Mike Lien Collection
Collection
Identifier: Mss 3119
Scope and Content
The Mike Lien Manuscript Collection contains the following series: Physical Artifacts, Correspondence and Awards, Newspaper Clippings. It was organized in chronological date order.
The Physical Artifacts Series contains a Boy Scout patch, stickers and one Scout medal from 1953.
Correspondence and Award Series contains the following: Christmas cards from a friend in Santiago, Chile, other Christmas cards, notes and biography of Peter Schickele, Air Force Navigator graduation program, news photo contest awards from The Fargo Forum, American National Theatre Academy conference correspondence, note from Robert Tucker court clerk, pro hockey roster and program, pro basketball roster and program, news release about Lafayette Park fence painting, poems written to Mike Lien, congressional baseball roster, note to Mike Lien from congressman Sonny Montgomery, sail boat dimensions, wedding invitation, samples of formal business stationary and a 2005 gallery book from the Rourke Art Museum photo exhibition.
The Newspaper Clipping Series contains the following: Red River Scene 1963, The Fargo Forum 1966-1968 and The New York Times 1968-1972 also the Minot Federal ad campaign tear sheets. The Red River Scene clippings and some Fargo Forum clippings were photographed and written by Mike Lien.
The Physical Artifacts Series contains a Boy Scout patch, stickers and one Scout medal from 1953.
Correspondence and Award Series contains the following: Christmas cards from a friend in Santiago, Chile, other Christmas cards, notes and biography of Peter Schickele, Air Force Navigator graduation program, news photo contest awards from The Fargo Forum, American National Theatre Academy conference correspondence, note from Robert Tucker court clerk, pro hockey roster and program, pro basketball roster and program, news release about Lafayette Park fence painting, poems written to Mike Lien, congressional baseball roster, note to Mike Lien from congressman Sonny Montgomery, sail boat dimensions, wedding invitation, samples of formal business stationary and a 2005 gallery book from the Rourke Art Museum photo exhibition.
The Newspaper Clipping Series contains the following: Red River Scene 1963, The Fargo Forum 1966-1968 and The New York Times 1968-1972 also the Minot Federal ad campaign tear sheets. The Red River Scene clippings and some Fargo Forum clippings were photographed and written by Mike Lien.
Dates
- 1953-2005
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.
Copyrights
The NDSU Archives hold the copyrights to this collection.
Biography
Mike Lien was born in Fargo, North Dakota on November 4, 1936. He was the son of June Aggerholm and James E. Gaffaney after an affair James and June had. James Gaffaney made arrangements with an elderly Fargo couple, Alfred and Bertha Lien to raise Mike as their own. The couple accepted the offer to the extra financial assistance that James Gaffaney would give them to care for Mike. Mike was raised in Fargo by the Liens, but June remained his legal guardian. At Fargo Central High School Mike was active in intramural sports, glee club, drama, band, and the yearbook, and the Fargo Moorhead photo club. At the age of 15, while in high school, Mike would go to high school ball games, take pictures, and sell them to the student athletes. If the Fargo Forum news photographer wasn’t at the game, Mike would make a few copies of the photos and bring them to the news room, before the deadline of the morning addition. While in high school Mike became a regular visitor to the Forum’s photo department, learning from two Forum photographers Cal Olson and Tom Abercrombie.
Mike graduated from high school in 1954 and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, receiving a B.A. Degree in economics and political science. In 1959 Mike enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and graduated from Navigator School in March 1960. Mike then joined the Madison Air National Guard. In 1963 Mike was transferred to the N.D. Air National Guard where he flew second seat in a jet fighter plane for the Guard’s Happy Hooligans. Mike would use his camera to pick up small photography jobs and some commercial work to earn extra money. Mike then found full time work as a photographer for the Red River Scene and Clay Sunday Press newspapers both in Moorhead, Minn. In 1965, Mike would start spending a lot more time with Cal Olson of The Forum to learn about the newspaper business. Mike had many interests such as photography, cars, boats, and music. He built and raced a three-quarter sprint car. In 1967 Mike directed a Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre production. That same year a staff opening at The Fargo Forum developed and Mike was hired by Cal Olson as a Forum news photographer. That next year Mike was named the National Press Photographer Association’s Regional Photographer of the Year for an eight state area.
In August 1968, Mike attended a news photography seminar in Rochester, NY and after returning to Fargo, resigned from the Forum. He had been hired to join the photo staff of The New York Times and was given assignments covering sports and politics. Soon after, The New York Times transferred Mike to their Washington bureau and eventually became a member of the White House News Photographers Association where in 1973 Mike received two first-place awards in a competition sponsored by the White House Photographers Association.
In 1975 Mike left The New York Times and moved to Chesapeake Bay north of Annapolis, MD. He operated a small marina and was doing the carpentry work to rebuild a small home he was living in. Mike earned money by occasional freelance photo assignments and repairing small sailing vessels who the owners rented slip space. He was also working on an old sailboat which he intended to take vacationers on salt water cruises.
On December 4, 1976, Mike was involved in a two car accident. Three people in the vehicle escaped serious injury but Mike was severally injured and on February 22, 1977, two and a half months after the accident, Mike was taken off life support and died. He was 41 years old.
Mike graduated from high school in 1954 and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, receiving a B.A. Degree in economics and political science. In 1959 Mike enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and graduated from Navigator School in March 1960. Mike then joined the Madison Air National Guard. In 1963 Mike was transferred to the N.D. Air National Guard where he flew second seat in a jet fighter plane for the Guard’s Happy Hooligans. Mike would use his camera to pick up small photography jobs and some commercial work to earn extra money. Mike then found full time work as a photographer for the Red River Scene and Clay Sunday Press newspapers both in Moorhead, Minn. In 1965, Mike would start spending a lot more time with Cal Olson of The Forum to learn about the newspaper business. Mike had many interests such as photography, cars, boats, and music. He built and raced a three-quarter sprint car. In 1967 Mike directed a Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre production. That same year a staff opening at The Fargo Forum developed and Mike was hired by Cal Olson as a Forum news photographer. That next year Mike was named the National Press Photographer Association’s Regional Photographer of the Year for an eight state area.
In August 1968, Mike attended a news photography seminar in Rochester, NY and after returning to Fargo, resigned from the Forum. He had been hired to join the photo staff of The New York Times and was given assignments covering sports and politics. Soon after, The New York Times transferred Mike to their Washington bureau and eventually became a member of the White House News Photographers Association where in 1973 Mike received two first-place awards in a competition sponsored by the White House Photographers Association.
In 1975 Mike left The New York Times and moved to Chesapeake Bay north of Annapolis, MD. He operated a small marina and was doing the carpentry work to rebuild a small home he was living in. Mike earned money by occasional freelance photo assignments and repairing small sailing vessels who the owners rented slip space. He was also working on an old sailboat which he intended to take vacationers on salt water cruises.
On December 4, 1976, Mike was involved in a two car accident. Three people in the vehicle escaped serious injury but Mike was severally injured and on February 22, 1977, two and a half months after the accident, Mike was taken off life support and died. He was 41 years old.
Extent
2 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Fargo native photo journalist who started his career at the Fargo Forum, followed as a photographer for the New York Times, working for their Washington bureau and eventually became a member of the White House News Photographers Association in the early 1970s.
Provenance
Donated by Robert C. Gaffaney, 2018 (Acc. 2018-009irs and 2018-034irs)
Separated photographs
The Mike Lien photographs and negatives have been processed as Photo 2211.
Property rights
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Mike Lien Collection
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu