Minot—With President-elect Donald Trump reportedly planning to name Governor Doug Burgum as his Secretary of the Interior, I thought it would be fun to explore North Dakotans' historical presence in Cabinet-level positions. The criteria are straightforward: individuals born or raised in North Dakota who held a Cabinet-level position by Presidential appointment. There has to be a few, right?
Spoiler alert: the list is short. However, it’s a fascinating group, each with a unique path to national leadership. Let’s dive into the three Cabinet-level officials from North Dakota, followed by three honorable mentions whose careers definitely deserve to be recognized.
The Big Three: Kleppe, Schafer, and Christopher
Firstly, we'll discuss the only other North Dakotan to be named head of the Department of the Interior, Thomas S. Kleppe. Growing up in Valley City during the Depression, Kleppe joined the army shortly after the start of WWII. Following the war in 1946, Kleppe got out of the Army and returned to Bismarck, ND, where he became Treasurer and later President of the Gold Seal Company until 1964. During that span, he spent 4 years as mayor of Bismarck in the 1950s before his first unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate in 1964 as a Republican, losing to Quentin Burdick.
In 1966, he ran for and won one of North Dakota's then two U.S. House seats. He won re-election 2 years later in '68 before then deciding to once again unsuccessfully challenge sitting Senator Quentin Burdick in 1970. Despite this loss, Kleppe had made allies during his time in Washington, and following a resignation in the Nixon administration, he still had a future in politics. Kleppe was appointed to be the Administrator of the Small Business Administration under Richard Nixon in 1971, where he would spend 4 years. One aspect of his tenure was his focus on disaster recovery. Under his watch, the SBA expanded its disaster loan program, providing crucial support to small businesses affected by natural disasters, which solidified the agency’s reputation as a lifeline during times of crisis, before transitioning to the role of Secretary of the Interior in 1975 under Gerald Ford.
In that role, he was most notably involved in the Supreme Court Case Kleppe v. New Mexico. In short, this originated from a 1971 law protecting, studying, and managing any "unbranded and unclaimed horses and burros on public lands in the United States." The case stemmed from a dispute over wild horses grazing on federal land, with New Mexico landowners arguing that the government had no right to intervene when horses wandered onto their private property. The landowners then sued the federal government, specifically the DoI and Kleppe, after they were told to return the horses to federal property. Making its way all the way to the Supreme Court, they ruled unanimously in favor of the federal government to be able to protect any animals on federal lands the same as they protect the lands themselves.
Next on the list is the son of Harold Schafer (who founded that same Gold Seal Company that Thomas S. Kleppe worked for and happened to invent Mr. Bubble bubble bath product), Bismarck native Ed Schafer. Graduating from UND in 1969, he went to work for the family business before rising to the company's president in 1978 until its eventual sale to Airwick Industries in 1986, overseeing large-scale growth during his time. Following this sale, Schafer began to look towards his future into politics come the new decade.
In 1990, Schafer ran as a Republican for North Dakota's lone U.S. House seat, losing to incumbent Byron Dorgan by a considerable margin. Just two years later, however, Schafer ran for Governor after incumbent George Sinner chose to retire. He won handily in '92 before gaining an even larger margin come his reelection in 1996. Facing budget issues as a part of the recession in the early '90s, he had a lot to tackle. That, alongside helping modernize North Dakota's economy and technological infrastructure for the 21st century, led Schafer to finish as the chairman of the Republican Governors Committee before choosing to retire from the governorship in 2000.
Fast forward to 2008, and Schafer was appointed as Secretary of Agriculture, where he served under George W. Bush for the remaining year of his term. Schafer was immediately forced to deal with a major food safety scandal when animal cruelty and unsafe food packing processes were uncovered at a large meat distributor, Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company. This led to the largest beef recall in U.S. history, with over 143 million pounds of beef recalled, and the eventual bankruptcy of H/W following Schafer’s prosecution of those responsible. The scandal highlighted the challenges the agricultural sector faced during the economic downturn of 2008, and Schafer's decisive response was critical in maintaining public trust in the USDA. Beyond the crisis, Schafer also worked on issues such as supporting the 2008 Farm Bill, and advocating for U.S. agricultural exports to markets in China, Canada, and Mexico. Despite these challenges, Schafer’s leadership helped to guide the USDA through a difficult time, reinforcing his reputation for integrity and his commitment to food safety and transparency.
This is where the sure-fire candidates end. Next up is Warren Christopher, who fits the general criteria of being born in North Dakota and holding a Cabinet-level position, though with some caveats. The only reason there's any potential question is the lesser points that he moved to California when he was 13, and that he never served as a North Dakota elected official pale in comparison to his accomplishments in the latter part of the 20th century. Having been born in tiny Scranton, North Dakota, his family moved to California following his father having a stroke during the depths of the Great Depression. Christopher ended up joining the Naval reserves during his college years during WWII, getting out the same year he entered Stanford Law School, 1946.
Graduating from law school in 1949, he went on to clerk for Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas before his law career began to flourish in California throughout the 1950s, becoming a partner at his law firm in 1959 and then serving as a special counsel to Governor Pat Brown. This led him to eventually be appointed as the Deputy Attorney General in 1967 under Lyndon Johnson. Following the administration's defeat to Richard Nixon in 1968, he eventually declined the role of special counsel designated to investigate the Watergate scandal. Continuing to build a name for himself as a legal savant, in 1977 Christopher was appointed as the Deputy Secretary of State under the Carter administration, getting to see a multitude of major world events occur firsthand including the Iran hostage crisis. Following Carter's defeat in 1980, Christopher moved back to California to practice law throughout the remainder of the decade, before a major incident in the early 1990's would take his career to new heights.
