This is a list of notable Norwegian Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.
The list is ordered by category of human endeavour. Persons with significant contributions in two fields are listed in both of the pertinent categories, to facilitate easy lookup.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Norwegian American or must have references showing they are Norwegian American and are notable.
Burton Hatlen – (1936–2008) American literary scholar and professor at the University of Maine
C. R. Hagen – professor of particle physics at the University of Rochester.
Hans-Jørgen Holman – (1925–1986) Norwegian-American musicologist and educationalist
Robert Haugen – renowned professor of theoretical finance
Lloyd Hustvedt – (1922–2004) Norwegian-born American professor and scholar of history.
Jakob Larsen – (1888–1974), American classical scholar.
David T. Lykken – (1928–2006) behavioral geneticist and Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota)
Paul Nystrom – (1878–1969) professor of marketing at Columbia University.
Carleton Opgaard – (1929–2014) American college and university administrator and founding president of Vancouver Island University
Reidar Fauske Sognnaes – (1911–1984) Dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, founding Dean of the UCLA School of Dentistry and world-renowned scholar in the field of oral pathology.
Historians and Sociologists
Kenneth O. Bjork – (1909–1991) American professor, historian and author.
Carl Blegen – (1887–1971) American archaeologist famous for his work on the site of Pylos in modern-day Greece and Troy in modern-day Turkey.
Theodore C. Blegen – (1891–1969) American historian and author.
Elise M. Boulding – (1920–2010) Quaker sociologist Norwegian, and author credited as a major contributor to creating the academic discipline of Peace and Conflict Studies.
Odd S. Lovoll – American author, historian and educator
Peter A. Munch – (1908–1984) Norwegian-American sociologist, educator and author
Carlton C. Qualey – (1904–1988) American professor, author and historian
Rick Steves – American author, historian
Martin Ulvestad – (1865–1942) American historian and author whose writings focused on Norwegian-American immigration
Thorstein Veblen – (1857–1929) American economist and sociologist
Gene Amdahl – Norwegian-born computer architect and hi-tech entrepreneur
George Bergstrom – American architect most noted for his design work on the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia.
Frederick William Cappelen – (1857–1921) Norwegian-born architect and civil engineer who held the office of Minneapolis City Engineer
George Dahl – (1894–1987) prominent American architect of 20th century.
Joachim Goschen Giæver – ( 1856-1925)- Civil engineer involved in the construction of the framework to Statue of Liberty
Jon Jerde – American architect
Peter Johnsen
Henry Orth – (1866–1946) American architect
Actors and Actress
John Aasen – (1890–1938) American silent film actor, one of the tallest actors in history.
Jean Arthur – (1900–1991) American actress and a major film star of the 1930s and 1940s
Nina Arvesen – American actress of Norwegian extraction, best known for her performances on American soap operas.
Richard Dean Anderson – American television and film actor, producer and composer.
James Arness – (1923–2011) American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon in the television series Gunsmoke, of part Norwegian descent and was brother of actor Peter Graves.
Dorothy Arnold – (1917–1997) American film actress .
Rowan Blanchard - American actress
Stan Boreson – "King of Scandinavian Humor"
James Cagney – (1899–1986) American actor, first on stage, then in film, grandfather was of Norwegian descent
Jennifer Connelly – American film actress, father was of Irish and Norwegian descent, mother is Ashkenazi Jewish
Erika Christensen – American actress, father is of part Norwegian descent
Lauren Cohan - American actress
Arlene Dahl – American actress and former MGM contract star. She is the mother of actor Lorenzo Lamas.
Kristin Darnell – American actress and model
Tom Drake – (1918–1982) American actor.
Josh Duhamel – American actor and former fashion model, of part Norwegian descent
Linda Eder – American singer and actress
Dana Elcar – (1927–2005) American television and movie character actor.
Linda Evans – American actress
Jimmy Fallon – American television host, comedian, actor, singer, writer, and producer (Norwegian maternal great-grandfather).
Bob Fosse – (1927–1987) American actor, dancer, musical theater choreographer, director, screenwriter, film editor and film director.
Peter Graves (actor) – (1926–2010) American film and television actor, of part Norwegian descent
Sigrid Gurie – (1911–1969) Norwegian-born motion picture actress from the late 1930s to early 1940s
Carmine Giovinazzo – American actor and singer, best known for his role as Detective Danny Messer in CSI: NY. He is of Norwegian and Italian descent
Melanie Griffith – American actress, mother is of part Norwegian descent
June Havoc – (1912–2010) Canadian-born American actress, dancer, writer, and theater director
Lance Henriksen – American actor and artist, Norwegian father
Celeste Holm – (1917–2012) American stage, film, and television actress
Jon-Erik Hexum – (1957–1984) American model and actor.
Jean Kasem – actress and widow of Casey Kasem
Marta Kristen – American actress
Kira Kener – retired American pornographic actress.
Lorenzo Lamas – American actor and reality television participant, mother of Norwegian descent
Carole Landis – (1919–1948) American film and stage actress
Gypsy Rose Lee – (1914–1970) American burlesque entertainer famous for her striptease act.
Britt Lind - TV, film and stage actress and also director ( Columbo, How the West Was Won (TV series), General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, Young and the Restless, The World According to Lily , Play Misty for Me )
Lucille Lund – (1913–2002) American film actress of the 1930s.
Dawn Lyn – American actress best known for her role in three seasons of the comedy My Three Sons.
Kristanna Loken – American actress known for her work in both film and television, and as a fashion model, is of half Norwegian and half German descent
John Lund – (1911–1992) American film actor who is probably best remembered for his role in the film A Foreign Affair
Jena Malone – actress, of part Norwegian descent
Kimberly Matula – actress best known for her role as Hope Logan on CBS’s The Bold and the Beautiful.
