List of Norwegian Americans

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.

List

Academics

Burton Hatlen – 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 – Norwegian-American musicologist and educationalist
Robert Haugen – financial economist and pioneer in the field of quantitative investing
Lloyd Hustvedt – Norwegian-born American professor and scholar of history
Jakob Larsen – American classical scholar
David T. Lykken – behavioral geneticist and professor emeritus of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota
Paul Nystrom – professor of marketing at Columbia University
Carleton Opgaard – American college and university administrator and founding president of Vancouver Island University
Reidar Fauske Sognnaes – 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 – American professor, historian and author
Carl Blegen – American archaeologist famous for his work on the site of Pylos in modern-day Greece and Troy in modern-day Turkey.
Theodore C. Blegen – American historian and author
Elise M. Boulding – 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 – Norwegian-American sociologist, educator and author
Carlton C. Qualey – American professor, author and historian
Rick Steves – American author, historian
Martin Ulvestad – American historian and author whose writings focused on Norwegian-American immigration
Thorstein Veblen – American economist and sociologist

Architects

Gene Amdahl – Norwegian-born computer architect and hi-tech entrepreneur
George Awsumb – Norwegian-born, prominent American architect of 20th century
George Bergstrom – American architect most noted for his design work on the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia.
Frederick William Cappelen – Norwegian-born architect and civil engineer who held the office of Minneapolis City Engineer
George Dahl – prominent American architect of 20th century.
Joachim Goschen Giæver – Civil engineer involved in the construction of the framework to Statue of Liberty
Jon Jerde – American architect
Peter Johnsen
Henry Orth – American architect

Entertainment

Actors and actresses

John Aasen – American silent film actor, one of the tallest actors in history
Jean Arthur – 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 – 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 – American film actress
Roger Awsumb – American television host "Casey Jones" for the Lunch with Casey children's show.
Earl W. Bascom – cowboy actor, worked with Roy Rogers, grandmother was Norwegian
Rowan Blanchard – American actress
Alisha Boe – Norwegian-born actress, Norwegian mother and Somalian father. She is known for playing Jessica Davis in the Netflix drama series 13 Reasons Why.
Stan Boreson – "King of Scandinavian Humor"
James Cagney – American actor, first on stage, then in film, grandfather was of Norwegian descent
Dana Carvey – American comedian, actor and producer, 7/16ths Norwegian
Jennifer Connelly – American film actress, father is of Irish and Norwegian, mother was of Ashkenazi Jewish descent
Erika Christensen – American actress, father is of part Norwegian descent
Lauren Cohan – American actress
Arlene Dahl – American actress and former MGM contract star, mother of actor Lorenzo Lamas
Laura Dern – American actress
Tom Drake – American actor
Josh Duhamel – American actor and former fashion model, of part Norwegian descent
Linda Eder – American singer and actress
Dana Elcar – American television and movie character actor
Linda Evans – American actress
Jimmy Fallon – American television host, comedian, actor, singer, writer, and producer
Bob Fosse – American actor, dancer, musical theater choreographer, director, screenwriter, film editor and film director
Kristine Froseth – American actress and model of full Norwegian descent
Peter Graves (actor) – American film and television actor, of part Norwegian descent
Sigrid Gurie – 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
Josh Hartnett – American actor
June Havoc – Canadian-born American actress, dancer, writer, and theater director
Tricia Helfer – Canadian American actress
Lance Henriksen – American actor and artist, Norwegian father
Celeste Holm – American stage, film, and television actress
Jon-Erik Hexum – American model and actor
Dakota Johnson - American actress of Norwegian descent
Jean Kasem – actress and widow of Casey Kasem
Joey King – American actress
Marta Kristen – American actress
Lorenzo Lamas – American actor and reality television participant, mother of Norwegian descent
Carole Landis – American film and stage actress
Gypsy Rose Lee – American burlesque entertainer, famous for her striptease act
Lucille Lund – 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 – 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
Jenny Maxwell – American film and television actress, probably best remembered for her role in the 1961 Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii
Robert Mitchum – American film actor, author, composer and singer, of half Norwegian descent
Christopher Mitchum – 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 – American actress, singer and model, of part Norwegian descent
Harry Morgan – 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 – American stage and film actress
Barry Nelson – American actor
Nathan Fillion – actor
Greta Nissen – Norwegian-born American film and stage actress.
Dagmar Oakland – American actress
Eric Christian Olsen – American actor known for his role in NCIS: Los Angeles, 100% Norwegian
Ashley Olsen – actress, producer, fashion designer and businesswoman. Is the twin sister of Mary-Kate Olsen and elder sister of Elizabeth Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen – actress, producer, fashion designer and businesswoman. Is the twin sister of Ashley Olsen and elder sister of Elizabeth Olsen
Elizabeth Olsen – actress, younger sister of twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Barbara Payton – American fashion model and actress, parents of Norwegian descent
Piper Perabo – American stage, film and television actress, mother is of Norwegian descent
Chris Pratt – American Actor of English, German, Swiss-German, French-Canadian and Norwegian descent
Priscilla Presley – American actress and businesswoman and ex-wife of musician Elvis Presley, of part Norwegian descent
John Qualen – Canadian-American character actor of Norwegian heritage who specialized in Scandinavian roles
Evan Ross – American actor and musician, father was Norwegian
Peter MacNicol - American Actor, part of Norwegian descent
Kathryn Leigh Scott – American television and film actress
Kevin Sorbo – American actor, 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
Harry Tenbrook – Norwegian-American actor
Max Thieriot – American actor
Sophie Thatcher – American actress
Justin Torkildsen – American actor, best known for his role on The Bold and the Beautiful
Aaron Tveit – theatre, television, and film actor
Kirsten Vangsness – American actress
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
Rainn Wilson – American actor
Renée Zellweger – American actress and producer, mother is Norwegian-born, and of part Norwegian descent

