- Ralph Engelstad
Ralph Engelstad (b. January 28, 1930 Thief River Falls, Minnesota - d. November 26, 2002 Las Vegas, Nevada) was the multi-millionaire owner of the Imperial Palace casino-hotels in Las Vegas and in Biloxi, Mississippi and the Klondike Hotel & Casino. He was also the donor for the construction of the Ralph Engelstad Arena for his "alma mater", the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota, whose teams are called the Fighting Sioux, …
- Wayne Stenehjem
Wayne Stenehjem (b. February 5 1953, Mohall, North Dakota) is a lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of North Dakota. He is the current Attorney General of the state, serving since 2000.
- William Langer
William "Wild Bill" Langer (September 30 1886 - November 8 1959) was a prominent American politician from North Dakota. Langer is one of the most colorful characters in North Dakota history, most famously bouncing back from a scandal that forced him out of office and into prison. He served as the Governor of North Dakota from 1933 to 1934 and from 1937 to 1939. Langer also served in the United States Senate from 1940 to 1959 when he died in office.
- Dru Sjodin
Dru Kathrina Sjodin (September 26, 1981 - November 22, 2003), a student of the University of North Dakota (UND), was a victim of kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder. Her disappearance garnered great media coverage throughout the United States and prompted the creation of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry.
- Earl Pomeroy
Earl Pomeroy (born September 2 1952) is an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of North Dakota. A member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, Pomeroy has served as the member representing North Dakota's at-large congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 1993. Pomeroy lives in Mandan, North Dakota, with his two children, Kathryn and Scott.
- Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17 1945 in Deer Lodge, Montana) is the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, an American professional basketball team. A former player for the New York Knicks, Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association. His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998; during his tenure in Chicago, …
- Lynn Frazier
Lynn Joseph Frazier (December 21, 1874 - January 11, 1947) was a U.S. Senator from North Dakota (1923-1941) and the Governor of that state from 1917 until being recalled in 1921. He was the first American governor ever successfully recalled from office; besides Frazier, the only other governor to have been successfully recalled is California Governor Gray Davis, who was recalled in October 2003.
- Mark Andrews
Mark Andrews (born May 19 1926) is an American politician from the state of North Dakota. He is a member of the United States Republican Party. Andrews was born in Cass County, North Dakota. He attended the public schools there. In 1944 at the age of 18, Andrews was admitted to the United States Military Academy. He quit in 1946 after receiving a disability discharge. He then attended the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks, North Dakota and graduated in 1949.
- John Moses
John Moses (June 12, 1885 - March 3, 1945) was the 22nd Governor of North Dakota from 1939 to 1945, and served in the United States Senate in 1945 until his death that year.
- Dick Armey
Richard Keith "Dick" Armey (born July 7, 1940 in) is a former U.S. Representative from Texas' 26th Congressional District (1985-2003) and House Majority Leader (1995-2003). He was one of the architects of the "Republican Revolution" of the 1990s, in which Republicans were elected to majorities of both houses of Congress, and the chief author of the Republican Contract with America.
- Maxwell Anderson
James Maxwell Anderson (15 December 1888 - 28 February 1959), better known as Maxwell Anderson was a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, author, poet, reporter and lyricist, and a founding member of The Playwrights' Company (which included, at various times, Maxwell Anderson, S. N. Behrman, Elmer Rice, Robert E. Sherwood, Sidney Howard, Roger L. Stevens, John F. Wharton, and Kurt Weill, and produced many notable plays of the 20th century).
- Era Bell Thompson
Era Bell Thompson (10 August 1905-30 December 1986) was a graduate of the University of North Dakota (UND) and an editor of "Ebony" magazine. She was also a recipient of the governor of North Dakota's Roughrider Award. A multicultural center at UND is named after her.
- Allen I. Olson
Allen I. Olson (born November 5, 1938 in Rolla, North Dakota) is a Republican politician and lawyer who served as the 28th Governor of North Dakota from 1981 to 1985. He defeated incumbent Arthur A. Link in the 1980 race for Governor and served one term.
- Jim Poolman
Jim Poolman (b. May 15, 1970, Fargo, North Dakota) is a banker and politician from the U.S. state of North Dakota. He is the current Insurance Commissioner of the state, serving since 2000.