In 1991, Christopher chaired a commission investigating the Los Angeles Police Department after the Rodney King incident. They proposed significant reforms which were largely adopted by the city, once again shoving Christopher into the spotlight. The fall of 1992 rolled around, and he was approached by Democratic Presidential nominee Bill Clinton to head his search for a vice president and later headed his transition team before Clinton nominated him as Secretary of State.
Now it's time to consider the litany of global affairs he had to deal with over the next four years. To be brief, however, he had a role in the Oslo Accords between Israel and Palestine, shortly followed by getting Jordan to agree to a peace deal with Israel in 1994, then the signing of the Dayton Agreement ending the Bosnian War in 1995. His last hurrah following his initial retirement in 1997 was to serve as Al Gore's counsel in 2000 in the initial legal battles that brought on in the state of Florida, before eventually conceded to George W. Bush.
Truly a fascinating bunch of guys. With Kleppe, Schafer, and Christopher, we’ve covered the three North Dakotans who unquestionably fit the criteria for this list. However, North Dakota’s influence extends beyond official Cabinet positions. While the next figures didn’t quite meet all the qualifications—for example, some were born out of state or held roles adjacent to Cabinet-level positions—their careers left a significant mark on federal leadership. These honorable mentions deserve recognition for their remarkable careers.
Honorable Mentions: Davis, Johnson, and Jones
The hardest omission from the main list, John E. Davis was a notable figure in both state and national politics, though he never held an "official" Cabinet position. Also, being born in Minnesota, Davis moved to North Dakota at a young age, graduating from Bismarck High and later the University of North Dakota. He served as a Lt. Colonel in World War II, participating in the liberation of France and Germany and earned numerous accolades. After returning home in 1945, Davis began his political career, serving as mayor of McClusky and later as a state senator. He ran for Governor in 1956 and again in 1958 but lost a close election for the U.S. Senate in 1960. In 1964, he lost the Republican nomination for Senate to Thomas Kleppe, which led him to shift focus to national affairs.
In 1969, Davis was appointed Director of the Office of Civil Defense under President Nixon, overseeing the agency’s transition to the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency. His work during the Cold War era focused on preparing the nation for the potential of nuclear attacks, shaping emergency preparedness strategies still relevant today. While Davis never held a major Cabinet position, (and it has since been dissolved) his significant role in national defense during a critical period in U.S. history earns him a place among North Dakota’s most influential figures in federal leadership.
Harold Keith Johnson was born in Bowesmont, North Dakota, in 1912 and went on to achieve prominence as a military leader. After graduating from West Point in 1933, Johnson survived the Bataan Death March during World War II and was eventually freed from captivity in 1945. He rose through the military ranks and became Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army in 1964, during a time of great tension with the Vietnam War. Throughout his career, Johnson was a vocal advocate for troop discipline, professional development, and ethical leadership. His leadership was focused on modernizing the Army and addressing counterinsurgency challenges, both of which were crucial during the turbulent military landscape of the 1960s and early 1970s.
Johnson’s tenure as Chief of Staff lasted until 1968, leaving a legacy of reform and modernization during one of the nation’s most complex military conflicts. His leadership helped to shape the U.S. Army during a critical time in history and reinforced the importance of professional conduct and strategic discipline in the face of mounting pressures. Johnson’s influence on military leadership continues to be remembered, particularly for his contributions to military ethics and his modernization efforts.
David C. Jones inclusion could also be questioned having been born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, in 1921 but was raised in Minot, North Dakota, attending both MSU and UND. After serving as a bomber pilot during World War II, he went on to have a distinguished career in the Air Force, eventually becoming Chief of Staff in 1974. During his tenure, Jones played a pivotal role in shaping the direction of U.S. military strategy during a time of Cold War tensions. His leadership in modernizing the Air Force, along with his candid assessments of military challenges, helped refine U.S. defense strategies and ensure that the armed forces remained prepared for future conflicts.
In 1978, Jones was appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President Jimmy Carter, a position he held until 1982, overseeing a critical transition between the Carter and Reagan administrations. His tenure was marked by his efforts to improve inter-service cooperation and his role in guiding military strategy during the Cold War's later years. Jones was instrumental in pushing for military reforms, including the foundational changes that contributed to the later Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986, which reshaped military command structures and strengthened the U.S. military’s overall effectiveness.
Though North Dakota's contributions to national leadership are minimal in number, the achievements of these individuals demonstrate the impact of North Dakotans in public office. From shaping environmental policy to guiding U.S. diplomacy and military strategy, these leaders remind us that great influence often comes from unexpected places. Doug Burgum now stands on the cusp of joining this small but impactful group of North Dakotans who have held Cabinet-level positions. His journey from tech entrepreneur to governor and now, likely, Secretary of the Interior, presents an exciting chapter in the state's political history. As he prepares to step into a role with large responsibility—overseeing national lands, resources, and critical environmental policies—his leadership could draw from the lessons of predecessors like Kleppe, Schafer, and Christopher, while charting his own course for the future. What challenges will Burgum face, and how will his style differ from the legacy left by those who held this position before him? The next chapter of North Dakota’s influence in national governance will soon be written.