Peter MacNicol – American actor (Ally McBeal)
Virginia Mayo – (1920–2005) American film actress.
Robert Mitchum – (1917–1997) American film actor, author, composer and singer, of half Norwegian descent
Christopher Mitchum – is an American actor. He is the second son of film star Robert Mitchum and younger brother of actor James Mitchum, father was of half Norwegian descent
James Mitchum – American actor and son of Robert Mitchum, father was of half Norwegian descent
Marilyn Monroe – (1926–1962) American actress, singer and model, of possibly part Norwegian descent
Harry Morgan – (1915–2011) American actor
Patricia Morison – American stage and motion picture actress and mezzo-soprano singer
Kari Michaelsen – American actress. She is most known by her role as Katie Kanisky on the television sitcom Gimme a Break!.
Mildred Natwick – (1905–1994) American stage and film actress
Barry Nelson – (1917–2007) American actor (James Bond).
Nathan Fillion - actor
Greta Nissen – (1906–1988) Norwegian-born American film and stage actress.
Dagmar Oakland – (1893–1989) American actress
Piper Perabo – American stage, film and television actress, mother is of Norwegian descent
Priscilla Presley American actress and businesswoman and ex-wife of musician Elvis Presley, of part Norwegian descent
Gregg Palmer – American actor, known primarily for his prolific work in television westerns
John Qualen – (1899–1987) Canadian-American character actor of Norwegian heritage who specialized in Scandinavian roles.
Evan Ross – American actor and musician, father was Norwegian
Julia Rose – American actress (Star Trek: Enterprise, Code Monkeys, and CSI: NY)
Kathryn Leigh Scott – American television and film actress
Kevin Sorbo – American actor (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys), of part Norwegian descent
Ann Reinking – American actress, dancer, and choreographer
Sonia Satra – American actress
David Soul – American-British actor and singer, best known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television programme Starsky and Hutch
Sally Struthers – American actress and spokeswoman (Gloria Stivic on All in the Family and as Babette on Gilmore Girls).
Max Thieriot – American actor, best known for his role on Bates Motel
Justin Torkildsen – American actor, best known for his role on The Bold and the Beautiful
Frank Towers – pornographic actor
Aaron Tveit – theatre, television, and film actor
Kirsten Vangsness – American actress (Criminal Minds)
Shantel VanSanten – American actress
Vicky Vette – pornographic actress and model
Robert Wagner – American actor best known for the Hart to Hart TV series.
Kristen Wiig – American film and television actress, paternal grandfather was of Norwegian descent
Michelle Williams – American film and television actress, of part Norwegian descent
Renée Zellweger – American actress and producer, mother is Norwegian-born, and of part Norwegian descent
Screenwriters, Directors and Producers of film
Janae Bakken – American television producer and screenwriter best known for her work on the television series Scrubs.
Ron Hauge – American television writer.
Brian Helgeland – American screenwriter, film producer and director
Richard Christian Matheson - novelist, screenwriter and producer
Richard Matheson (1926–2013) – American author and screenwriter.
Sarah Cameron Sunde – American theatrical director
Kathryn Bigelow – American director
Singers and Musicians
Lynn Andersen – American country music singer and equestrian
The Andrews Sisters
Peter Askim – American composer of modern classical music
Sophie Auster – American singer and actress
Chet Baker – (1929–1988) American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.
Beck – American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
Stan Boreson – the "King of Scandinavian Humor"
Jackson Browne – American rock singer-songwriter and musician
Storm Bull – (1913–2007) American musician, composer and educator
Jerry Cantrell – American musician, lead guitarist of Alice In Chains
F. Melius Christiansen – (1871–1955) Norwegian-born violinist and choral conductor in the Lutheran choral tradition
Paul J. Christiansen – (1914–1997) American choral conductor and composer
David Ellefson – bassist and founding member of the American band Megadeth
Bradley Ellingboe - American choral composer and conductor
Myron Floren – (1919–2005) American musician best known as the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show
Leif Garrett – American singer and actor
Josh Groban – American singer-songwriter (great-grandmother of Norwegian descent)
Marty Haugen – American composer of liturgical music
Skitch Henderson – (1918–2005) pianist, conductor, and composer
Bibbe Hansen – artist, musician, and former actress best known as the mother of musician Beck
Adolph Herseth – principal trumpet in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1948 until 2001
Nick Hexum – American musician, currently the vocalist and guitarist for the 311 band
Josh Homme – American rock musician and record producer
David Johansen – American rock, protopunk, blues, and pop singer, well as a songwriter and actor
Ardis Krainik – (1929–1997) American mezzo-soprano opera singer
Adam Lambert – American singer
Peggy Lee – (1920–2002) American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress
DJ Muggs – Cypress Hill's DJ and producer
Brent Mydland – (1952–1990) fourth keyboardist to play for the American rock band the Grateful Dead
Joni Mitchell – Canadian musician, songwriter, and painter that resident in New York
Spencer Nilsen – video game music composer
Renee Olstead – American actress and singer
Malia Ann Kawailanamalie Petersen – Hula Halau 'O Kamuela dancer
Lisa Marie Presley – singer-songwriter and daughter of Elvis Presley
Iggy Pop – American singer, songwriter, musician, and occasional actor
Gregg Rolie – American keyboardist, organist, and singer, who is one of the founding members of the bands Santana, The Storm, Abraxas Pool and Journey, for whom he was the original lead singer.