- Ed Schafer
Edward Thomas "Ed" Schafer (born August 8, 1946), is a North Dakota Republican Party politician who served as the Governor of North Dakota from 1992 to 2000. A very popular Governor, Schafer was elected by a wide margin in 1996.
- Vilhjalmur Stefansson
Vilhjalmur Stefansson was a Canadian Arctic explorer and ethnologist. He was born at Gimli, Manitoba, Canada, of Icelandic descent. He was educated in the universities of North Dakota and of Iowa (A.B., 1903). He studied anthropology at the graduate school of Harvard University, and for two years was an instructor there.
- Fred G. Aandahl
Fred George Aandahl (April 9, 1897-April 7, 1966) was an Republican politician from North Dakota. He served as the Governor of North Dakota from 1945 to 1951 and as a U.S. Representative from 1951 to 1953.
- Ragnvald A. Nestos
Ragnvald Anderson Nestos (April 12, 1877-July 15, 1942) was the governor of the U.S. state of North Dakota from 1921 through 1925. He was a member of the Independent Voters Association, running on the Republican ticket. He gained office when Governor Lynn Frazier was defeated in the first successful attempt to recall a governor in U.S. history.
- Nick Begich
Nicholas Joseph (Nick) Begich, Sr. was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Alaska. He disappeared after his plane crashed in 1972.
- Sam Anderson
Sam Anderson is an American actor from Wahpeton, North Dakota. He is a graduate of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. During the 1970s, Sam taught drama at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California. He married in 1985 and is the father of twins. Sam holds advanced degrees in Theatre, American Literature and Creative Writing. He is also a member of the Mystery Writers of America.
- Gerald W. Vandewalle
Gerald W. VandeWalle (born August 15, 1933) is the Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court. Justice VandeWalle was born in Noonan, North Dakota and graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1955 with a bachelor of science degree in Commerce. He then received a a juris doctor degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1958. He has served on the Supreme Court since 1978 and has been the Chief Justice since 1993.
- Dale V. Sandstrom
Dale V. Sandstrom (born March 9, 1950) is a North Dakota Republican Party politician who served as a North Dakota Public Service Commissioner from 1983 to 1992, and as a Justice on the North Dakota Supreme Court since 1992. Dale V. Sandstrom was born and raised in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He graduated with B.A. degree from North Dakota State University and a juris doctor degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law.
- John E. Davis
John E. Davis (April 18, 1913 - May 12, 1990) was a North Dakota politician who served as the 25th Governor of North Dakota. He was elected in 1956, and served one term before losing the election to William L. Guy in 1960. Davis died in 1990 at the age of 77.
- Stephen Lee Morgan
Stephen Lee Morgan is Chief Operating Officer of CLS America, a provider of mobile satellite services (MSS) for use in a variety of applications involving asset tracking, monitoring, and data telemetry and subsidiary of CLS Group of Companies of Toulouse, France. Morgan previously served as President of North American CLS, prior to its merger with Service Argos in January 2006 to form CLS America. He is also President and CEO of the Argos Foundation, …
- Chuck Klosterman
My take on Klosterman is this: if you absolutely must get a pop culture fix by reading about inane movie stars or overrated bands, you might as well read someone who is smart and funny about them, and that person is Klosterman. Although not a metal fan, I loved Fargo Rock City , and found his essays in Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs exceedingly funny.
- Robert Wefald
Robert O. Wefald (b. July 18, 1942 in Excelsior, MN) is a District Court Judge in the South Central Judicial District in North Dakota. He was elected in 1998 and 2004. He is the husband of public service commissioner Susan Wefald. He graduated from Minot High School and attended the University of North Dakota (B.A.) and University of Michigan Law School (J.D.). He served as North Dakota Attorney General from 1981 to 1984.
