Governor Edward T. Schafer

Høstfest Millenium Award
1999 HONOREE

In honor of the turn of the century, the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame awarded the “Høstfest Mellenium Award” to the state Governors who had given generously of their time and talents to help develop the great state of North Dakota during the past century.

Edward Schafer was born August 8, 1946 in Bismarck, ND. Schafer served as the 30th Governor of North Dakota from 1992 to 2000, becoming the first Republican governor elected to a second four-year term in state’s history. He has since been named th einterim presiden to fthe University of North Dakota, serving his term starting January 2016.

Schafer graduated from the university of North Dakota in 1969, earned a master’s degree in business administration from Denver University, and had a long and successful career in private business prior to entering public service. One of his most significant positions was as president of one of North Dakota’s most successful enterprises, the Gold Seal Company, founded by his father, Harold Schafer.

Schafer has used business principles to guide his administrations. His aggressive agenda for economic development in the state has paid off in millions of new dollars for education, health and safety programs. Under his leadership, North Dakota has realized record low unemployment, and a ‘streamlined’ state government employee roster.

Governor Schafer is the co-lead governor for agriculture for the National Governors Association and vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association. He is a past chairman of the Western Governors Association, the Midwestern Governors Association and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.

In 2007, Schafer was nominted to President George W Bush to be Secretary of Agriculture and served from a year from 2008 to 2009.

Governor Schafer and his wife, Nancy Jones Schafer, are the parents of four children.