Ralph J. Erickstad (August 15, 1922 – July 12, 2001) was the Chief Justice on the

North Dakota Supreme Court The North Dakota Supreme Court is the highest court of law in the state of North Dakota. The Court rules on questions of law in appeals from the state's district courts. Each of the five justices are elected on a no-party ballot for ten year te ...

from 1973 to 1992. He retired December 31, 1992 after serving 30 years on the Supreme Court.

Biography

Erickstad was born near the farming community of

Starkweather, North Dakota Starkweather is a city in Ramsey County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 100 at the 2020 census. Starkweather was founded in 1902. Geography Starkweather is located at (48.452338, -98.878153). According to the United States C ...

. He was the descendant of Norwegian immigrant homesteaders. He served in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

(Eighth Air Force) during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as a gunner and radio operator aboard a

Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

. After World War II he was honorably discharged from service. He attended the

University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of ...

and went on to achieve a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School. In 1949, he began practicing law in

Devils Lake, North Dakota Devils Lake is a city in Ramsey County, North Dakota, Ramsey County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Ramsey County. The population was 7,192 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is named after the nearby body o ...

. Between 1949 and 1962 he progressed from police magistrate to states attorney, to state senator. In 1962 he was elected to serve on the North Dakota State Supreme Court. Starting in 1973, he was repeatedly elected to the position of Supreme Justice for five years at a time until his retirement in 1992. In 2000, the North Dakota Supreme Courtroom was dedicated in his honor.

Awards and honors

*North Dakota National Leadership Award of Excellence (1987) *Distinguished Service Award from the State Bar Association (1988) *National Center for State Courts' Distinguished Service Award (1987) *AJS Herbert Harley Award from the American Judicature Society (1992)

Personal life

He married Lois K. Jacobson on July 30, 1949 in Minneapolis, MN. They were the parents of two sons. Erickstad died in

Bismarck, North Dakota Bismarck () is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the state's second-most populous city, after Fargo. The city's population was 73,622 in the 2020 census, while its metropolitan popula ...

during 2001. He was buried in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan, North Dakota.

References

External links

Ralph J. Erickstad biographyNorth Dakota Supreme Court official website
1922 births 2001 deaths University of Minnesota Law School alumni Chief Justices of the North Dakota Supreme Court North Dakota lawyers American Lutherans American people of Norwegian descent 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century Lutherans United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Justices of the North Dakota Supreme Court {{NorthDakota-state-judge-stub