Usher L. Burdick Collection

Collection

Identifier: SC 327

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains a listing of books written by Usher Burdick, several newspaper articles about him, his life in politics, his personal life, and that of his son. It also contains a biography of him written for a NDSU history class by Thomas Kuddes.

Dates

1913-1970

Creator

Burdick, Usher L. (Usher Lloyd), 1879-1960. (Person)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.

Copyrights

Copyrights to this collection is held by the NDSU Archives

Biography

Usher Lloyd Burdick was born February 21, 1879 to Ozias and Lucy (Farnum) Burdick in Owatonna, Minnesota. He the rest of the family moved to Dakota Territory in 1882 to farm near Graham’s Island. In 1900, Usher graduated from the North Dakota State Normal School (or the Teacher’s college). He then went on to be involved in the Benson County school system. In 1904, he graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School and would come back to practice law in Munich, North Dakota.

Burdick would enter state politics in 1907 when he was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives. He served there until 1911. From there he became the eight Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota. He also served as the State’s attorney of Williams County, and an assistant U.S. district attorney for North Dakota. If that wasn’t enough, Burdick also engaged in livestock breeding and wrote several books.

In 1932, Burdick was elected President of the Farmers’ Holiday Association as well as trying, unsuccessfully, to be nominated for the Republican congressman spot. Finally, in 1934, he was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Congress and would serve until 1945. He did try to run for a senator spot for North Dakota but was also unsuccessful. Again in 1948, he was elected to the U.S. congress and would serve there until 1959.

Usher Married Emma Cecelia Robertson in 1901 and they had three children, Quentin, Eugene, and Eileen B. Levering.

Usher died August 19, 1960, eleven days after Quentin was sworn in to the U.S. Senate, died in Washington D.C. He was buried on his ranch in Williston, North Dakota.