Alia Shawkat – American actress (Arrested Development)
Grace Slick – American singer and songwriter, one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship
Matt Sorum – American rock drummer and percussionist. He works with Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver
Gwen Stefani – American singer-songwriter, fashion designer and occasional actress. (maternal second great-grandmother parents)
Harry Stewart – (1908–1956) American comedian and singer
Axel Stordahl – (1913–1963) arranger active from the late 1930s through the 1950s
Carl Frederick Tandberg – (1910–1988) bass fiddle musician (Glen Campbell)
Peter Tork – American musician and actor, best known as a member of The Monkees
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – lyricist, singer, and guitar player from the band a-ha and Savoy. He was born in Oslo and moved to New York after meeting his girlfriend (now wife), Lauren Savoy.
Tom Waits – American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor
Camilla Wicks – American violinist and one of the first female violinists to establish a major international career
Vera Zorina – (1917–2003) Norwegian ballerina, musical theatre actress and choreographer
Lauren Anderson
Brooke Berry
Jo Collins – Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month
CariDee English – American fashion model and TV personality
Patti Hansen – American model and actress
Cherise Haugen – model and actress
Nicky Hilton – American fashion model, socialite, celebutante, and fashion designer
Dakota Johnson – American fashion model and actress. She is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith
Surrey Marshe
Leeann Tweeden – American model.
Nikki Ziering – American model and actress.
Christine Teigen – American model
Lance Armstrong – American former professional road racing cyclist
Gil Andersen (1879–1935) – Norwegian-born racecar driver active during the formative years of auto racing
John Anderson (1873–1949) – Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman
Lisa Aukland (born 1957) – professional bodybuilder and powerlifter
Espen Baardsen – former footballer
Jim Bakken – former American football punter and placekicker
Jill Bakken – American Olympic bobsledder
Ole Bardahl
Walter Burkemo – American professional golfer
George Dahlgren (1887–1940) – player in the National Football League
Mix Diskerud – Norwegian-born American soccer player currently playing for MLS club New York City FC
Audun Endestad – Norwegian-born American cross-country skier, author, and field guide
Alf Engen (1909–1997) – Norwegian-born skier and skiing school owner/teacher; set several ski jumping world records in the 1930s
Corey Engen (1916–2006) – captain of the U.S. Nordic ski team at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland
Sverre Engen (1911–2001) – Norwegian-born skier, ski coach, ski area manager, and filmmaker
Stein Eriksen – former alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist
Gretchen Fraser (1919–1994) – Alpine ski racer, the first American to win an Olympic gold medal for skiing
Sig Haugdahl (1891–1970) – IMCA champion 1927–1932 and an early promoter of stock car racing in the United States
Anders Haugen (1888–1984) – American ski jumper
Greg Haugen – retired American boxer
Michael Haugen Jr. – right-handed professional ten-pin bowler
Art Hauger (1893–1944) – Major League Baseball player
Sonja Henie (1912–1969) – Norwegian figure skater and film star
Hjalmar Hvam (1902–1996) – competitive Norwegian-American Nordic skier and inventor of the first safety ski binding
Burt Ingwersen (1898–1969) – American football, basketball, and baseball player
Kenneth Di Vita Jensen – Norwegian-born American soccer player
Si Johnson (1906–1994) – pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds
Lolo Jones – American track and field athlete who specialized in the 60 and 100 meter hurdles
Art Jorgens (1905–1980) – catcher in Major League Baseball
Sonny Jurgensen – former American football quarterback in the National Football League
Brandon Inge – American professional baseball infielder
Jay Kleven (1949–2009) – Major League Baseball player in 1976 for the New York Mets
Newt Loken – former artistic gymnast and coach of gymnastics, trampolining, and cheerleading
Harold "Hal" W. Moe (1910–2001) – American college football player and assistant coach
Tommy Moe – former alpine ski racer
Doug Moe – American professional basketball coach
Sondre Norheim (1825–1897) – Norwegian skier and pioneer of modern skiing
Werner Nilsen (1904–1992) – Norwegian-American soccer forward
Casper Oimoen (1906–1995) – American ski jumping champion
John Olerud – American former first baseman in Major League Baseball
Ole Olsen (1894–1980) – Major League Baseball pitcher
Lute Olson – retired American men's basketball coach
Peter Oppegard – American retired pair skater and coach
Danica Patrick – American auto racing driver, model, and advertising spokeswoman
Sarah Reinertsen – American athlete
Earl Sande (1898–1968) – American Hall of Fame jockey and thoroughbred horse trainer
Eddie August Schneider (1911–1940) – set three transcontinental airspeed records for pilots under the age of twenty-one in 1930
Knute Rockne (1888–1931) – American football coach
Ed Saugestad – former college men's ice hockey coach
Bjørn Selander – American racing cyclist
Jack Skille – American professional ice hockey player for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League
Karsten Solheim (1911–2000) – Norwegian-born American golf club designer and businessman
Carl Tellefsen (1854–1908) – Norwegian-born skiing champion and the first leader of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association
Jimmy "Big Jim" Wiggs (1876–1963) – right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball
Jan Stenerud – former professional football player for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs
Snowshoe Thompson (1827–1876) – considered the father of California skiing
Arthur E. Tokle (1922–2005) – Norwegian-born American ski jumper
Torger Tokle (1919–1945) – Norwegian-born ski jumper; the Torger Tokle Memorial Trophy was created in his honor after he was killed while serving as a ski trooper in World War II
Lindsey Vonn – American alpine skier
Johnny Weir – American figure skater
Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1911–1956) – American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field
Arthur E. Andersen – (1885–1947) founder of the accounting firm Arthur Andersen LLP.