Screenwriters, directors and producers of film

John G. Avildsen – American film director
Janae Bakken – American television producer and screenwriter best known for her work on the television series Scrubs
Kathryn Bigelow – American director
Ron Hauge – American television writer
Brian Helgeland – American screenwriter, film producer and director
Richard Christian Matheson – novelist, screenwriter and producer
Richard Matheson – American author and screenwriter
Sarah Cameron Sunde – American theatrical director

Singers and musicians

Liz Anderson – American country music singer
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 – 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 – American musician, composer and educator
Jerry Cantrell – American musician, lead guitarist of Alice in Chains
F. Melius Christiansen – Norwegian-born violinist and choral conductor in the Lutheran choral tradition
Paul J. Christiansen – 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 – American musician best known as the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show
Leif Garrett – American singer and actor
Josh Groban – American singer-songwriter
Marty Haugen – American composer of liturgical music
Skitch Henderson – 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 – American mezzo-soprano opera singer
Adam Lambert – American singer
Peggy Lee – American jazz and popular music singer-songwriter, composer, and actress
DJ Muggs – Cypress Hill's DJ and producer
Brent Mydland – 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
Robin Pecknold – songwriter, lead singer of American indie folk band Fleet Foxes
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
Grace Slick – American singer-ongwriter, 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.
Harry Stewart – American comedian and singer
Axel Stordahl – arranger active from the late 1930s through the 1950s
Carl Frederick Tandberg – bass fiddle musician
Robin Thicke – singer, mother is of partial Norwegian ancestry
Tinashe – singer
Peter Tork – American musician and actor, best known as a member of The Monkees
Eddie Vedder – best known as the lead vocalist of the American rock band Pearl Jam; Vedder was born Edward Louis Severson III
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, 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
Okay Kaya – American singer-songwriter, model, and actor. Most known as OKAY KAYA, her stage name
Vera Zorina – Norwegian ballerina, musical theatre actress and choreographer

Models

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
Nicky Hilton – American fashion model, socialite, celebutante, and fashion designer
Dakota Johnson – American fashion model and actress, daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith
Surrey Marshe
Leeann Tweeden – American model
Nikki Ziering – American model and actress
Christine Teigen – American model
Lindsay Ellingson – American model

