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Notable North Dakotans

  • John Burke, one of North Dakota's most acclaimed politicians, served in all three branches of North Dakota's government. He was a veteran of the North Dakota Legislature when he was elected governor of North Dakota in 1906. Burke served three terms as governor before he was named Treasurer of the United States by President Woodrow Wilson. He also served as a justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court.
  • Warren Christopher was born in Scranton, North Dakota, in 1927. He completed high school and college in California, and then went on to be Deputy Attorney General in the Johnson administration, Deputy Secretary of State in the Carter administration, and Secretary of State under President Clinton from 1993 to 1997.
  • Chris Coste is a native of Fargo, North Dakota, and a graduate of Fargo South High School and Concordia College. Coste played for the popular Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks and was part of the team when they won the Northern League title in 1997. Coste entered Major League Baseball in 2000 as a member of the Cleveland Indians and played for two other organizations before he joined the Philadelphia Phillies in 2005. In 2008, Coste earned the starting catcher position for the Phillies and in October of 2009 became the first player that originated from DIII college baseball's MIAC conference to win a World Series.
  • Angie Dickinson of Kulm, North Dakota, is most known for her role as Sergeant Leann "Pepper" Anderson in the crime drama Police Woman. She also appeared in such well-known classic films as the original Ocean's Eleven (where she played Frank Sinatra's wife), The Chase and Dressed to Kill. She had a small cameo in the second installment of Ocean's Eleven and is still heralded by some as an honorary member of the Rat Pack.
  • Actor Josh Duhamel was born in Minot, North Dakota, where he attended both high school and college. Duhamel is most known for his roles in All My Children, Las Vegas, and the box-office hit Transformers. He won an Emmy for best Supporting Actor in 2002 for his work on All My Children. He is married to pop star Fergie, best known for her work with the band the Black-Eyed Peas.
  • Pilot and explorer Carl Ben Eielson was born in Hatton, North Dakota, in 1897. Eielson began his piloting career in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War I. After the war he worked as an educator and delivered mail, becoming the first pilot to deliver from Atlanta to Jacksonville, Florida, and from Fairbanks, Alaska, to McGrath, Alaska. He is known best for flying the first airplane across the Arctic Ocean and charting several islands in the Antarctic. Eielson died in an air crash in 1929 during a rescue mission.
  • Native American author Louise Erdrich grew up in Wahpeton, North Dakota, where her parents taught at Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. Her mother was born on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation, and her father is of German decent. After graduating from Dartmouth College, Erdich worked for the State Arts Council of North Dakota before becoming a bestselling writer of literature. Critics often compare her to William Faulkner.
  • Jamestown, North Dakota produced 2002 World Series Champion Darin Erstad, who won the title with the Anaheim Angels. Erstad graduated from Jamestown High School in 1992, attended the University of Nebraska, and was the first overall pick in the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft.
  • Jamestown, North Dakota native Travis Hafner was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2002 and has played the rest of his career for the Cleveland Indians. In 2006 he hit six grand slams, tying the record with Don Mattingly for most grand slams in a season, and became the second Cleveland player to record 100 walks, 100 runs and 100 RBI's in one season.
  • Phil Hansen of Oakes, North Dakota, recorded ten seasons as a defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted in the second round in 1991 and made the all-rookie team that same year. Hansen also played on three Super Bowl teams (1990-92).
  • Former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion Virgil Hill preferred to fight in front of his adopted hometown fans of Bismarck, North Dakota, for many of his title defenses. He won the silver medal in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
  • Williston, North Dakota, native and University of North Dakota graduate Phil Jackson has won ten NBA titles as a coach and is considered one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history. Jackson played for the New York Knicks from 1967 to 1978 and won a title with the team; he finished his playing career with the New Jersey Nets in 1980. Jackson's NBA titles include the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s that featured Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
  • Musician Jonny Lang was born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota, and released his debut blues album Lie to Me in 1997.  He was listed on the Century Club by the editors of Newsweek. He was also named "Best New Guitarist" by Guitar magazine.  He continues to be a popular singer to this day.
  • Award-winning Western screenwriter and author Louis L'Amour grew up in Jamestown. Before becoming an established author, L'Amour traveled the nation doing various odd jobs, including a short career as a professional boxer. He went on to publish more than 400 short stories and more than 100 novels.
  • Singer Peggy Lee left Jamestown, North Dakota, at 17 for Los Angeles, in order to pursue her vocal career. Lee is most famous for her song Fever, and her roles in The Jazz Singer, Disney's Lady and the Tramp and Pete Kelly's Blues.
  • Legendary New York Yankees right fielder Roger Maris grew up in Grand Forks and Fargo and attended Shanley High School. Maris became a Major League Baseball powerhouse, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season home run record by hitting 61 home runs in 1961, a record that would stand for 37 years. During his time in the Major Leagues, he played in seven World Series and helped win three of them.
  • Eric Sevareid, television commentator, radio announcer and author, grew up in Velva.  Sevareid became a radio correspondent for CBS in 1939, covering the war in Europe, and was later known for his coverage of presidential elections and meetings of the United Nations Assembly in Paris.
  • Fargo, North Dakota native Bobby Vee became an international recording star in the 1960's with hits such as "Devil or Angel" and "Rubber Ball." He recorded 14 top 40 hits and 38 songs in the Billboard Top 100 charts, and still performs to this day.
  • Popular TV host and accordion player Lawrence Welk grew up in Strasburg, North Dakota. Welk led big bands and toured the Midwest until 1951, when the Lawrence Welk Show began broadcasting. The show went national in 1955, and Welk enjoyed 31 successful years as host of the show and was known for his contemporary yet wholesome entertainment.

In addition, North Dakota has a rich history of historical figures who spent time in the state:

  • Though born in New York, the nation's 26th president, Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt, credited North Dakota for his development into the beloved world leader we remember today. The former president spent significant time in the Badlands of North Dakota, just north of Medora. Roosevelt was quoted saying, "I never would have been president if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota," and today the state commemorates his influence with the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This park, near Medora, North Dakota, allows visitors a glimpse of the beautiful rugged landscapes and 'badlands' that Roosevelt loved.
  • Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, chosen by President Thomas Jefferson to map the American West, led an expedition to explore the territory west of the Missouri River, including what is now the state of North Dakota. They left St. Louis in May 1804, and traveled up the Missouri River. In late fall 1804, they decided to spend winter with the Mandan Indians and constructed a camp called Fort Mandan. The fort was completed in December 1804, and was their home until April 1805. Because of this extended stay, Lewis and Clark spent more time in what became North Dakota than they did in any other state.
  • Sakakawea served as a guide and translator during Lewis and Clark's famous expedition. With her son Jean Baptiste in tow, she trekked thousands of miles from North Dakota to the Pacific Ocean between 1804 and 1806. The facts of her life and travels are relatively unknown, but the stories of her bravery and independence turned her into a symbol of the women's suffrage movement and a popular hero in American culture. Today, Sakakawea's image can be found on U.S. one-dollar coins, and statues honoring her memory can be found on the North Dakota Capitol grounds in Bismarck and in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C.
  • General George Armstrong Custer lived at Fort Lincoln, North Dakota, before leading the Seventh Cavalry to its fate at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Much of Fort Lincoln, including Custer's house, has been reconstructed and is open to visitors at Fort Lincoln State Park, just south of Mandan.
  • Sitting Bull, the Lakota Sioux spiritual leader best known for his role in the Battle of Little Bighorn, was shot and killed in 1890 by U.S. federal agents on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation during an attempt to arrest him. Sitting Bull was buried at Fort Yates, North Dakota. Although there is some debate over whether his remains were later moved to South Dakota, visitors can see his grave site just off 92nd Street in Fort Yates.