Richard W. Fisher – President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Helge Alexander Haugan – (1847–1909) American banking executive in Chicago, Illinois.
Gabriel Hauge – (1914–1981) prominent American bank executive and economist.
John Paulson – (born 1955) President and founder of Paulson & Co.
John Westergaard – (1931–2003) stock analyst and founder of the Westergaard Fund, also political advisor to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Simon Benson – (1852–1942) noted businessman and philanthropist
Alden W. Clausen – former President of the World Bank.
Ralph Evinrude – (1907–1986) American business magnate best known for being the Chairman of Outboard Marine Corporation
H. P. Faye – (1859–1928) Norwegian-born businessman who developed sugar cane plantations on west Kauai
Barron Hilton – American socialite, hotel heir, former co-chairman of the Hilton Hotels chain
Conrad Hilton, Jr. – (1926–1969) American socialite, hotel heir, businessman
Richard Hilton – Chairman and co-founder of Hilton & Hyland
Gary Haugen – President and CEO of International Justice Mission
Conrad Hilton – (1887–1979) American hotelier and founder of the Hilton Hotels chain.
H. G. Haugan – Norwegian-born, American railroad´s executive
Turi Josefsen – Norwegian-born, American businesswoman
Fred Kavli – Norwegian and naturalized American physicist, business leader, inventor, and philanthropist.
N. O. Nelson – (1844–1922) the founder of the N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company
Kjell Qvale – Norwegian- born business executive
Tova Traesnaes – Norwegian-born American business-woman. She is the founder of the Beauty By Tova cosmetics featured on QVC
James Trane – (1857–1936) the co-founder of Trane
Reuben Trane – (1886–1954) founded Trane, the heating and air conditioning company, with his father James Trane.
Carl Thomas Anderson – (1865–1948) American cartoonist best remembered for his comic strip Henry.
Matt Groening – American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama.
Grim Natwick – (1890–1990) American artist, animator and film director (Betty Boop)
Charles M. Schulz – (1922–2000) American cartoonist, creator of comic strip Peanuts
Explorers and Founders of places
Carl Ben Eielson – (1897–1929) aviator, bush pilot and explorer
Jafet Lindeberg – (1873–1962) gold prospector and co-founder of the city of Nome, Alaska
Finn Ronne – (1899–1980) U.S. Antarctic explorer.
Erik Ramstad – (1860–1951) one of the founders of Minot, North Dakota
Waldemar Ager – (1869–1941) Norwegian-born American newspaperman and author.
Brynild Anundsen – (1844–1913) Norwegian-born American newspaper editor and publisher.
Ole Amundsen Buslett – (1855–1924) Norwegian-born American author, newspaperman, and politician
William T. Evjue – (1882–1970) American newspaper editor and radio broadcast executive.
Hans Andersen Foss – (1851–1929) American author, newspaper editor and temperance leader.
Tavi Gevinson - American fashion journalist and blogger.
Gulbrand Hagen – (1864–1919) American newspaper editor, writer, photographe
Johan Hambro – (1915–1993) Norwegian journalist, translator and biographer
Vernon Arnold Haugland – (1908–1984) Reporter and writer for Associated Press. As a war correspondent, he documented World War II events as they occurred. He was the first civilian to receive the Silver Star medal.
Carl Hiaasen – American journalist, columnist and novelist
Reidar Rye Haugan – (1893–1972) American newspaper editor and publisher.
Judy Lee Klemesrud – (1939–1985) writer for The New York Times from 1966 until her death in 1985
Victor Lawson – (1850–1925) American newspaper publisher who headed the Chicago Daily News from 1876 to 1925.
Elias Molee – (1845–1928) American journalist, philologist and linguist.
Jane Pauley – American television journalist
James DeNoon Reymert – (1821–1896) American newspaper editor, mine operator, lawyer and politician
Jerry Rosholt – (1923–2008) American journalist and author.
Andreas Nilsen Rygg – (1868–1951) Norwegian-American newspaper editor and author.
Orion Samuelson – (1934– ) Norwegian-American broadcaster, host of the U.S. Farm Report
Eric Sevareid – (1912–1992) CBS news journalist from 1939 to 1977.
Carl Søyland – (1894–1978) Norwegian-born author, reporter, editor
Marcus Thrane – (1817–1890) Norwegian author, journalist, and the leader of the first Norwegian labor movement
Johannes B. Wist – (1864–1923) Norwegian-born newspaper editor, journalist and author
Adolph M. Christianson – (1877–1954) justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court.
Harvey B. Knudson – (1903–1978) Justice on the North Dakota Supreme Court
Egil Krogh – American lawyer who became famous as an official of the Richard Nixon
Arthur Larson – (1910–1993) American lawyer, law professor, United States Under Secretary of Labor from 1954 to 1956, director of the United States Information Agency from 1956 to 1957, and Executive Assistant to the President for Speeches from 1957 to 1958.
Mary Pawlenty – former American state court judge who served on Minnesota's First Judicial District
Aad J. Vinje – (1857–1929) justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Earl Warren – (1891–1974) 14th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court and one of only two people to be elected Governor of California three times
Jacob Bjerknes – (1897–1975) Norwegian-born meteorologist.
Jørgen Holmboe – (1902–1979) Norwegian-American meteorologist.
Peter C. Assersen – (1839–1906) Norwegian-born, American civil engineer and Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.
Quentin Aanenson – (1921–2008) Captain of the 391st Fighter Squadron featured in Ken Burn's 2007 documentary The War
Bernt Balchen – (1899–1973), winner of the Distinguished Flying Cross, Norwegian native and later U.S. citizen, known as a pioneer polar aviator, navigator, aircraft mechanical engineer and military leader
Bowe Bergdahl – United States Army soldier of Norwegian and Swedish descent. Captured by the Taliban.