Sport

Lance Armstrong – American former professional road racing cyclist
Gil Andersen – American auto racer active during the formative years of motorsport
Craig Anderson – American NHL goaltender
John Anderson – Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman
Lisa Aukland – professional bodybuilder and powerlifter
Espen Baardsen – former footballer
Jim Bakken – former American football punter and placekicker
Jill Bakken – American Olympic bobsledder
Ole Bardahl
Earl W. Bascom – hall of fame rodeo champion, "Father of Modern Rodeo"
Tom Brady – American NFL quarterback for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Walter Burkemo – American professional golfer
Dustin Byfuglien – American NHL defenseman
George Dahlgren – player in the National Football League
Mix Diskerud – Norwegian-born American soccer player currently playing for MLS club New York City FC
Grete Eliassen – American freestyle skier; Norwegian father
Audun Endestad – Norwegian-born American cross-country skier, author, and field guide
Alf Engen – Norwegian-born skier and skiing school owner/teacher; set several ski jumping world records in the 1930s
Corey Engen – captain of the U.S. Nordic ski team at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland
Sverre Engen – Norwegian-born skier, ski coach, ski area manager, and filmmaker
Hal Erickson – player in the National Football League
Stein Eriksen – former alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist
Gretchen Fraser – Alpine ski racer, the first American to win an Olympic gold medal for skiing
Sig Haugdahl – IMCA champion 1927–1932 and an early promoter of stock car racing in the United States
Anders Haugen – American ski jumper
Greg Haugen – retired American boxer
Michael Haugen Jr. – professional ten-pin bowler
Art Hauger – Major League Baseball player
Sonja Henie – Norwegian figure skater and film star
Hjalmar Hvam – competitive Norwegian-American Nordic skier and inventor of the first safety ski binding
Burt Ingwersen – American football, basketball, and baseball player
Kenneth Di Vita Jensen – Norwegian-born American soccer player
Si Johnson – pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds
Lolo Jones – American track and field athlete who specialized in the 60 and 100-meter hurdles
Arndt Jorgens – catcher in Major League Baseball
Sonny Jurgensen – former American football quarterback in the National Football League
Brandon Inge – American professional baseball infielder
Jay Kleven – Major League Baseball player in 1976 for the New York Mets
Don Larsen – American Major League Baseball pitcher who threw a perfect game in the 1956 World Series
Newt Loken – former artistic gymnast and coach of gymnastics, trampolining, and cheerleading
Harold "Hal" W. Moe – American college football player and assistant coach
Tommy Moe – former alpine ski racer
Doug Moe – American professional basketball coach
Sondre Norheim – Norwegian skier and pioneer of modern skiing
Werner Nilsen – Norwegian-American soccer forward
Casper Oimoen – American ski jumping champion
John Olerud – American former first baseman in Major League Baseball
Ole Olsen – Major League Baseball pitcher
Greg Olson – American football coach
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 – American Hall of Fame jockey and thoroughbred horse trainer
Eddie August Schneider – set three transcontinental airspeed records for pilots under the age of twenty-one in 1930
Knute Rockne – 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 – Norwegian-born American golf club designer and businessman
Carl Tellefsen – Norwegian-born skiing champion and the first leader of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association
Jimmy "Big Jim" Wiggs – pitcher in Major League Baseball
Jan Stenerud – former professional football player for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs
Snowshoe Thompson – considered the father of California skiing
Arthur E. Tokle – Norwegian-born American ski jumper
Torger Tokle – 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
Cory Undlin - American football coach
Paige VanZant – American mixed martial artist
Lindsey Vonn – American alpine skier
Johnny Weir – American figure skater
Babe Didrikson Zaharias – American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field
Brede Hangeland
Bjørn Maars Johnsen

Bankers

Arthur E. Andersen – founder of the accounting firm Arthur Andersen LLP.
Richard W. Fisher – President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Helge Alexander Haugan – American banking executive in Chicago, Illinois.
Gabriel Hauge – prominent American bank executive and economist.
John Paulson – President and founder of Paulson & Co.
John Westergaard – stock analyst and founder of the Westergaard Fund, also political advisor to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Business

