Moses, John, 1885-1945

Born at Strand, Norway, immigrated to the United States in 1905. Graduated University of North Dakota Law School, practiced law until he was first elected governor in 1938. North Dakota governor (1939-1944) and U.S. senator (1945). First Democrat elected by popular vote to represent North Dakota in Congress and served three terms as governor. The family name is from a Scotch ancestor who immigrated to Norway.

North Dakota Governor, 1939-1944.

John Moses was born June 12, 1885 in Strand, Norway. He emigrated to the United States in 1905, settling first in Minnesota. He moved to North Dakota in 1911, when he became the secretary of the State Normal School at Valley City. He entered the University of North Dakota in 1912, and graduated with a B.A. in 1914. He entered Law School and graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1915. In 1917, he established a permanent law practice in Hazen, while farming on the side. Moses was rejected from the Armed Services due to poor vision. He served as State's Attorney for Mercer County from 1919-1923, and in 1938 he was elected governor of North Dakota. Moses was re-elected Governor in both 1940 and 1942. In January 1944, Moses ran for a seat in the United States Senate. Moses only was able to serve two weeks in the Senate, before he checked himself into the Mayo Clinic on January 18,1945 due to an attack of pleurisy. John Moses died on March 3, 1945 at the Mayo Clinic, and is buried at St. Mary's Cemetery in Bismarck. He married Ethel Joslyn on June 29, 1918 in Hope, North Dakota. The couple had four children: John, James, Mary, Jean and Robert. Jean and Robert.

North Dakota Governor, 1939-1944; U.S. Senator from North Dakota, 1945.

Twenty-second governor of North Dakota (1939-1944) and United States Senator from North Dakota (1945).

John Moses was born in Strand, Norway, June 12, 1885. He was educated in Norway, graduating from Junior College in Oslo. He immigrated to the United States in 1905 and settled in Benson, Swift County, Minnesota. Moses supported himself working as a laborer, farm hand, clerk and freight-claim investigator, eventually moving on to North Dakota. From 1911-1913, he was secretary of the State Teachers College, Valley City, N.D. He completed his education in Grand Forks, receiving a B.A. from the University of North Dakota in 1914, and a J.D. degree from U.N.D. in 1915.

Moses was admitted to the bar in 1915 and practiced law in Hope and Hebron, N.D. before settling in Hazen, N.D. in 1917. In addition to his law practice, he was active in banking and farming. He served as State's Attorney of Mercer County, N.D. from 1919-1923 and again from 1927-1933. A fiscally conservative Democrat, Moses was the unsuccessful candidate for Governor in 1936, but was elected in 1938 and reelected in 1940 and 1942. Moses was known for his efforts to reorganize, reform, and streamline state government. In poor health, Moses ran and won election to the United States Senate in 1944. He served as Senator January 3, 1945 until his death on March 3, 1945 in Rochester, Minnesota where he had gone for an operation.