Rolland W. Redlin
A North Dakota political fixture who served his state for over four decades, mastering the long game of legislative persistence and local service.
1920–2011 (age 91)·American politician·Birthday: February 29·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Rolland Redlin’s life was woven into the fabric of North Dakota’s political landscape for the better part of the 20th century. A Democrat in a often Republican-leaning state, his career was a study in endurance and constituent connection. After serving in the North Dakota Senate, his single term in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967 was a brief national interlude. He was decisively more impactful back home, returning to the state senate where he served for 27 consecutive years until 2000. His tenure was marked less by flashy headline-grabbing than by steady, knowledgeable work on agricultural, energy, and budgetary matters critical to his district. As President Pro Tempore and later in minority leadership, he was known as a pragmatic operator who understood the mechanics of government. Redlin’s legacy is that of a dedicated public servant who preferred the granular work of state governance, believing that lasting influence was built vote by vote, session by session, over decades.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Rolland was born in 1920, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rolland Was Born
The biggest hits of 1920
#1 Movie
Way Down East
Rolland's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1920Born
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1925Started school
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1933Became a teenager
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Could drive
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1938Could vote
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1941Turned 21
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1950Turned 30
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 40
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 50
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 60
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 70
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 80
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2011Died at 91
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- Served as a U.S. Representative for North Dakota's at-large congressional district from 1965 to 1967.
- Accumulated over 40 years of combined service in the North Dakota State Senate across two periods.
- Held the position of President Pro Tempore of the North Dakota Senate from 1987 to 1989.
- Provided continuous representation for his constituents in the state senate from 1973 until his retirement in 2000.
Did You Know?
He was a licensed pilot and often flew himself to political events and meetings around North Dakota.
After retiring from politics, he moved to Rapid City, South Dakota, in 2009 to be closer to family.
His political career began in the 1950s and spanned parts of six different decades.
“I'm a Democrat, but I'm a North Dakota Democrat first.”
