ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

M.T. LILLEHAUGEN PAPERS

COLLECTION: OGL #960

DATES: 1899-1952

SIZE: 1.5 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The M.T. Lillehaugen Papers were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by Playford Thorson, Grand Forks, North Dakota in 1984 (Acc. #84-1278).

ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Michael T. Lillehaugen was born in Hallingdahl, Norway on June 4, 1881. He emigrated with his parents to the United States at the age of four. The Lillehaugen family lived in Dodge County, Minnesota for three years and then settled in Perth Township, Walsh County, North Dakota in 1888.

Michael Lillehaugen married Helen Sando in 1907. She died in 1914 leaving her husband with three small children. In 1917 Lillehaugen married Marie Moe and the marriage produced six children.

Lillehaugen was active in church, civic and community affairs. He served as church secretary for the Sarnia Lutheran Church for 36 years, and was instrumental in establishing the Michigan Telephone Co. He also helped establish the Livestock Shipping Association in Whitman and served many years on the board of directors of the Whitman elevator.

A Republican, Lillehaugen was first elected to the North Dakota House in 1926 and served one term. He was also elected to the House in 1932, serving another term. In 1940, he was again elected to the House, and served seven consecutive terms.

In 1952 Lillehaugen was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Chicago.

Mr. Lillehaugen died on October 24, 1972, in Michigan, North Dakota. He is buried at West Forest Cemetery.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The M.T. Lillehaugen Papers consist mainly of family correspondence, dating 1899 (in Norwegian), 1915-1924, and political correspondence, dating from 1926-1934, 1950-1951, and 1952 regarding the 1952 Republican National Convention to which Lillehaugen was a delegate. The collection also contains various newspaper clippings related to agriculture and farm issues, state banking problems, prohibition, the death penalty, and compulsory military training in North Dakota Schools of Higher Education.

Four photographs were separated and placed in the Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection.

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder

  1. Stories of humor, news, etc. clipped by Lillehaugen from various newspapers.
  2. Clippings on Labor.
  3. Clippings on Agriculture.
  4. Clippings on War, Including address by Senator Gerald P. Nye in Chicago on December 30, 1937.
  5. Resolutions of local farm groups between WWI and WWII.
  6. By-laws Nonpartisan League 1930 and 1932.
  7. Correspondence and clippings relating to North Dakota State Hail insurance Programs 1930-1932.
  8. Clippings on State Banking Problems, 1920s.
  9. Clippings on Prohibition and address by C.C. Converse of Bismarck, "The Proposed Repeal of State Prohibition", November 6, 1932
  10. Clippings on Lillehaugen and letters to newspapers written by him during his legislative career.
  11. Clippings on the death penalty and compulsory military training in North Dakota schools of Higher Education during Lillehaugen legislative career.
  12. Correspondence and clippings concerning education issues in North Dakota, 1932-1933
  13. Family correspondence, 1899 (in Norwegian)
  14. Family correspondence, 1915-1924.
  15. Correspondence from Rev. O. Nilsen, editor of the :Hallinglaget", with M.T. Lillehaugen, 1921-1933.
  16. Political correspondence, 1926-1933.
  17. Political correspondence, 1934.
  18. Speech notes (note dates).
  19. Political petitions, certificates of election, etc., for M.T. Lillehaugen during his legislative career.

Box 2
Folder

  1. Miscellaneous Farmers Union material, 1930s.
  2. Clippings from Normanden, a North Dakota Norwegian newspaper.
  3. Miscellaneous newspaper clippings.
  4. Correspondence 1952 Republican National Convention of which M.T. Lillehaugen was a delegate from North Dakota.
  5. Pamphlets, programs, etc. of the 1952 Republican National Convention.
  6. Campaign Literature of the 1952 Republican National Convention.
  7. Miscellaneous items including a report card from a Norwegian school in North Dakota in 1924; Union Party certificates; Casket list North Dakota State Penitentiary and the Platform of the Union Party, 1936.
  8. Document "The Week Day School Information of Value to the Situation in North Dakota." No date relating to the weekday church school movement in public schools.
  9. Pamphlets entitled "Universal Military Training" and "McCarthyism: The Fight for America."
  10. "Eulogy on the Life of George Washington" written by Thomas Paine 1800 and read during the North Dakota legislative session February 22, 1951.
  11. Correspondence relating to Whitman Equity Elevator 1935-1941
  12. Correspondence and other material, relating to a proposal to establish a state owned cement plant in North Dakota (1950-1951).
  13. M.T. Lillehaugen legislative correspondence 1951.
  14. M.T. Lillehaugen legislative notes 1951.

SEPARATIONS RECORD

Four photographs were separated and placed in the Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection.

OGL #960-1 Scandinavian-American Members of the 20th Legislative Assembly, 1927
OGL #960-2M.T. Lillehaugen
OGL #960-3M.T. Lillehaugen
OGL #960-4M.T. Lillehaugen

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