- William C. Marcil
William C. Marcil is a North Dakota businessman and a leader in the state's newspaper industry. Marcil was born in Rolette, North Dakota in 1936. He graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1958. He then married Jane Black, daughter of Norman Black, owner-publisher of "Fargo Forum" newspaper. In 1969, Marcil became the president and publisher of the "Forum". Today, Marcil is chief executive officer of Forum Communications, …
- Edward K. Thompson
Edward K. Thompson (1907 - October 1996) American writer and editor. The "Smithsonian Magazine" called him "one of the great editors of the last half [of the 20th] century." He was the editor of LIFE from its early days as a weekly and was the founding editor of "Smithsonian Magazine".
- Gregory R. Page
Gregory R. Page (born 1952 in Bottineau, North Dakota) is the president and CEO of Cargill, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He joined Cargill in 1974, and has served in various worldwide posts for the company, including serving as the corporate vice president of Excel Corp. (currently a Cargill-owned business platform), before rising to its CEO in 2007. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of North Dakota.
- Susan Wefald
Susan Wefald (born 1947) is a North Dakota Republican Party politician who is currently serving as North Dakota Public Service Commissioner.
- Jim Kleinsasser
Jim Kleinsasser (born January 31, 1977 in Carrington, North Dakota) is an American Football player who currently plays fullback and tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL. He attended the University of North Dakota and played for the Fighting Sioux football team. He is commonly known by his nickname, "Jim Clank Clank."
- Hjalmar Carl Nygaard
Hjalmar Carl Nygaard (March 24 1906 - July 18 1963) was a United States Representative from North Dakota, elected as a Republican to the 87th and 88th Congresses and served from January 3, 1961, until his death. He was born on a farm near Sharon, Steele County, North Dakota and attended the public schools of Sharon, Mayville State Teachers College, and the University of North Dakota.
- Jon Hassler
Jon Hassler (born March 30, 1933) is an American novelist and educator who is known for his fictional works about small-town life in Minnesota. He has held the positions of Regents Professor Emeritus and Writer-in-Residence at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota.
- Brent Edison
Brent Edison (b. 1956, Milnor, North Dakota) is an attorney and Democratic-NPL politician from North Dakota. He has unsuccessfully ran for both State Auditor in 2004 and for State Tax Commissioner in 2006. Edison's campaign for Tax Commissioner was tarnished when it was publicized that he was fired from a state agency, Workforce Safety and Insurance, after reportedly creating a hostile work environment. Edison is a native of Milnor.
- Nicole Linkletter
Nicole Linkletter (born February 27, 1986) is the winner of Cycle 5 of the CW reality TV series "America's Next Top Model". Her prizes as winner were a contract with Ford Models, a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl cosmetics, a fashion spread in "ELLE" magazine, and the cover of ELLEgirl magazine.. She is one of the more successful winners to come out of America's Next Top Model.
- Zach Parise
Zach Parise (born July 28, 1984 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an ice hockey player with the New Jersey Devils. He is a natural center but currently plays left wing for the New Jersey Devils on the second line with teammates Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner, which is commonly referred as the ZZ Pop or PZL line by Devils fans. Some have stretched as far as calling him the future captain of the team and a franchise player.
- Mary Muehlen Maring
Mary Muehlen Maring (born July 27, 1951) is a Justice on the North Dakota Supreme Court. Mary Muehlen Maring was born and raised in Devils Lake, North Dakota. She graduated with B.A. degree in Political Science and German from Moorhead State University in 1972 and in 1975 a juris doctor degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1996.
- Eric Hardmeyer
Eric Hardmeyer (born 1959) is the current president and CEO of the Bank of North Dakota. Hardmeyer is a Mott, North Dakota native, and a graduate of the University of North Dakota, and the University of Mary. He has been employed with the bank since 1985.
- Chandra K. Clarke
Chandra K. Clarke (b. July 1 1972), is an author, columnist, and business woman. Clarke began her career as a freelance journalist, working for several small weeklies and community newspapers in Southwestern Ontario, specializing in municipal affairs and agribusiness reporting, while completing a Bachelor of Arts. She then took a position as a managing editor before striking out on her own in 1997 to found Scribendi.com, an editorial services company.
- Ronald Davies
Ronald Norwood Davies (December 11, 1904 - April 18, 1996) was a federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota (July 22, 1955 - 1996). Davies is perhaps best known for ordering the integration of Little Rock Central High during the civil rights crisis of the 1960s.