Peter Norbeck

Peter Norbeck served in the Senate until his death in 1936.

Library of Congress

Quick Facts

Significance:

Legislator, Senator, Conservationist

Place of Birth:

Vermillion, SD

Date of Birth:

August 27, 1870

Place of Death:

Redfield, SD

Date of Death:

December 20, 1936

Place of Burial:

Platte, SD

Cemetery Name:

Bloomington Church

“The Congressional delegation from this state will be united in an effort to create a Bad Lands National Park in South Dakota.” - Peter Norbeck, in a letter to Secretary of the Interior Hubert Work

Peter Norbeck was a South Dakotan legislator who pushed for the development and conservation of many public lands in the state. He served two terms as governor and three terms as a senator for the state. Norbeck was an outspoken advocate for many causes during his service as a governor and congressman. He advocated for the needs of the agricultural community, founding a state-enterprise program intended to help farmers. He also supported the women’s suffrage movement. Beyond these causes, Norbeck was an outdoorsman and conservationist, working to advocate for the outdoors in politics. He supported the Migratory Bird Act of 1929, advocated for the accessibility of wilderness by building highways in the Black Hills, and helped establish many of South Dakota’s public lands.

Norbeck had a role in developing many units of the National Park Service today. He introduced the very first bill to make the Badlands into a National Park. By the end of his term as a US senator, he secured its National Monument status, but never stopped pushing for its designation as a park. Known as a significant patron of Mount Rushmore, Norbeck secured federal funds for the carving of the memorial. He worked directly with two presidents and Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of the memorial, to ensure its completion. Norbeck was also involved in the establishment of Wind Cave National Park and Custer State Park.