Peter Norbeck

Peter Norbeck

Peter Norbeck (born August 27, 1870 in Vermillion , South Dakota , † December 20, 1936 in Redfield , South Dakota) was an American politician and from 1917 to 1921 the ninth governor of South Dakota. He was also a member of the US Senate as a representative of this state .

Early years and political advancement

Peter Norbeck attended the University of South Dakota after elementary school . He then became a successful businessman. He became president of his own Norbeck Drilling Company , which specialized in the manufacture of drilling equipment for wells, but also for oil wells and the like. Norbeck was a member of the Republican Party . Between 1909 and 1915 he was a member of the South Dakota Senate . In 1914 he was elected lieutenant governor of his state. So he was between 1915 and 1917 Deputy Governor Frank M. Byrne . In 1916 he was elected the new governor himself.

South Dakota Governor

Norbeck's tenure as governor began on January 2, 1917. After being re-elected in 1918, he was able to serve until January 4, 1921. During this time, the United States entered the First World War. South Dakota's military contribution to this war was the 147th Field Artillery Regiment, which was deployed in France. The governor had to take care of the recruitment of soldiers and the conversion of industrial production to armaments needs. In addition, a Defense Council for South Dakota was set up, which primarily dealt with the danger of possible acts of sabotage. After the war, production had to be cut back to meet civilian needs and the returning soldiers had to be reintegrated into society.

Regardless of these external events, South Dakota went through great changes during Norbeck's tenure. In the rural areas, borrowing was made easier for farmers. The governor advocated state-owned coal mines and the use of the Missouri's hydropower . Another focus of his tenure was the expansion of the country's roads in order to cope with the increasing automobile traffic. In the Black Hills, the Custer State Park and several other nature parks were created.

Another résumé

After the end of his term of office, Norbeck represented his home state as a senator in Congress . He remained there from March 4, 1921 until his death in December 1936 and was a member of several committees. During his time as a senator in Washington, he was instrumental in the creation of the Mount Rushmore monument . Work began in 1927. Peter Norbeck was married to Lydia Anderson, with whom he had four children.

Web links

• Peter Norbeck in the National Governors Association (English)
• Peter Norbeck in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)