Linda Avey – founder of 23andMe, the consumer genetics company
Simon Benson – noted businessman and philanthropist
Alden W. Clausen – former President of the World Bank
William Copeland (brewer), Copeland was born Johan Martinius Thoresen in Arendal in Norway before he moved to USA. He set up a brewery in Japan which today is known as Kirin Beer.
Ralph Evinrude – American business magnate best known for being the Chairman of Outboard Marine Corporation
H. P. Faye – Norwegian-born businessman who developed sugar cane plantations on west Kauai
Gary Haugen – President and CEO of Justice Mission
H. G. Haugan – Norwegian-born, American railroad's executive
Barron Hilton – American socialite, hotel heir, former co-chairman of the Hilton Hotels chain
Conrad Hilton – American hotelier and founder of the Hilton Hotels chain
Conrad Hilton, Jr. – American socialite, hotel heir, businessman
Richard Hilton – chairman and co-founder of Hilton & Hyland
Turi Josefsen – Norwegian-born, American businesswoman
Fred Kavli – Norwegian and naturalized American physicist, business leader, inventor, and philanthropist
N. O. Nelson – 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 – co-founder of Trane
Reuben Trane – founded Trane, the heating and air conditioning company, with his father James Trane

Cartoonists

Carl Thomas Anderson – 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 – American artist, animator and film director
Charles M. Schulz – American cartoonist, creator of comic strip ''Peanuts''

Explorers and founders

Carl Ben Eielson – aviator, bush pilot and explorer
Jafet Lindeberg – gold prospector and co-founder of the city of Nome, Alaska
Finn Ronne – U.S. Antarctic explorer.
Erik Ramstad – one of the founders of Minot, North Dakota

Journalist

Waldemar Ager – Norwegian-born American newspaperman and author
Brynild Anundsen – Norwegian-born American newspaper editor and publisher
Ole Amundsen Buslett – Norwegian-born American author, newspaperman, and politician
David Cay Johnston - investigative journalist and author
William T. Evjue – American newspaper editor and radio broadcast executive.
Hans Andersen Foss – American author, newspaper editor and temperance leader
Tavi Gevinson – American fashion journalist and blogger
Gulbrand Hagen – American newspaper editor, writer, photographe
Johan Hambro – Norwegian journalist, translator and biographer
Vernon Arnold Haugland – 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 – American newspaper editor and publisher
Judy Lee Klemesrud – writer for The New York Times from 1966 until her death in 1985
Victor Lawson – American newspaper publisher who headed the Chicago Daily News from 1876 to 1925
Elias Molee – American journalist, philologist and linguist.
Jane Pauley – American television journalist
James DeNoon Reymert – American newspaper editor, mine operator, lawyer and politician
Jerry Rosholt – American journalist and author
Andreas Nilsen Rygg – Norwegian-American newspaper editor and author
Orion Samuelson – Norwegian-American broadcaster, host of the U.S. Farm Report
Eric Sevareid – CBS news journalist from 1939 to 1977
Carl Søyland – Norwegian-born author, reporter, editor
Marcus Thrane – Norwegian author, journalist, and the leader of the first Norwegian labor movement
Brenda Ueland – American journalist, writers and editor. Awarded the Knight of Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav by the Norwegian government for her covering of the treason trials of Vidkun Quisling.
Johannes B. Wist – Norwegian-born newspaper editor, journalist and author

Lawyers

Adolph M. Christianson – justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court.
Harvey B. Knudson – Justice on the North Dakota Supreme Court
Egil Krogh – American lawyer who became famous as an official of the Richard Nixon
Arthur Larson – 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 – justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Earl Warren – 14th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court and one of only two people to be elected Governor of California three times

Meteorologists

Jacob Bjerknes – Norwegian-born meteorologist.
Jørgen Holmboe – Norwegian-American meteorologist.

