1959, Brunsdale was appointed to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

upon the death of Senator

William Langer William "Wild Bill" Langer (September 30, 1886November 8, 1959) was a prominent American lawyer and politician from North Dakota, where he was an infamous character, bouncing back from a scandal that forced him out of the governor's office and ...

. Brunsdale voted in favor of the

Civil Rights Act of 1960 The Civil Rights Act of 1960 () is a United States federal law that established federal inspection of local voter registration polls and introduced penalties for anyone who obstructed someone's attempt to register to vote. It dealt primarily wi ...

. Brunsdale was not a candidate for election to the vacancy and

Quentin Burdick Quentin Northrup Burdick (June 19, 1908 – September 8, 1992) was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, he represented North Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives (1959–1960) and the U ...

was narrowly elected to the seat in a 1960 special election.

Personal life

He was married to Carrie Lajord (1890–1982) on August 30, 1925, and they had two daughters, Margaret Marie (Larson) and Helen Lucille (Williams). Brunsdale died at

Mayville, North Dakota Mayville is a city in Traill County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 1,854 at the 2020 census. which makes Mayville the largest community in Traill County. Mayville was founded in 1881. The city's name remembers May Arnold, the f ...

in 1978. He was buried in Mayville Cemetery, Mayville,

Traill County, North Dakota Traill County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census listed the population at 7,997. Its county seat is Hillsboro, and its largest city is Mayville. History The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on ...

. ND Dept of Health: Birth and Death Certificates
/ref> Brunsdale was a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Brunsdale, Norman 1891 births 1978 deaths Luther College (Iowa) alumni People from Steele County, North Dakota American Lutherans Farmers from North Dakota Presidents pro tempore of the North Dakota Senate Republican Party North Dakota state senators Republican Party governors of North Dakota Republican Party United States senators from North Dakota 20th-century American politicians American people of Norwegian descent 20th-century Lutherans