Margarethe Cammermeyer – former colonel in the Washington National Guard and a gay rights activist
Fred J. Christensen – (1921–2006) fighter pilot and ace with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.
Gail Halvorsen – retired career officer and command pilot in the United States Air Force (The Candy Bomber)
Louis J. Hauge, Jr. – (1924–1945) United States Marine
Orin D. Haugen – (1907–1945) Colonel in the United States Army
Knut Haukelid – (1911–1994) Norwegian resistance movement soldier during World War II
Olaf M. Hustvedt – (1886-1978) United States Navy vice admiral, World War II battleship commander and twice recipient of the Legion of Merit
Ole C. Johnson – (1838–1886) Norwegian-American soldier in the American Civil War
Lauris Norstad – (1907–1988) American General in the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force.
Ludwig Andreas Olsen – (1845–1886), also known as Louis Williams, United States Navy sailor
George William Rud – (1883–1916) United States Navy Chief Machinist's Mate
Thorvald A. Solberg – (1894–1964) United States Navy rear admiral, twice recipient of the Legion of Merit, and head of the Office of Naval Research.
Andrew V. Stoltenberg – (1865–1921) United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Philippine–American War.
Leif J. Sverdrup – (1898–1976) Norwegian-born American civil engineer and general with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the first half of the 20th century.
Jacob Thorkelson – (1876–1945) American elected official, Naval officer and medical doctor.
Karl Westa (1875–1949) United States Navy sailor
Fred G. Aandahl – (1897–1966) Republican politician that served as the 23rd Governor of North Dakota and as a U.S. Representative.
Elmer L. Andersen – (1909–2004) American businessman, philanthropist, and the 30th Governor of Minnesota
Sigurd Anderson – (1904–1990) the 19th Governor of South Dakota.
John Ashcroft – United States politician, 79th United States attorney general.
Michele Bachmann – member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Minnesota's 6th congressional district
Elmer Austin Benson – (1895–1985) American lawyer and politician from Minnesota
Jan Brewer – 22nd Governor of the U.S. state of Arizona
Nils Andreas Boe – (1913–1992) American politician who served as the 23rd Governor of South Dakota
Clarence Alfred Bottolfsen – (1891–1964) politician that served as the 17th and 19th Governor of Idaho
Holm O. Bursum – (1867–1953) politician from the U.S. state of New Mexico
Lois Grimsrud Capps – U.S. Representative for California's 23rd congressional district
Theodore Christianson – (1883–1948) American politician who served as the 21st Governor of Minnesota
John E. Erickson (Montana politician) - (March 14, 1863 – May 25, 1946) American politician of the Democratic Party from Montana
Math Dahl – (1884–1976) North Dakota politician well known for his tenure as the North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor from 1939 to 1964
Clarence P. Dahl – (1892–1976) politician with the Republican Party who served as the Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota
Arne Dahl – politician that served as the last North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor
Herman Dahle – (1855–1920) United States Congressman in the House of Representatives from Wisconsin
James O. Davidson – (1854–1922) the 21st Governor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Roland B. Day – (1919–2008) Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice from 1974 to 1996
Arne Duncan – American education administrator and currently United States Secretary of Education.
Joanell Dyrstad – 43rd Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
Herman Ekern – (1872–1954) politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
Oscar E. Erickson – (1884–1945) politician that who served as the North Dakota Insurance Commissioner
Michael O. Freeman – attorney and politician from the state of Minnesota
Orville Freeman – (1918–2003) American Democratic politician who served as the 29th Governor of Minnesota
Jennifer Granholm - Canadian born American politician of Norwegian and Swedish ancestry
Nicolai A. Grevstad – (1851–1940) American diplomat, politician and newspaper
Archie M. Gubbrud – (1910–1987) the 22nd Governor of South Dakota.)
Steve Gunderson (politician) – President and CEO of the Council on Foundations
Carl Gunderson – (1864–1933)[2] 11th Governor of South Dakota. Republican from Mitchell, South Dakota, served from 1925 to 1927.
Harold Hagen – (1901–1957) Minnesota politician
Henry Gunderson – (1878–1940) Wisconsin politician
Kittel Halvorson - (1846–1936) U.S. Representative from Minnesota.
John Hamre - US politician
Bernt B. Haugan – (1862 – ??) American Lutheran minister, politician.
Mary Margaret Haugen – Washington state senator
Gilbert N. Haugen – (1859–1933) seventeen-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 4th congressional district
Brynhild Haugland – (1905–1998) One of the first female legislators in the North Dakota Legislative Assembly and the longest serving state legislator in the history of the United States.
Curly Haugland - Born Erling George Haugland. Served as the Republican National Committeeman for North Dakota since 1999.
Nils Pederson Haugen – (1849–1931) U.S. Representative from Wisconsin
Hans Christian Heg – (1829–1863) Norwegian- American politician and soldier in the American Civil War from Wisconsin
Ralph Herseth – (1909–1969) the 21st Governor of South Dakota
Ole P. Hoff – (1853–1924) Norwegian-American Republican politician and the first commissioner of labor in the U.S. state of Oregon.
Martin Hersrud – (1880–1969) Republican member of the North Dakota House of Representatives
Einar Hoidale – (1870–1952) Norwegian-American politician.
Hubert Humphrey – (1911–1978), served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States.
Henry M. Jackson – (1912–1983) U.S. Congressman and Senator from the state of Washington
Tim Johnson – U.S. Senator from South Dakota
Coya Knutson – (1912–1996) American politician from the U.S. state of Minnesota
Paul John Kvale – (1896–1960) U.S. Representative from Minnesota.