Military

Peter C. Assersen – Norwegian-born, American civil engineer and Rear Admiral in the United States Navy
Quentin Aanenson – Captain of the 391st Fighter Squadron featured in Ken Burn's 2007 documentary The War
Bernt Balchen –, 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 – fighter pilot and ace with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II
Richard Daley - Annapolis graduate and retired USMC Lieutenant Colonel. Recipient of two Silver Stars, Korea and Vietnam.
Thomas Daley Major, USAF. Recipient of two Distinguished Flying Crosses, Vietnam.
Gail Halvorsen – retired career officer and command pilot in the United States Air Force
Louis J. Hauge, Jr. – United States Marine
Orin D. Haugen – Colonel in the United States Army
Knut Haukelid – Norwegian resistance movement soldier during World War II
Hans Christian Heg – Norwegian-born abolitionist, journalist, anti-slavery activist, politician and soldier, led Scandinavian 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment on Union side in American Civil War. Died of the wounds received at Battle of Chickamauga.
Olaf M. Hustvedt – United States Navy vice admiral, World War II battleship commander and twice recipient of the Legion of Merit
Ole C. Johnson – Norwegian-American soldier in the American Civil War
Lauris Norstad – American General in the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force
Ralph Ofstie – United States Navy vice admiral, World War II aircraft carrier commander and post war commander of the United States Sixth Fleet
Ludwig Andreas Olsen – also known as Louis Williams, United States Navy sailor
George William Rud – United States Navy Chief Machinist's Mate
Thorvald A. Solberg – United States Navy rear admiral, twice recipient of the Legion of Merit, and head of the Office of Naval Research.
Andrew V. Stoltenberg – United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Philippine–American War.
Leif J. Sverdrup – 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 – American elected official, Naval officer and medical doctor
Leo K. Thorsness – fighter pilot and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War.
Karl Westa – United States Navy sailor

Politicians

Fred G. Aandahl – Republican politician who served as the 23rd Governor of North Dakota and as a U.S. Representative
Knud Adland – Wisconsin State Assemblyman
Thomas Ryum Amlie – U.S. Representative from Wisconsin
Elmer L. Andersen – American businessman, philanthropist, and the 30th Governor of Minnesota
Canute Anderson – Wisconsin State Assemblyman
Nels Anderson – Wisconsin State Assemblyman
Sigurd Anderson – 19th Governor of South Dakota, 17th Attorney General of South Dakota
Sydney Anderson – U.S. Representative from Minnesota
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 – American lawyer and politician from Minnesota
Jan Brewer – 22nd Governor of Arizona
Nils Andreas Boe – American politician who served as the 23rd Governor of South Dakota
Clarence Alfred Bottolfsen – politician who served as the 17th and 19th Governor of Idaho
Haldor Boen – U.S. representative from Minnesota
Eva Burch Elected 2022 Member of the Arizona Senate from the 9th district
Holm O. Bursum – politician from New Mexico
Olger B. Burtness – U.S. Representative from North Dakota
Lois Grimsrud Capps – U.S. Representative for California's 23rd congressional district
Theodore Christianson – American politician who served as the 21st Governor of Minnesota
Charles A. Christopherson – U.S. Representative from South Dakota
John E. Erickson (Montana politician) – American politician of the Democratic Party from Montana
Math Dahl – North Dakota politician well known for his tenure as the North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor from 1939 to 1964
Clarence P. Dahl – politician with the Republican Party who served as the Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota
Arne Dahl – politician who served as the last North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor
Herman Dahle – United States Congressman in the House of Representatives from Wisconsin
Steve Daines – U.S. Senator from Montana
James O. Davidson – 21st Governor of Wisconsin, 19th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, 13th Treasurer of Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
Roland B. Day – 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 – politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
Oscar E. Erickson – politician who served as the North Dakota Insurance Commissioner
Michael O. Freeman – attorney and politician from the state of Minnesota
Orville Freeman – 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 – American diplomat, politician and newspaper
Asle Gronna – U.S. Senator from North Dakota
Archie M. Gubbrud – the 22nd Governor of South Dakota.
Steve Gunderson – President and CEO of the Council on Foundations
Carl Gunderson – 11th Governor of South Dakota
Henry Gunderson – Wisconsin politician
Deb Haaland – U.S. Representative from New Mexico
Harold Hagen – Minnesota politician
Kittel Halvorson – U.S. Representative from Minnesota
John Hamre – U.S. politician
Bernt B. Haugan – American Lutheran minister, politician
Mary Margaret Haugen – Washington state senator
Gilbert N. Haugen – seventeen-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 4th congressional district
Nils P. Haugen – U.S. Congressman from Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
Brynhild Haugland – 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 – U.S. Representative from Wisconsin
Hans Christian Heg – Norwegian- American politician and soldier in the American Civil War from Wisconsin
Ralph Herseth – the 21st Governor of South Dakota
Ole P. Hoff – Norwegian-American Republican politician and the first commissioner of labor in the U.S. state of Oregon.
Martin Hersrud – Republican member of the North Dakota House of Representatives
Einar Hoidale – U.S. Congressman from Minnesota
Hubert Humphrey –, served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States.
Henry M. Jackson – U.S. Congressman and Senator from the state of Washington
Maurice Johannessen – California State Senator
Tim Johnson – U.S. Senator from South Dakota
Coya Knutson – U.S. Representative from Minnesota
Harold Knutson – House Majority Whip, U.S. Congressman from Minnesota
Paul John Kvale – U.S. Representative from Minnesota
Ole J. Kvale – U.S. Representative from Minnesota
E. Floyd Kvamme – American engineer, venture capitalist, and government advisor
Warren Magnuson – United States Senator of the Democratic Party from Washington
Roger Moe – American politician and 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 – Norwegian-born, United States Senator and 22nd Governor of North Dakota
Canute R. Matson – Norwegian-born politician who served as Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois
M. Alfred Michaelson – U.S. Congressman from Illinois
Janne Myrdal – Republican member of the North Dakota Senate
John M. Nelson – U.S. Representative from Wisconsin
Knute Nelson – Norwegian-born American politician
Ragnvald A. Nestos – 13th Governor of North Dakota, North Dakota State Representative
Kristi Noem – Governor of South Dakota
Pete Hegseth – Secretary of Defense and former television presenter from Minnesota
Ole H. Olson – elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives and later elected to the North Dakota State Senate.
J. A. O. Preus – American politician.
Floyd B. Olson – American politician, 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
Karl Rove – American Republican political consultant and policy advisor
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
Conrad Selvig – U.S. Representative from Minnesota
Henrik Shipstead – American politician
Arlan Stangeland – American politician from Minnesota
Halvor Steenerson – U.S. Congressman from Minnesota
Henry Teigan – American labor leader, editor and member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota.
Jacob Thorkelson – U.S. Congressman from Montana
John Thune – U.S. Senator from South Dakota
Edward John Thye – 26th Governor of Minnesota and U.S. Senator
Andrew Volstead – American member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota
Knud Wefald – United States House of Representatives from Minnesota, Minnesota State Representative
William Williamson – U.S. Representative from South Dakota
Harold Windingstad – American politician from Minnesota

