Peter Norbeck
Encyclopedia
Peter Norbeck served as the ninth Governor of South Dakota
, and as a United States Senator. Norbeck was the first Governor of South Dakota to have been born within the borders of the state.
, Sweden
) and Karen (Larsen) Norbeck, who was Norwegian
. At the time of Peter's birth, his family was living in a dugout
on the family's 160 acre (0.6474976 km²), located eight miles (13 km) northeast of Vermillion
, Dakota Territory
.
On May 9, 1908, Peter Norbeck ran for the South Dakota State Senate from Spink County
. After being elected to the first of three terms, he joined Coe Crawford
's inner circle of Progressives. In 1914, Norbeck reluctantly accepted Governor Frank Byrne's invitation to run for Lieutenant Governor on the Republican
ticket; they ended up winning. In 1916, Norbeck beat Democratic candidate W.T. Rinehart and became the ninth Governor of South Dakota, serving in that office from 1917 to 1921. In 1920, Norbeck was easily elected United States Senator
. He won the election with 50% of the vote, running against a Democrat and two fairly strong independent candidates; the Democrat finished third. Norbeck was re-elected to the Senate in 1926 and 1932
As outgoing Republican chairman during the last months of the Herbert Hoover
presidency, Norbeck appointed Ferdinand Pecora
as Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate's Committee on Banking and Currency. The Committee investigated the Wall Street Crash of 1929
.
Norbeck died of cancer during his third term.
. He brought sculptor Gutzon Borglum
to South Dakota and convinced presidents Calvin Coolidge
and Franklin D. Roosevelt
to provide federal money for the carving of Mount Rushmore
. Norbeck also pushed for the development of Sylvan Lake, Needles Highway, Badlands National Park
, Custer State Park
, and Wind Cave National Park
.
Governor of South Dakota
The Governor of South Dakota is the head of the executive branch of the government of South Dakota. They are elected to a four year term on even years when there is no Presidential election. The current governor is Dennis Daugaard, a Republican elected in 2010....
, and as a United States Senator. Norbeck was the first Governor of South Dakota to have been born within the borders of the state.
Biography
Peter Norbeck was the oldest of six children born to immigrants George (born in JämtlandJämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
) and Karen (Larsen) Norbeck, who was Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. At the time of Peter's birth, his family was living in a dugout
Dugout (shelter)
A dugout or dug-out, also known as a pithouse, pit-house, earth lodge, mud hut, is a shelter for humans or domesticated animals and livestock based on a hole or depression dug into the ground. These structures are one of the most ancient types of human housing known to archeologists...
on the family's 160 acre (0.6474976 km²), located eight miles (13 km) northeast of Vermillion
Vermillion, South Dakota
Vermillion is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the tenth largest city in the state. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 10,571. Vermillion lies atop a bluff near the Missouri River.The area has been home to...
, Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
.
On May 9, 1908, Peter Norbeck ran for the South Dakota State Senate from Spink County
Spink County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,454 people, 2,847 households, and 1,933 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile . There were 3,352 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
. After being elected to the first of three terms, he joined Coe Crawford
Coe I. Crawford
Coe Isaac Crawford was the sixth Governor of South Dakota in the United States.-Biography:He was born near Volney, in Allamakee County, Iowa. He attended the common schools and received additional instruction from a private tutor. In 1882, he graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in...
's inner circle of Progressives. In 1914, Norbeck reluctantly accepted Governor Frank Byrne's invitation to run for Lieutenant Governor on the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
ticket; they ended up winning. In 1916, Norbeck beat Democratic candidate W.T. Rinehart and became the ninth Governor of South Dakota, serving in that office from 1917 to 1921. In 1920, Norbeck was easily elected United States 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...
. He won the election with 50% of the vote, running against a Democrat and two fairly strong independent candidates; the Democrat finished third. Norbeck was re-elected to the Senate in 1926 and 1932
As outgoing Republican chairman during the last months of the Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
presidency, Norbeck appointed Ferdinand Pecora
Ferdinand Pecora
Ferdinand Pecora was an American lawyer and judge who became famous in the 1930s as Chief Counsel to the United States Senate Committee on Banking and Currency during its investigation of Wall Street banking and stock brokerage practices.-Early career:Ferdinand Pecora was born in Nicosia, Sicily,...
as Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate's Committee on Banking and Currency. The Committee investigated the Wall Street Crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
.
Norbeck died of cancer during his third term.
South Dakota legacy
Norbeck made a number of contributions to South Dakota's tourism industry. He encouraged the development of the Iron Mountain Road in the Black HillsBlack Hills
The Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, USA. Set off from the main body of the Rocky Mountains, the region is something of a geological anomaly—accurately described as an "island of...
. He brought sculptor Gutzon Borglum
Gutzon Borglum
Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum was an American artist and sculptor famous for creating the monumental presidents' heads at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, the famous carving on Stone Mountain near Atlanta, as well as other public works of art.- Background :The son of Mormon Danish immigrants, Gutzon...
to South Dakota and convinced presidents Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
and Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
to provide federal money for the carving of Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States...
. Norbeck also pushed for the development of Sylvan Lake, Needles Highway, Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park, in southwest South Dakota, United States preserves of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in the United States....
, Custer State Park
Custer State Park
Custer State Park is a state park and wildlife reserve in the Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota, USA. The park is South Dakota's largest and first state park, named after Lt...
, and Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave National Park is a United States national park north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. Established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, it was the seventh U.S. National Park and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world. The cave is...
.