Sometimes a witty saying really does apply to people or situations. Take this one for instance: “Time flies, but leaves its shadow behind.” A fitting example is Agnes Kjorlie Geelan, a one-time mayor of Enderlin. It would be interesting to know at what age local individuals might never have heard about her. She was quite effective during her term of office from 1946 to 1954 where improvements were made in Enderlin such as paving the streets, installing new water and sewer systems, and negotiating for a better deal with the electric company.
I remember her, not that I cared since I was too young and didn’t live in Enderlin, but nevertheless I couldn’t avoid table talk. She made news in 1946 when she became the first female mayor of an incorporated North Dakota town.
She came to Enderlin after marrying a Soo Line employee named Elric Geelan. It didn’t take her long before she became active in civic and political affairs. She became an officer in the auxiliary of the Brotherhood of Trainmen, and a few years later was elected president of the North Dakota American Legion Auxiliary. Her involvement in the community rose to meet another challenge in 1946 when she became the mayor.
Rolling up her sleeves and going to work as mayor, she found humor in her nomination for that office. She expressed surprise when learning she’d been nominated upon returning home from a trip. Wondering why, she asked how this happened. The answer, “Agnes, you’ve bitched so much about city government, we figured we’d give you a chance to see if you could do any better.” She went on to say that she must have done all right since they elected another lady, Doris Smith, to succeed her.
Mrs. Geelan added another first to her resume when earning the role of first woman elected to the North Dakota Senate. After being nominated as a candidate for the U. S. Congress in 1948 and 1956 she did not win election. A lifelong pacifist, she voted for a resolution asking the U.S. to pull American soldiers out of Korea.
In 1988 she asked the North Dakota congressional delegation to arrange for her to observe the American and Soviet arms negotiation in Geneva, Switzerland. That request failed, but through the office of Kent Conrad she did receive an invitation to observe the UN’s session on disarmament in 1988. A little icing on the cake came when she was invited to attend the UN secretary general’s reception.
In retirement, she wrote books, the most notable being a biography titled The Dakota Maverick: The Political Life of William Langer. I took the book from my shelf and began rereading it to refresh my memory. Her writing style is aggressive, just like the accomplishments in her career. I know from my reading of history that Langer’s first job as the assistant states attorney of Morton County was the first rung in climbing his political ladder. He earned a reputation as a fearless law enforcement officer.
Mrs. Geelan wrote about his lighter side, too. Langer found time for Mandan’s social life and apparently loved dancing. After receiving an invitation to a formal ball, he found a date and called for her in a cab and brought a corsage for her. She wrote, “Those luxuries were almost unheard of in Mandan in 1911, when even automobiles were scarce. When Blossom Lang and William Langer stepped out on the dance floor, all eyes were on the handsome attorney, elegantly dressed and a superb dancer. Langer charmed the young people and became as popular in this western town as he had been on the campus of the eastern university. After another occasion, however, he had quite a time living down the fact that he came to his first ski party wearing a top hat.”
The cap to her busy career came near the end of her life. For a number of years the Newsweek magazine honored individuals by naming them “Newsweek American heroes.” Her peace activism caught the attention of the award committee in 1988 and bestowed the honor on her.
Two days after Mrs. Geelan passed away on March 10, 1993, Senator Kelly rose on a point of personal privilege and made remarks to enter into the Journal of the Senate. While it is too long to quote here, one of the statements he made said, “As the first woman elected to the North Dakota Senate, Agnes Geelan proved that women could secure and handle legislative leadership positions.”
He concluded with this remark, “In her outstanding career Agnes Geelan received many well-deserved honors for years of service to her party, her state, and nation. We will long remember her as a dedicated public servant who served her beloved North Dakota long and well.”