Fred George Aandahl (April 9, 1897 – April 7, 1966) 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 from

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 ...

. He served as the 23rd Governor of North Dakota from 1945 to 1951 and as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from 1951 to 1953.

Biography

Aandahl was born in Svea Township, North Dakota, the son 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 ...

emigrant Soren "Sam" J. Aandahl and his American-born wife, Mamie C. (Lawry) Aandahl. He graduated from Litchville High School, and then from 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 N ...

in 1921 and became a farmer. He was a schoolteacher, a principal, and then superintendent of Litchville's schools from 1922 to 1927. On June 28, 1926, he married Luella Brekke, and they had three daughters.

Career

In 1931, 1939 and 1941 Aandahl was member of 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 ...

. From 1945 to 1951 he was governor of the state, and during his tenure, natural resources were protected and conservation programs were promoted. He was elected as a

to the Eighty-second United States Congress (January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953). He was not a candidate for the Eighty-third Congress in 1952, but was an unsuccessful candidate for 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 ...

, losing 58%-42% to incumbent

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 ...

in the Republican Primary.Official Abstract of Consolidated Ballot Votes Cast at the Primary Election June 24, 1952
/ref> Aandahl then ran in the General Election against Langer and Democrat Harold A. Morrison and finished in third place and 10% of the vote. From 1953 to 1961 he was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Interior during both of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administrations.

Death

Aandahl died in Fargo, North Dakota and was interred in Hillside Cemetery, Valley City.

References

External links

Fred G. Aandahl Papers at The University of North Dakota

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aandahl, Fred George Republican Party governors of North Dakota Republican Party North Dakota state senators Farmers from North Dakota University of North Dakota alumni American Lutherans American people of Norwegian descent 1897 births 1966 deaths People from Barnes County, North Dakota Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Dakota 20th-century American politicians 20th-century Lutherans