Ole J. Kvale – (1869–1929) U.S. Representative from Minnesota.
E. Floyd Kvamme – American engineer, venture capitalist, and government advisor.
Warren Magnuson – (1905–1989) United States Senator of the Democratic Party from Washington.
Roger Moe – American politician and a former member and majority leader of the Minnesota Senate.
Walter Mondale – American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States.
John Moses – (1885–1945) Norwegian-born, 22nd Governor of North Dakota and United States Senator.
Canute R. Matson – (1843–1903) Norwegian-born politician who served as Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois.
Knute Nelson – (1843–1923) Norwegian-born American politician.
Ragnvald A. Nestos – (1877–1942) the 13th Governor of the U.S. state of North Dakota.
Ole H. Olson – (1872–1954) elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives and later elected to the North Dakota State Senate.
J. A. O. Preus – (1883–1961) American politician.
Floyd B. Olson – (1891–1936) American politician. He served as the 22nd Governor of Minnesota
Allen I. Olson – Republican politician and attorney who served as the 28th Governor of North Dakota
Sean Parnell - Governor of Alaska.
Al Quie – American politician who served as the 35th Governor of Minnesota
Karl Rolvaag – U.S. politician
Martin Olav Sabo – American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin – attorney who served as the Democratic U.S. Representative for South Dakota's At-large congressional district
Henrik Shipstead – (1881–1960) American politician.
Arlan Stangeland – American politician from the U.S. state of Minnesota.
Henry Teigan – (1881–1941) American labor leader, editor and member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota.
Jacob Thorkelson - U.S. Congressman from Wyoming.
John Thune – U.S. Senator from South Dakota.
Andrew Volstead – (1860–1947) American member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota
Knud Wefald – (1869–1936), United States House of Representatives from Minnesota.
John Anderson (Publisher) – (1836–1910) Norwegian-born publisher.
Tavi Gevinson – American writer, magazine editor, actress and singer.
Tom Theo Klemesrud – American publisher and writer.
Marcus Borg – American Biblical scholar and author
Elling Eielsen – (1804–1883) American minister and Lutheran Church leader.
John O. Evjen – (1874–1942) American author, Lutheran church historian and professor of theology
Albert C. Knudson – (1873–1953) Christian theologian in the Methodist tradition
U. V. Koren – (1826–1910) American author, theologian and church leader.
Bernt Julius Muus – (1832–1900) Norwegian - born, Lutheran minister and church leader
Olaf M. Norlie – (1876–1962), also referred to as O. M. Norlie, Lutheran minister, educator and scholar
Sven Oftedal – (1844–1911) Norwegian - born, Lutheran minister who helped found the Lutheran Free Church.
Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus – American Lutheran clergy
J. A. O. Preus II – (1920–1994) Lutheran pastor, professor, author, and church president
Herman Amberg Preus – (1825–1894) American Lutheran clergyman and church leader.
Canute Peterson – (1824–1902) Norwegian Mormon pioneer settler of Utah Territory
Christian Keyser Preus – (1852–1921) American Lutheran Minister who served as the second President of Luther College.
Robert Preus – (1924–1995) American Lutheran pastor, professor, author, and seminary president
August Weenaas –(1835–1924) Norwegian - born Lutheran minister and educator
William S. Skylstad – American Roman Catholic Bishop
Peer Stromme – (1856–1921) American pastor, teacher, journalist, and author
Hans Gerhard Stub – (1849–1931) American Lutheran theologian and church leader
Georg Sverdrup (theologian) – (1848–1907) Norwegian-born Lutheran theologian and an educator.
Nils Otto Tank – (1800–1864) Moravian Church missionary
Jacob Tanner – Norwegian - born, Lutheran minister, educator and religious author
Abraham Vereide – (1886–1969) Norwegian-born Methodist clergyman and founder of Goodwill Industries of Seattle
John A. Widtsoe – (1872–1952) member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Mildred Bangs Wynkoop – (1905–1997) ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene, who served as an educator, missionary and theologian
Philip Abelson – (1913–2004) American physicist, a scientific editor, and a science writer
Christian B. Anfinsen – (1916–1995) American biochemist
Peter Agre – American medical doctor, professor, and molecular biologist
Neal Amundson – (1916–2011) American chemical engineer.
Gunvald Aus – (1851–1950) Norwegian-American engineer.
Earl Bakken – engineer, businessman and philanthropist of Dutch and Norwegian American ancestry.
Carl Georg Barth – (1860–1939) Norwegian-American mathematician and mechanical engineer
Magnus Bjorndal – (September 13, 1899–January 23, 1971) Norwegian American engineer and inventor.
Eduard Boeckmann – (1849–1927) Norwegian American ophthalmologist, physician and inventor.
William A. Bugge – (1900–1992) civil engineer
Robert A. Dahl – Sterling Professor emeritus of political science at Yale University
Olin J. Eggen – (1919–1998) American astronomer
Douglas Engelbart – American inventor and early computer pioneer and internet pioneer.
Ole Evinrude – (1877–1934) Norwegian-American inventor, known for the invention of the first outboard motor with practical commercial application.
Joe Foss – (1915–2003) the leading fighter ace of the United States Marine Corps during World War II
Mike Fossum – American astronaut.
Frederick C. Finkle – (1865–1949) American consulting engineer and geologist.