Published

John Anderson – Norwegian-born publisher.
Tavi Gevinson – American writer, magazine editor, actress and singer.

Religious

Marcus Borg – American Biblical scholar and author
Elling Eielsen – American minister and Lutheran Church leader.
John O. Evjen – American author, Lutheran church historian and professor of theology
Albert C. Knudson – Christian theologian in the Methodist tradition
U. V. Koren – American author, theologian and church leader
Bernt Julius Muus – Norwegian-born, Lutheran minister and church leader
Russell M. Nelson – President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Olaf M. Norlie –, also referred to as O. M. Norlie, Lutheran minister, educator and scholar
Sven Oftedal – Norwegian-born, Lutheran minister who helped found the Lutheran Free Church
Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus – American Lutheran clergy
J. A. O. Preus II – Lutheran pastor, professor, author, and church president
Herman Amberg Preus – American Lutheran clergyman and church leader
Canute Peterson – Norwegian Mormon pioneer settler of Utah Territory
Christian Keyser Preus – American Lutheran Minister who served as the second President of Luther College
Robert Preus – American Lutheran pastor, professor, author, and seminary president
August Weenaas – Norwegian-born Lutheran minister and educator
William S. Skylstad – American Roman Catholic Bishop
Peer Stromme – American pastor, teacher, journalist, and author
Hans Gerhard Stub – American Lutheran theologian and church leader
Georg Sverdrup (theologian) – Norwegian-born Lutheran theologian and an educator
Nils Otto Tank – Moravian Church missionary
Jacob Tanner – Norwegian-born, Lutheran minister, educator and religious author
Abraham Vereide – Norwegian-born Methodist clergyman and founder of Goodwill Industries of Seattle
John A. Widtsoe – member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Mildred Bangs Wynkoop – ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene, who served as an educator, missionary and theologian

