Olive A. Ringsrud

Olive A. Ringsrud (born February 7, 1892 in Union County , South Dakota , † August 24, 1971 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American teacher and politician ( Republican Party ). Her uncle was Amund O. Ringsrud , the first Secretary of State of the State of South Dakota.

Career

Olive A. Ringsrud was born in Union County in 1892 to Ole and Anna Eidem Ringsrud. The family belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran Church . Ringsrud attended the local school district, the Elk Point High School, the Southern State Normal School and the University of South Dakota . She then taught at country schools in the school districts of Huron, Platte, Corsica and Bereford for 25 years. Ringsrud successfully ran for a two-year term as Secretary of State of South Dakota in 1938. She was re-elected once and held her post from 1939 to 1943. Her term in office was overshadowed by the Second World War . In 1942 she ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the US Senate . Ringsrud was one of the first women in South Dakota to run for national office. During her pre-election campaign, Time magazine called her Willkie-ish-liboral on May 4, 1942 and described her as follows:

“5 ft. 10 in stocking feet, weighs a solid 193 Ib and seems, they say, 'even larger than she is.' With a peaches - & - cream complexion, a talent for mordant remarks, and a zest for riding the biggest horses available. Olive takes both conservatism and a thirst for reform from her Norse Lutheran heritage. "

“Ringsrud was 5 feet and 10 inches (1.64 m ) tall and weighed 193 pounds . She had peach skin, a talent for sarcastic sayings, and a panache for riding the biggest horses available. Olive was both conservative, but also willing to reform because of her Norse Lutheran descent. "

She lost the election to Harlan J. Bushfield , the former governor of South Dakota, under whom she served as Secretary of State. After her defeat, she moved to Washington, DC, where she worked as a tutor. During the Second World War she also worked as an interpreter for Norwegian in the Ministry of War . In 1945 she moved to California. She worked there as a private tutor until her death in 1971. From 1945 to 1946 she also worked as an interpreter for the recently founded United Nations . Ringsrud died in a Los Angeles hospital. A short time before, she was injured in a fall, which led to complications and ultimately to her death.

Web links

• Olive A. Ringsrud in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• Olive A. Ringsrud on the South Dakota Historical Society website (with photo)