Home  Books Book One Introduction
INTRODUCTION
“Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;”
A Psalm of Life, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Countless interesting men and women, who have called North Dakota home, have left their footprints here and all over the world. They include a U.S. President, war heroes, governmental leaders, sports figures, actors, musicians, inventors and people of nearly every avocation and achievement. Many of these people remind us that, through our actions and choices, we too can help “make our lives sublime.” They are an inspiration, prodding us to be the best that we can be. How much richer our lives are because of them.
This first volume includes 50 people who either: were born here, started their careers here, moved here after achieving greatness in other geographic areas, or spent almost their entire lives in North Dakota. One individual goes back to the time of Lewis and Clark, and others continue up to today. Almost all of them were good, but a few were chiefly concerned about themselves. A number of them had direct involvement with U.S. Presidents, and what they did influenced the actions of many other U.S. Presidents.
Of this group, over half were involved with agriculture at some point in their lives. There were also four trappers and traders, twelve lawyers, seven doctors, two ministers, five involved in the newspaper business, nine associated with the railroad, and thirteen in education as administrators, teachers, or professors. Nineteen individuals were involved in this country’s wars, from the War of 1812 to Vietnam. There were three U.S. Congressmen, two attorney generals, two governors, nine legislators, two North Dakota mayors, and three who served as mayors in cities outside of North Dakota. Two people held Presidential Cabinet positions, and another person served as U.S. Treasurer. Many of the individuals published books, plays, and/or articles. Two were enshrined in a hall of fame, two had statues dedicated to them, and one was featured in a popular song. Five counties, five cities, four geographic features, one major boulevard, and eight buildings were named after certain individuals.
The following section entitled “Themes” is included for people who like to see continuity in presentations. It should also be a valuable resource for teachers who like to include biographical material in their lessons.
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