Peter Norbeck

Norbeck was the eldest of six children born to immigrants George (born in Jämtland, Sweden) and Karen (Larsen) Norbeck, who was Norwegian. At the time of Norbeck's birth, his family was living in a dugout on the family's {{convert|160|acre|km2}}, located {{convert|8|mi|km|spell=in}} northeast of Vermillion in the Dakota Territory. He attended the public schools and the University of South Dakota at Vermillion.{{cite web |title=Peter Norbeck |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=N000132 |publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress |access-date=October 18, 2012}} In 1895 he was a contractor and driller of deep water, oil, and gas wells. He moved to Redfield, South Dakota, in 1900 and added agricultural pursuits.

He married Lydia Theresa Anderson in June 1901. They had three daughters, Nellie, Ruth, and Selma (aka Sally); and one son, Harold.{{cite web |title=Peter Norbeck |url=http://www.nndb.com/people/720/000172204/ |publisher=Soylent Communications |access-date=October 18, 2012}}

Norbeck was a Freemason, and a member of the Grand Lodge of South Dakota.{{cite web |title=Notable Masons |url=https://sdgrandlodge.org/notable-masons/ |publisher=The Grand Lodge of South Dakota |access-date=September 27, 2022}} He received the 32° of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction in Yankton, SD on 22 June 1919, and was also a member of Yelduz Shriners{{cite web |title=Yelduz Shriners Website |url=https://yelduz.com |publisher=Yelduz Shriners |access-date=September 27, 2022}} in Aberdeen, South Dakota.{{cite book |last=Denslow |first=William R. |title=10,000 Famous Freemasons |publisher=Missouri Lodge of Research |location=Columbia, MO |year=1957}} His Blue (Craft) lodge name and number are not known.

On May 9, 1908, Norbeck ran for the South Dakota State Senate from Spink County. After being elected to the first of three terms, he joined Coe Crawford's inner circle of Progressives. In 1914, Norbeck reluctantly accepted Governor Frank Byrne's invitation to run for Lieutenant Governor on the Republican ticket; they ended up winning.

In 1916, Norbeck ran for governor and beat Democratic candidate W.T. Rinehart, becoming the ninth Governor of South Dakota. He served in that office from 1917 to 1921.

In 1920, Norbeck was elected United States Senator. He won the election with 50% of the vote, running against a Democrat and two fairly strong independent candidates; the Democrat finished third. Norbeck was re-elected to the Senate in 1926 and 1932.

Norbeck made a number of contributions to South Dakota's tourism industry. He worked with sculptor Gutzon Borglum to help him create his huge sculpture at Mount Rushmore, convinced presidents Calvin Coolidge and Franklin D. Roosevelt to support it, and shepherded multiple bills through Congress to provide federal funding for it. He encouraged the development of the Iron Mountain Road in the Black Hills. He also pushed for the development of Sylvan Lake, Needles Highway, Badlands National Park, Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, and the Game Sanctuary in the Black Hills.{{cite web|title=Peter Norbeck|url=http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_south_dakota/col2-content/main-content-list/title_norbeck_peter.html|publisher=National Governors Association|access-date=October 18, 2012}}

As outgoing Republican chairman during the last months of the Herbert Hoover presidency, Norbeck appointed Ferdinand Pecora as Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate's Committee on Banking and Currency. The Committee investigated the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

Norbeck died of cancer in Redfield, South Dakota, during his third term as United States Senator in 1936. He is interred at Bloomington Church Cemetery, Platte, South Dakota.

The Peter Norbeck Summer House, in Custer State Park, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49)

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{{Commons category|Peter Norbeck}}

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• [http://www.sd4history.com/Unit7/notableSDlesson2.htm Entry for Peter Norbeck at the Weekly South Dakotan website]
• [http://www.sdhistory.org/rp/dp/dp_norbeck.htm Entry for Peter Norbeck at the South Dakota State Historical Society website]
• [http://www.infoplease.com/biography/us/congress/norbeck-peter.html Entry for Peter Norbeck at Infoplease.com]

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{{s-bef|before=Frank M. Byrne}}

{{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for Governor of South Dakota|years=1916, 1918}}

{{s-aft|after=William H. McMaster}}

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{{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from South Dakota
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{{s-aft|after=Gladys Pyle}}

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{{succession box

|before=Frank M. Byrne

|title=Governor of South Dakota

|years=1917–1921

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{{U.S. Senator box

|state=South Dakota

|class=3

|before=Edwin S. Johnson

|after=Herbert E. Hitchcock

|years=1921–1936

|alongside=Thomas Sterling, William H. McMaster, William J. Bulow}}

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{{Governors of South Dakota |expanded=Lt. Governors}}

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Category:1870 births

Category:1936 deaths

Category:People from Clay County, South Dakota

Category:American people of Swedish descent

Category:American people of Norwegian descent

Category:American Lutherans

Category:Republican Party United States senators from South Dakota

Category:Republican Party governors of South Dakota

Category:Lieutenant governors of South Dakota

Category:Republican Party South Dakota state senators

Category:People from Redfield, South Dakota

Category:Mount Rushmore

Category:20th-century United States senators

Category:20th-century members of the South Dakota Legislature