Usher L. Burdick

Usher L. Burdick
Burdick (right) with poet Ezra Pound, 1958
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Dakota's at-large district
In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1959
Preceded by	Charles R. Robertson
Succeeded by	Quentin N. Burdick
In office January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1945
Preceded by	James H. Sinclair
Succeeded by	Charles R. Robertson
8th Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota
In office 1911–1913
Governor	John Burke
Preceded by	Robert S. Lewis
Succeeded by	Anton Kraabel
Member of the North Dakota House of Representatives
In office 1907–1911
Personal details
Born	Usher Lloyd Burdick (1879-02-21)February 21, 1879 Owatonna, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	August 19, 1960(1960-08-19) (aged 81) Washington, D. C., U.S.
Political party	Republican
Relations	Jocelyn Burdick (daughter-in-law) Robert W. Levering (son-in-law)
Children	Quentin Burdick Eugene A. Burdick Eileen B. Levering
Alma mater	University of Minnesota Law School

Usher Lloyd Burdick (February 21, 1879 – August 19, 1960) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from North Dakota. He was the father of Quentin N. Burdick.

Early life and career

Burdick was born in Owatonna, Minnesota. His parents were farmers. Burdick moved with his parents to Dakota Territory in 1882. He graduated from the North Dakota State Normal School at Mayville in 1900.

He was deputy superintendent of schools of Benson County from 1900 to 1902. He graduated from University of Minnesota Law School in 1904, playing football as well as teaching school in a business college while attending the university. He was admitted to the North Dakota State Bar in 1904 and commenced practice in Munich, North Dakota.

Politics

He served as member of the North Dakota House of Representatives from 1907 to 1911, serving as speaker in 1909. He moved to Williston in 1910 and continued the practice of law. He was the eighth Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota from 1911 to 1913, state's attorney of Williams County from 1913 to 1915, and served as assistant United States district attorney for North Dakota from 1929 to 1932. Burdick also engaged in livestock breeding and farming and was an author.

In 1932, Burdick was elected president of the Farmers' Holiday Association, an association which advocated strikes for farmers, and which took radical direct action against farm foreclosures. Burdick was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination to the 73rd Congress in 1932, in which he favored Franklin D. Roosevelt to be elected president and the repeal of Prohibition.

Burdick was elected as a Republican to the 74th Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1945). While in Congress he supported many New Deal programs. He also was supportive of Native American issues. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1944, but was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for United States Senator for North Dakota. He was an unsuccessful Independent candidate for election in 1944 to the 79th Congress. Burdick was elected to the 81st Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1959). He was the only Republican congressional representative to vote against the Communist Control Act which banned the Communist party. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1958.

Death

On August 19, 1960 Burdick died at age 81 in Washington, D.C. and was interred on his ranch at Williston, North Dakota.

References

• United States Congress. "Usher L. Burdick (id: B001079)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.