Preeminent among North Dakota politicians known to the nation was Gerald P. Nye (b.Wisconsin, 1892–1971), a US senator and a leading isolationist opponent of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's foreign policy, as was Senator William Langer (1886–1959). Another prominent senator, Porter J. McCumber (1858–1933), supported President Woodrow Wilson in the League of Nations battle. US Representative William Lemke (1878–1950) sponsored farm-relief legislation and in 1936 ran for US president on the Union Party ticket. Usher L. Burdick (1879–1960), a maverick isolationist and champion of the American Indian, served 18 years in the US House of Representatives.
Vilhjalmur Stefansson (b.Canada, 1879–1962) recorded in numerous books his explorations and experiments in the high Arctic. Orin G. Libby (1864–1952) made a significant contribution to the study of American history. Other North Dakota–nurtured writers and commentators include Maxwell Anderson (b.Pennsylvania, 1888–1959), a Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright; Edward K. Thompson (Minnesota, 1907–96), editor of Life magazine and founder-editor of Smithsonian; radio and television commentator Eric Severeid (1912–1992); and novelist Larry Woiwode (b.1941).
To the entertainment world North Dakota has contributed band leaders Harold Bachman (1892–1972), Lawrence Welk (1903–92), and Tommy Tucker (Gerald Duppler, 1908–89); jazz vocalist Peggy Lee (Norma Delores Egstrom, 1920–2002) and country singer Lynn Anderson (b.1947); and actresses Dorothy Stickney (1900–98) and Angie Dickinson (Angeline Brown, b.1931).
Sports personalities associated with the state include outfielder Roger Maris (1934–85), who in 1961 broke Babe Ruth's record for home runs in one season.