Ivar Giaever – physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1973
Clarence Gonstead – (1898–1978) Doctor of Chiropractic and creator of the Gonstead Technique
Lars Grimsrud – aerospace engineer and performance automobile
Adolph Gundersen – (1865–1938) Norwegian-born American medical doctor and founder of Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
Robert C. Gunderson – (1931–2003) the first supervisor of the Genealogical Society of Utah's Royalty Identification Unit
Lawrence R. Hafstad – 1904-1993) American physicist and son of two Norwegian immigrants. Created first nuclear fission reaction in the United States.
Alf Hjort – (1877–1944) Norwegian-born American electrical engineer.
Ludvig Hektoen – (1863–1951) noted American pathologist
Iver Johnson – U.S. firearms, bicycle, and motorcycle manufacturer
Robert B. Ingebretsen – (1948–2003) pioneer in the development of digital sound.
Gary Kildall – (1942–1994) American computer scientist and microcomputer entrepreneur who created the CP/M operating system and founded Digital Research, Inc.
Carl Otto Lampland – (1873–1951) American astronomer
Ernest Lawrence – (1901–1958) American physicist and Nobel Laureate.
John H. Lawrence – (1904–1991) American physicist and physician best known for pioneering the field of nuclear medicine.
Mark C. Lee – (1952- ) American astronaut
C. Walton Lillehei – (1918–1999) American surgeon who pioneered open-heart surgery
Alfred M. Moen – (1916–2001) American inventor and founder of Moen, Inc.
Olaus Murie – (1889–1963) called the "father of modern elk management", was a naturalist, author, and wildlife biologist
Nathan Myhrvold – formerly Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft, is co-founder of Intellectual Ventures, and referred to by many as a patent troll.
Ted Nelson – American sociologist, philosopher, and pioneer of information technology
Peter Norman Nissen – (1871–1930) a Canadian-American resident in United States. A mining engineer, developed the prefabricated shelter called the Nissen hut in 1916.
Ken Olsen – (1926–2011) American engineer who co-founded Digital Equipment Corporation
Tinius Olsen – (1845–1932) Norwegian-born American engineer and inventor.
Charles J. Pedersen – (1904–1989) American organic chemist best known for describing methods of synthesizing crown ethers.
Lars Onsager – (1903–1976) Norwegian-born American physical chemist and theoretical physicist
Sally Ride – (1951–2012) American physicist and a former NASA astronaut
Ole Singstad – (1882–1969) Norwegian-American civil engineer who innovated the ventilation system for the Holland Tunnel
Marius Nygaard Smith-Petersen – (1886–1953) Norwegian-born American physician and orthopaedic surgeon.
George Schlukbier – North American innovator who in the 1990s built Nando
Elias Anton Cappelen Smith – (1873–1949) Norwegian American civil engineer and metallurgist.
Theodore Theodorsen – (1897–1978) Norwegian-American theoretical aerodynamicist noted for his work at NACA (the forerunner of NASA) and for his contributions to the study of turbulence.
Merle A. Tuve – (1901–1982) American scientist and geophysicist, the founding director of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
Oswald Veblen – (1880–1960) American mathematician, geometer and topologist
Erik Eriksen (explorer) – (1820–1888) Norwegian ice sea captain born in Lyngør, Norway
Thea Foss – (1857–1927) the founder of Foss Maritime, the largest tugboat company in the western United States.
Andrew Furuseth – (1854–1938) Norwegian-born merchant seaman and American labor lead
Sig Hansen (1966– ) – TV personality, and Captain of the fishing vessel Northwestern, featured in the TV series Deadliest Catch
Harry Lundeberg – (1901–1957) merchant seaman and an American labor leader.
G. Unger Vetlesen – (1889–1959) Norwegian shipbuilder and naturalized American philanthropist
Carl Martin Bergh – (1849–1906) Norwegian immigrant of United States who is most associated with the resettlement of fellow Scandinavian families to the area of James City County and York County surrounding the community of Norge, Virginia.
Valdemar Knudsen – (1819–1898) sugar cane plantation pioneer on west Kauai, Hawaii
Cleng Peerson – (1783–1865) Norwegian-born pioneer who led the first group of Norwegians to emigrated to the United States
James M. Wahl – (1846–1939) Norwegian-born settler and the first legislator of Lincoln County, South Dakota
Mikkel Aaland – American photographer and is known for work in the early days of digital photography.
Hendrik Christian Andersen – (1872–1940) American sculptor, painter and urban planner.
Gene Amondson – (1943–2009) landscape painter, woodcarver, Christian minister and prohibition activist
Sigvald Asbjornsen – (1867–1954) Norwegian-born sculptor.
Jon-Erik Beckjord – (1939–2008) paranormal investigator and photographer known for his far-reaching ideas regarding such phenomena as UFOs, crop circles, the Loch Ness Monster, and his specialty, Bigfoot.
Emil Biorn – (1864–1935) Norwegian-born, American sculptor, painter and composer
Benjamin Blessum – (1877–1954) American painter, graphic artist and illustrator.
Bjorn Egeli – (1900-1984) Norwegian-born portrait artist.
Jacob Fjelde – (1855–1896) Norwegian-born American sculptor
Pauline Fjelde – (1861–1923) Norwegian-born American painter, embroiderer, and textile artist
Paul Fjelde – (1892–1984) noted American sculptor and educator
Alexander Grinager – (1865–1949) American artist most noted for his murals and scenic painting
Herbjørn Gausta – (1854–1924) American artist who is best known for his landscapes, portraits and scenes from rural settings
Al Hansen – (1927–1995) American artist considered as one of the most important Fluxus figures.
Lars Jonson Haukaness – (1863–1929) Norwegian-born American-Canadian impressionist painter and art instructor
Per Lysne – (1880–1947) artist most associated with bringing the traditional Norwegian folk art of Rosemaling to the United States
Eric Norstad – noted ceramicist and architect.
