Edward C. Blackorby

2195 Prairie Rebel: The Public Life of William Lemke, by Edward C. Blackorby (read 12 Mar 1989) This is a 1963 biography of William Lemke, who was born Aug. 13, 1878, at Albany, Stearns County, Minn. (described by Samuel Lubell as the most isolationist county in the U.S.), of a German-born father who fought for the Union and a Wisconsin-born mother whose father was born in Bavaria. Lemke's parents and the children moved to North Dakota in 1881. They were poor, but Bill went to the University of North Dakota, Georgetown, and Yale, and was a Fargo lawyer. He was a gun in the Non-Partisan League, and did not go to Congress till 1932. I was glad I had just read The History of North Dakota or I might have gotten lost in the intricacies of North Dakota politics. The political struggles from 1932 to 1950 were really complex and unusual and this book was a sheer delight to read. The book says nothing good about Lemke's presidential bid in 1936, and I could not help but feel dismay over my father's falling for such a flawed endeavor. Lemke ran for Senator in 1940 and so he missed one term in Congress. He died May 30, 1950. This was a most interesting book.… (mehr)

3986. Prairie Populist: The Life and Times of Usher L. Burdick, by Edward O. Blackorby (read 14 Feb 2005) When I learned that the author of this book had written it, I at once wanted to read it because I so enjoyed his biography of William Lemke, read 12 March 1989. I never cease to be fascinated by the turbulent political history of North Dakota from 1910 to 1960 and so I ate up this account of Burdick, who was prominent politically all during that time--he served as U.S. Representative from 1935 to 1945 and from 1949 to 1959, dying 19 Aug 1960. Burdick ran on the Republican ticket but usually voted with the Democrats, except on international issues. This book is indispensable to anyone enamored by North Dakota political history as I am.… (mehr)