Roger Allin

Roger Allin ( born December 18, 1848 in Devonshire, England; † January 1, 1936 in Park River, North Dakota ) was an American politician and from 1895 to 1897, the fourth Governor of the State of North Dakota.

Early years and political rise

After the death of his father, the rest of the family emigrated to Ontario from Canada. There Roger Allin attended local schools. He then worked in agriculture. In 1881, Allin moved to the Dakota Territory. In Walsh County, he bought a larger farm. In 1882 he was also justice of the peace there. Allin was a member of the Republican Party. Since 1886, he sat in the Government of its territory. In 1889 he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of North Dakota. Between 1889 and 1891 he was a member of the Senate of North Dakota. Between 1891 and 1893 he was lieutenant governor. On November 6, 1894, he was elected with 55.8 percent of the vote as the new governor of his state.

Governor of North Dakota

Allin took office on 10 January 1895. In his two-year tenure, he had to deal with the consequences of an economic crisis erupted in 1893. The result was a reduced tax revenues. This went so far that the budget could not be financed. Thereupon the governor slashed funding for the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and two other educational institutions. This measure met with great misunderstanding and led in 1896 to being voted out. During his tenure, the Historical Commission of North Dakota was established and given a geological survey to explore the country in order.

After being voted to Allin withdrew from politics. He devoted himself to his farm and agricultural matters involved. Roger Allin died in January 1936. He was twice married and had a child.