Arthur G. Sorlie
Arthur G. Sorlie | |
---|---|
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14th Governor of North Dakota | |
In office January 7, 1925 – August 28, 1928 | |
Lieutenant | Walter Maddock |
Preceded by | Ragnvald A. Nestos |
Succeeded by | Walter Maddock |
Personal details | |
Born | April 26, 1874 Albert Lea, Minnesota |
Died | August 28, 1928 (aged 54) Bismarck, North Dakota |
Political party | Republican (NPL) |
Spouse(s) | Jennie Odegard Grace Hilleboe |
Arthur Gustave Sorlie (April 26, 1874 – August 28, 1928) served as the 14th Governor of North Dakota from 1925 until his unexpected death in 1928 at the age of 54.
Biography
Sorlie was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota and resided in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He was of Norwegian American heritage. He graduated from Luther Academy at Albert Lea, Minnesota in 1893. He married Jennie Odegard September 1, 1900. He had three children, Arthur, Louise, and Ruth.[1] He worked in a bank and managed a general store in Buxton, North Dakota. In 1903, Sorlie opened a bread and cracker factory in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He became a successful businessman, owning car dealerships and gas stations. Sorlie first entered politics as a member of the Grand Forks City Council, a position he held two terms.[2] After his wife, Jennie, died in 1919, he was remarried to Grace Hilleboe.
Career
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Grandforks-sorlie.jpg/300px-Grandforks-sorlie.jpg)
Sorlie defeated incumbent Ragnvald A. Nestos in the 1924 gubernatorial race. At that time, North Dakota politics involved the struggle between the Nonpartisan League (NPL) and the Independent Voters Association (IVA). The NPL membership (primarily farm and rural) bitterly opposed big business interests. They favored state-owned industries such as the Bank of North Dakota and the State Mill and Elevator. The IVA considered the NPL platform to be too radical and socialistic. They did not support state ownership of industry.
When NPL-backed Sorlie replaced IVA candidate Nestos, the Nonpartisan League returned to power in the state. However, Sorlie did not have complete support from the League. Some (such as his own lieutenant governor, Walter Maddock) opposed Sorlie because he was a conservative businessman. During the 1927 legislative session, Sorlie's political enemies conspired to embarrass him by publicly investigating the State Mill and Elevator and calling for its removal from the governor's influence because of inefficient management.[3]
Legacy and Death
Governor Sorlie died in office in 1928.[4] His body lay in state in the rotunda of the North Dakota State Capitol. The Sorlie Memorial Bridge in Grand Forks, North Dakota was named in his memory. The Arthur G. Sorlie Papers were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection in the Chester Fritz Library at the University of North Dakota.[5] He is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery[6] in Grand Forks, Grand Forks County, North Dakota USA.
References
- ^ "Arthur G. Sorlie". Soylent Communications. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
- ^ North Dakota Governor Arthur Gustav Sorlie (National Governors Association)
- ^ North Dakota Governors - Arthur G. Sorlie (State Historical Society of North Dakota)
- ^ "Arthur G. Sorlie". National Governors Association. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ Arthur G. Sorlie Papers (University of North Dakota)
- ^ "Arthur G. Sorlie". Find A Grave. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
Further reading
- Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 3 (Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 4 vols. 1978)
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- 1874 births
- 1928 deaths
- Governors of North Dakota
- People from Grand Forks, North Dakota
- American Lutherans
- American people of Norwegian descent
- North Dakota Republicans
- North Dakota city council members
- People from Freeborn County, Minnesota
- Nonpartisan League state governors of the United States
- Republican Party state governors of the United States