Scientists

Philip Abelson – American physicist, scientific editor, and science writer
Christian B. Anfinsen – American biochemist
Peter Agre – American medical doctor, professor, and molecular biologist
Neal Amundson – American chemical engineer
John August Anderson – American astronomer. The crater Anderson on the Moon is named after him
Erik Asphaug – American planetary scientist, winner of Urey Prize
Gunvald Aus – Norwegian-American engineer
Daniel Baker – American space scientist
Earl Bakken – engineer, businessman and philanthropist of Dutch and Norwegian American ancestry
Carl Georg Barth – Norwegian-American mathematician and mechanical engineer
Magnus Bjorndal – Norwegian American engineer and inventor
Eduard Boeckmann – Norwegian American ophthalmologist, physician and inventor
Ivar Brogger – electrical engineer and inventor
William A. Bugge – civil engineer
Robert A. Dahl – Sterling Professor emeritus of political science at Yale University
Olin J. Eggen – American astronomer
Douglas Engelbart – American inventor and early computer pioneer and internet pioneer
Ole Evinrude – Norwegian-American inventor, known for the invention of the first outboard motor with practical commercial application.
Joe Foss – leading fighter ace of the United States Marine Corps during World War II
Mike Fossum – American astronaut
Frederick C. Finkle – American consulting engineer and geologist
Ivar Giaever – physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1973
Clarence Gonstead – Doctor of Chiropractic and creator of the Gonstead Technique
Lars Grimsrud – aerospace engineer and performance automobile
Adolph Gundersen – Norwegian-born American medical doctor and founder of Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
Robert C. Gunderson – first supervisor of the Genealogical Society of Utah's Royalty Identification Unit
Lawrence R. Hafstad – American physicist and son of two Norwegian immigrants. Created first nuclear fission reaction in the United States.
Alf Hjort – Norwegian-born American electrical engineer
Iver Johnson – U.S. firearms, bicycle, and motorcycle manufacturer
Robert B. Ingebretsen – pioneer in the development of digital sound
Gary Kildall – American computer scientist and microcomputer entrepreneur who created the CP/M operating system and founded Digital Research, Inc.
Carl Otto Lampland – American astronomer
Norman Bernard Larsen American industrial chemist who is sometimes credited with the invention of WD-40.
Ernest Lawrence – American physicist and Nobel Laureate
John H. Lawrence – American physicist and physician best known for pioneering the field of nuclear medicine
Mark C. Lee – American astronaut
C. Walton Lillehei – American surgeon who pioneered open-heart surgery
Alfred M. Moen – American inventor and founder of Moen, Inc.
Olaus Murie – 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 – Canadian-American resident in United States. A mining engineer, developed the prefabricated shelter called the Nissen hut in 1916
Karen Nyberg – mechanical engineer and retired NASA astronaut. Nyberg became the 50th woman in space on her first mission in 2008. First person to ever sew in space.
Ken Olsen – American engineer who co-founded Digital Equipment Corporation
Tinius Olsen – Norwegian-born American engineer and inventor
Charles J. Pedersen – American organic chemist best known for describing methods of synthesizing crown ethers
Lars Onsager – Norwegian-born American physical chemist and theoretical physicist
Sally Ride – American physicist and former NASA astronaut
Ole Singstad – Norwegian-American civil engineer who innovated the ventilation system for the Holland Tunnel
Marius Nygaard Smith-Petersen – Norwegian-born American physician and orthopaedic surgeon
George Schlukbier – North American innovator who in the 1990s built Nando
Elias Anton Cappelen Smith – Norwegian American civil engineer and metallurgist
Theodore Theodorsen – Norwegian-American theoretical aerodynamicist noted for his work at NACA and for his contributions to the study of turbulence
Merle A. Tuve – American scientist and geophysicist, the founding director of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Oswald Veblen – American mathematician, geometer and topologist

Seamen

Erik Eriksen (explorer) – Norwegian ice sea captain born in Lyngør, Norway
Thea Foss – the founder of Foss Maritime, the largest tugboat company in the western United States.
Andrew Furuseth – Norwegian-born merchant seaman and American labor lead
Sig Hansen – TV personality, and Captain of the fishing vessel Northwestern, featured in the TV series Deadliest Catch
Harry Lundeberg – merchant seaman and an American labor leader.
G. Unger Vetlesen – Norwegian shipbuilder and naturalized American philanthropist

Settlers

Carl Martin Bergh – 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 – sugar cane plantation pioneer on west Kauai, Hawaii
Cleng Peerson – Norwegian-born pioneer who led the first group of Norwegians to emigrated to the United States
James M. Wahl – Norwegian-born settler and the first legislator of Lincoln County, South Dakota