Karl Ouren – (1882–1943) Norwegian-born artist best known for his paintings of Norwegian landscapes and scenes
Shag – American artist
Yngvar Sonnichsen – (1873–1938) Norwegian-born American artist and painter
Svend Rasmussen Svendsen – (1864–1945) Norwegian-born American impressionist artist.
Trygve Rovelstad – (1903–1990) renowned sculptor and designer of medals
Dan Weggeland – (1827–1918) considered the "Father of Utah Art", was an artist and teacher in the early history of Utah
Writers and Editors
Rasmus B. Anderson – (1846–1936) American author, professor, and diplomat.
Christopher Bakken – American poet, translator, and professor at Allegheny College.
Robert Bly – American poet, author, activist and leader of the Mythopoetic men's movement.
Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen – (1848–1895) Norwegian-born author and college professor
Dorthea Dahl – (1881–1958) Norwegian-born, American writer.
George Helgesen Fitch – (1877–1915) American author, humorist, and journalist perhaps
Rolf G. Fjelde – (1926–2002) American playwright, educator and poet.
Kathryn Forbes – (1908–1966) American writer and memoirist
George T. Flom – (1871–1960) American professor of linguistics and author of numerous reference books
Greta Gaard – ecofeminist writer, scholar, activist, and documentary filmmaker
Rudolph Hjalmar Gjelsness – (1894–1968) prominent American librarian and literary translator who served as Dean of the University of Michigan's Library Science Department
Ingebrikt Grose – (1862–1939) author, college professor and founding president of Concordia College
Haldor Johan Hanson – (1856–1929) American hymn writer, publisher and author.
Gregory T. Haugan – American author and expert in the field of work breakdown structure
Eva Lund Haugen – (1907–1996) American author and editor
Einar Haugen – (1906–1994) American linguist, author and Professor at University of Wisconsin–Madison and Harvard University.
Michael Hauge – script consultant, author and lecturer
Johan Andreas Holvik – (1880–1960) author and professor at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota
Siri Hustvedt – American writer, known as a novelist.
Randolph Edgar Haugan – (1902–1985) American author, editor and publisher.
Simon Johnson – (1874–1970) Norwegian-born American novelist
Harold Knutson – American Editor
Arne Brun Lie – (1925–2010) Norwegian-American author and Holocaust survivor
Greg Mortenson – American humanitarian, professional speaker, writer, and former mountaineer
Gerhard Brandt Naeseth – (1913–1994) American librarian and genealogist
Ingri Parin d'Aulaire – writer and illustrator of children's books in the 20th century.
Ole Edvart Rølvaag – (1876–1931) American novelist and professor
Aagot Raaen – (1873–1957) American author and educator.
Peter Straub – American author and poet
Elise Wærenskjold – (1815–1895) Norwegian-American writer
Agnes Mathilde Wergeland – (1857–1914) Norwegian-American historian, poet and educator
Gunvald Aus – was a Norwegian-American engineer. He is most associated with the engineering of the Woolworth Building in New York City together with fellow Norwegian Kort Berle.
Gunnar Berg (Scouting) – (1897–1987) national director of the Boy Scouts of America.
Norman Borlaug – (1914–2009) American agronomist, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate who has been called "the father of the Green Revolution”
Ophelia Dahl – American social justice and health care advocate.
Steve Dahl – Chicago radio personality and humorist.
Helga Estby – (1860–1942) Norwegian-American immigrant most noted for her walk across the United States during 1896.
David Grose – (1944–2004) world-renowned authority on the classification of early ancient glass from the Roman period
George Harbo – (1870–1946) Norwegian-born American who in 1896, became the first people ever to row across an ocean.
Alf Gundersen
Belle Gunness – (1859–c. 1908) Norwegian-born American serial killer.
Clint Hill (Secret Service) – Secret Service agent who was the one that jumped onto the back of President JFK's car during assassination.
Paris Hilton – American heiress and media personality. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton (founder of Hilton Hotels)
Oscar Hauge – (1868–1945) served on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Merle Hansen – (1919–2009) founding president of the North American Farm Alliance and a spokesman for the plight of family farmers.
Thom Hartmann – (1951) Progressive/liberal talk radio host and author. Founded the theory of the Hunter vs. farmer hypothesis in regard to Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Founded The Hunter School in Rumney, New Hampshire - which he co-founded with his wife Louise.
Clarence Iverson – popular radio personalities in the Midwest during the 1930s and 1940s
Gunnar Kaasen – (1882–1960) Norwegian-born musher who delivered a cylinder containing 300,000 units of diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, in 1925, as the last leg of a dog sled relay that saved the U.S. city from an epidemic
Eliot Ness – (1903–1957) American Prohibition agent, famous for his efforts to enforce Prohibition in Chicago, Illinois, also the leader of team The Untouchables.
Pat Paulsen – (1927–1997) American comedian and satirist notable for his roles on several of the Smothers Brothers TV shows, and for his campaigns for President of the United States
Gary O. Rollefson – American Anthrop
Frank Samuelsen – (1870–1946) Norwegian-born American who in 1896, became the first people ever to row across an ocean.
Tim Schafer – American computer game designer.
Nels Skumsrud
Jacqueline Smith – Norwegian trade unionist.
Thorvald Solberg – (1852–1949) first Register of Copyrights (1897–1930) in the United States Copyright Office.
Kevin Alfred Strom – former Managing Director of National Vanguard.
Per Ivarson Undi – (1803–1860), also known as Peter Iverson, early Norwegian-American homesteader in Wisconsin Territory.
List of Norwegian Americans Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA