Lynn Frazier
Encyclopedia
Lynn Joseph Frazier was a politician from North Dakota
, serving as a U.S. Senator
from 1923 to 1941 and the 12th Governor of North Dakota
of that state from 1917 until being recalled
in 1921. He was the first American governor ever successfully recalled from office. Aside from Frazier, the only other governor to have been successfully recalled is California Governor Gray Davis
in October 2003
.
. His family moved to North Dakota when he was six years old. Prior to his career in state and national politics, Frazier was a farmer and school teacher. He graduated from Grafton High School in 1892 and Mayville Normal School
in 1895. He completed his bachelor's degree at the University of North Dakota
, graduating with honors in 1902.
After running in the Republican
primary as the Non-Partisan League
candidate, Frazier was elected Governor in 1916 with 79% of the vote. Frazier was extremely popular and implemented several reforms such as the establishment of the Bank of North Dakota
and the North Dakota Mill and Elevator
. He was re-elected twice, in 1918 and 1920, but an economic depression
hit the agricultural sector during his third term and resulted in a grassroots
movement to press for his recall. The movement succeeded, and in 1921 the governor was successfully removed from office. Independent Voters Association
member Ragnvald A. Nestos
was elected in his place.
After the recall, Frazier was elected in 1922 to the United States Senate
, again as the NPL candidate on the Republican ticket. He served until losing a bid for re-election in 1940, being unseated in the Republican primary by William Langer
. Frazier died in Riverdale, Maryland
, on January 11, 1947, at the age of 72.
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, serving as a U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from 1923 to 1941 and the 12th Governor of North Dakota
Governor of North Dakota
The Governor of North Dakota is the chief executive of North Dakota. The current Governor is Jack Dalrymple. The Governor has the right to sign and laws, and to call the Legislative Assembly, into emergency session. The Governor is also chairman of the North Dakota Industrial Commission. The...
of that state from 1917 until being recalled
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
in 1921. He was the first American governor ever successfully recalled from office. Aside from Frazier, the only other governor to have been successfully recalled is California Governor Gray Davis
Gray Davis
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003...
in October 2003
California recall election, 2003
The 2003 California gubernatorial recall election was a special election permitted under California state law. It resulted in voters replacing incumbent Democratic Governor Gray Davis with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. The recall effort spanned the latter half of 2003...
.
Biography
Frazier was born in Medford, MinnesotaMedford, Minnesota
Medford is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,239 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land...
. His family moved to North Dakota when he was six years old. Prior to his career in state and national politics, Frazier was a farmer and school teacher. He graduated from Grafton High School in 1892 and Mayville Normal School
Mayville State University
Mayville State University is an institution of higher learning in Mayville, North Dakota, part of the North Dakota University System....
in 1895. He completed his bachelor's degree at the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
, graduating with honors in 1902.
After running in the Republican
North Dakota Republican Party
The North Dakota Republican Party is the North Dakota affiliate of the United States Republican Party. The party platform is generally conservative.The North Dakota Republican Party is strongly in control of the state's politics...
primary as the Non-Partisan League
Non-Partisan League
The Nonpartisan League was a political organization founded in 1915 in the United States by former Socialist Party organizer A. C. Townley. The Nonpartisan League advocated state control of mills, grain elevators, banks and other farm-related industries in order to reduce the power of corporate...
candidate, Frazier was elected Governor in 1916 with 79% of the vote. Frazier was extremely popular and implemented several reforms such as the establishment of the Bank of North Dakota
Bank of North Dakota
The Bank of North Dakota is a state-owned and -run financial institution based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Under state law the bank is the State of North Dakota doing business as the Bank of North Dakota....
and the North Dakota Mill and Elevator
North Dakota Mill and Elevator
The North Dakota Mill and Elevator is the largest flour mill in the United States. It is located in the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The mill is owned by the U.S. state of North Dakota and is the only state-owned milling facility in the United States....
. He was re-elected twice, in 1918 and 1920, but an economic depression
Depression (economics)
In economics, a depression is a sustained, long-term downturn in economic activity in one or more economies. It is a more severe downturn than a recession, which is seen by some economists as part of the modern business cycle....
hit the agricultural sector during his third term and resulted in a grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
movement to press for his recall. The movement succeeded, and in 1921 the governor was successfully removed from office. Independent Voters Association
Independent Voters Association
The Independent Voters Association, or IVA, was a North Dakota political organization formed on May 1, 1918, at the height of the Non Partisan League's influence on the North Dakota Republican Party. The IVA was a conservative, capitalist faction created to counter the NPL's socialist leanings. ...
member Ragnvald A. Nestos
Ragnvald A. Nestos
Ragnvald Anderson Nestos was the 13th Governor of the U.S. state of North Dakota from 1921 through 1925.-Biography:...
was elected in his place.
After the recall, Frazier was elected in 1922 to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, again as the NPL candidate on the Republican ticket. He served until losing a bid for re-election in 1940, being unseated in the Republican primary by William Langer
William Langer
William "Wild Bill" Langer was a prominent US politician from North Dakota. Langer is one of the most colorful characters in North Dakota history, most famously bouncing back from a scandal that forced him out of the governor's office and into prison. He served as the 17th and 21st Governor of...
. Frazier died in Riverdale, Maryland
Riverdale, Maryland
Riverdale is the name of two places in the State of Maryland in the United States of America:*Riverdale, Anne Arundel County, Maryland*Riverdale, Prince George's County, Maryland, now Riverdale Park, Maryland...
, on January 11, 1947, at the age of 72.
See also
- North Dakota recall election, 1921
- California gubernatorial recall election, 2003