UND Special Collections unveils digitalized photo album to mark former North Dakota Lt. Gov. Rosemarie Myrdal’s 90th birthday
For former North Dakota Lt. Gov. Rosemarie Myrdal’s 90th birthday, on May 20, the University of North Dakota’s Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections is introducing a commemorative assortment of photographs.
The Department has digitalized one photo for every year of Myrdal’s life, which can be viewed through the University’s Scholarly Commons portal.
The images belong to Myrdal’s archival papers, which she donated to Special Collections in 2009. They showcase her public service career as a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives (1985-1992) and, later, as lieutenant governor (1993-2001).
Aside from charting a timeline of Myrdal’s political attainments, the photos also feature a number of local, contemporary figures including fellow Representatives Dagne Olsen and Alice Olson, former Governor Ed and First Lady Nancy Schafer, and North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.
Myrdal’s grandson, Benjamin Morrell, generously funded the photo digitalization project, which was carried out by a student worker.
About Rosemarie Myrdal:
Born in 1929, in Minot, N.D., Myrdal graduated from Fargo Central High School and, in 1951, earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State in Fargo).
She actively volunteered with the Edinburg, N.D., School Board, the Icelandic Communities Association, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the North Dakota Diabetes Association, the North Dakota Library Coordinating Council, Preservation North Dakota and the Red River Resource Conservation and Development.
A Republican, Myrdal was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1984, serving until 1992. In 1992, she was elected lieutenant governor and served under former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer, with the two winning re-election in 1996 by a large margin. Both Myrdal and Schafer chose not to run again in 2000. Schafer is a former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture as well as former interim president of UND, his alma mater.
Since leaving public office, Myrdal has remained engaged with organizations related to health care, education, tourism and heritage preservation.
About the Rosemarie Myrdal Papers:
Obtained in March 2009, the Rosemarie Myrdal Papers at UND Special Collections date from 1966 to 2016 and consist of six parts – personal, legislative, lieutenant governor, volunteer activities, photographs, oversized materials and artifacts. Since 2014, the materials have been open for research activities.
