Lemke, William, 1878-1950

U.S. Representative from North Dakota, 1933-1950; North Dakota Attorney General, 1921.

From the description of Papers, 1942-1953. (State Historical Society of North Dakota State Archives). WorldCat record id: 18430444

U.S. Congressman (1933-1940, 1943-1950), North Dakota, active in Nonpartisan League and Republican Party.

William F. Lemke was born in Albany, Stearns County, Minnesota on August 13, 1878, moved to North Dakota in 1881, settling in Towner County. He was graduated from the University of North Dakota (1902), Yale University (Law, 1905), and began his law practice in Fargo, N.D. (1905).

Lemke was a leader of the N.D. Nonpartisan League (ca. 1915-1921), chairman of the Republican State Committee (1916-1920), National Nonpartisan League executive committee member (1917-1920), and elected Attorney General of North Dakota in 1920, but recalled in Oct. 1921. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (1932), he took a special interest in debtor farmers, bankruptcy, and monetary legislation. Lemke served in the House from 1933-1940, but ran unsuccessfully for president on the Union ticket in 1936. In 1940, Lemke dropped out of the race for the House to run unsuccessfully as an independent against William Langer. Returned to the House in 1943, Lemke served until his death in Fargo, N.D. on May 30, 1950.

From the description of Papers, 1901-1950 (inclusive). (University of North Dakota). WorldCat record id: 18730183