# Konrad K. Solberg *American farmer, legislator and 27th lieutenant governor of Minnesota (1933–1935)* Konrad Knute Solberg (June 25, 1874 – January 28, 1954) was a Farmer-Labor Party politician from [[Minnesota]]. A farmer and merchant, he held office as the state's 27th [[Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota|lieutenant governor]] from 1933 to 1935.[^1] Before becoming lieutenant governor, Solberg sat in the [[Minnesota Senate]] for the 43rd through 46th legislative sessions, from January 2, 1923, to January 5, 1931. In February 1927 he introduced a bill to bar the teaching of evolution in Minnesota's public schools and colleges.[^1] He served one term as lieutenant governor under Governor [[Floyd B. Olson]] and then ran for [[Minnesota Secretary of State]], a race he lost.[^1] ## Background Solberg was born in Rushford, Minnesota. His parents, Knute Solberg and Aasild (Haugen) Solberg, were Norwegian immigrants and natives of Treungen in Telemark.[^1] At the age of five he moved with his family to [[Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota]].[^1] He farmed and worked as a merchant. He rose to vice president of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank and afterward joined the board of the Clarkfield Telephone Company as a director.[^1] He belonged to the Norwegian Lutheran church in Clarkfield.[^1] ## Career Solberg was a member of the Farmer-Labor Party. His first public office was town supervisor of Clarkfield, Minnesota.[^1] He went on to sit on the school board and to serve as clerk of the Clarkfield public school district.[^1] From 1923 to 1931 he was a member of the Minnesota Senate.[^1] In February 1927, while a state senator, Solberg introduced a bill in the Senate that would have banned the teaching of evolution in all of Minnesota's public schools and colleges. The bill was referred to the committee on education.[^1] Hemming S. Nelson of Lake Lillian offered a comparable bill in the House. The source records that "the bill failed a vote in March 1927" but does not specify which chamber's bill that refers to.[^1] Solberg served as lieutenant governor under Governor Olson from January 3, 1933, to January 8, 1935.[^1] He gave up a second term in that office in order to run for Secretary of State and was defeated.[^1] ## Personal life Solberg married Sophie Swenson Aas (1874–1953) in 1897. They had nine children.[^1] Solberg died in Clarkfield, Minnesota, in 1954. His burial took place at the Clarkfield Lutheran Cemetery.[^1] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Konrad Knute Solberg, farmer, merchant and legislator; Farmer-Labor Party member.[^1] - Parents Knute Solberg and Aasild (Haugen) Solberg, Norwegian immigrants from Treungen, Telemark.[^1] - Spouse Sophie Swenson Aas (1874–1953).[^1] ### What - Vice president, Farmers and Merchants State Bank; later director, Clarkfield Telephone Company.[^1] - Town supervisor of Clarkfield; school board member and school district clerk.[^1] - Introduced an anti-evolution bill in the Minnesota Senate, February 1927.[^1] ### When - Born June 25, 1874; died January 28, 1954.[^1] - Minnesota Senate, 43rd–46th sessions, January 2, 1923, to January 5, 1931.[^1] - Lieutenant governor, January 3, 1933, to January 8, 1935.[^1] ### Where - Born in Rushford, Minnesota; family moved to Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, when he was five.[^1] - Clarkfield, Minnesota, where he held local office and died; buried in the Clarkfield Lutheran Cemetery.[^1] ### Why - He did not serve a second term as lieutenant governor so that he could run for Secretary of State.[^1] ### How - The 1927 Senate bill was referred to the committee on education; a similar House bill was introduced by Hemming S. Nelson; a bill failed a vote in March 1927, and the record does not establish which one.[^1] ### How many - Nine children.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Konrad K. Solberg* (revision 1373041011, retrieved October 25, 2026) — biographical, legislative and career facts, including the February 1927 anti-evolution bill and the March 1927 vote, as reported in the article. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konrad_K._Solberg