Visual artists

Mikkel Aaland – American photographer known for work in the early days of digital photography
Hendrik Christian Andersen – American sculptor, painter and urban planner
Gene Amondson – landscape painter, woodcarver, Christian minister and prohibition activist
Sigvald Asbjornsen – Norwegian-born sculptor
Earl W. Bascom – cowboy artist and sculptor, "cowboy of cowboy artists"
Jon-Erik Beckjord – 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 – Norwegian-born, American sculptor, painter and composer
Benjamin Blessum – American painter, graphic artist and illustrator
Bjorn Egeli – Norwegian-born portrait artist
Jacob Fjelde – Norwegian-born American sculptor
Pauline Fjelde – Norwegian-born American painter, embroiderer, and textile artist
Paul Fjelde – noted American sculptor and educator
Alexander Grinager – American artist most noted for his murals and scenic painting
Herbjørn Gausta – American artist best known for his landscapes, portraits and scenes from rural settings
Al Hansen – American artist considered one of the most important Fluxus figures
Lars Jonson Haukaness – Norwegian-born American-Canadian impressionist painter and art instructor
Per Lysne – artist most associated with bringing the traditional Norwegian folk art of Rosemaling to the United States
Eric Norstad – noted ceramicist and architect
Karl Ouren – Norwegian-born artist best known for his paintings of Norwegian landscapes and scenes
Shag – American artist
Yngvar Sonnichsen – Norwegian-born American artist and painter
Svend Rasmussen Svendsen – Norwegian-born American impressionist artist.
Trygve Rovelstad – renowned sculptor and designer of medals
Dan Weggeland – considered the "Father of Utah Art", artist and teacher in the early history of Utah

Writers and editors

Rasmus B. Anderson – 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 – Norwegian-born author and college professor
Dorthea Dahl – Norwegian-born, American writer
George Helgesen Fitch – American author, humorist, and journalist
Rolf G. Fjelde – American playwright, educator and poet
Kathryn Forbes – American writer and memoirist
George T. Flom – American professor of linguistics and author of numerous reference books
Greta Gaard – ecofeminist writer, scholar, activist, and documentary filmmaker
Rudolph Hjalmar Gjelsness – prominent American librarian and literary translator who served as Dean of the University of Michigan's Library Science Department
Ingebrikt Grose – author, college professor and founding president of Concordia College
Haldor Johan Hanson – American hymn writer, publisher and author
Gregory T. Haugan – American author and expert in the field of work breakdown structure
Eva Lund Haugen – American author and editor
Einar Haugen – American linguist, author and Professor at University of Wisconsin–Madison and Harvard University
Michael Hauge – script consultant, author and lecturer
Johan Andreas Holvik – author and professor at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota
Siri Hustvedt – American writer, novelist
Randolph Edgar Haugan – American author, editor and publisher
Simon Johnson – Norwegian-born American novelist
Harold Knutson – American editor
Arne Brun Lie – Norwegian-American author and Holocaust survivor
Greg Mortenson – American humanitarian, professional speaker, writer, and former mountaineer
Gerhard Brandt Naeseth – American librarian and genealogist
Ingri Parin d'Aulaire – writer and illustrator of children's books in the 20th century
Ole Edvart Rølvaag – American novelist and professor
Aagot Raaen – American author and educator
Peter Straub – American author and poet
Elise Wærenskjold – Norwegian-American writer
Agnes Mathilde Wergeland – Norwegian-American historian, poet and educator

Others

Gunvald Aus – Norwegian-American engineer, most associated with the engineering of the Woolworth Building in New York City together with fellow Norwegian Kort Berle
Gunnar Berg (Scouting) – national director of the Boy Scouts of America
Norman Borlaug – American agronomist, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate who has been called "the father of the Green Revolution"
Ward Christensen - co-founder of bulletin board system
Ophelia Dahl – American social justice and health care advocate
Steve Dahl – Chicago radio personality and humorist
Jeffrey Dahmer — Serial killer; Mother was from Norwegian ancestry
Helga Estby – Norwegian-American immigrant most noted for her walk across the United States during 1896
David Grose – world-renowned authority on the classification of early ancient glass from the Roman period
Robert Hanssen – spied for Soviet and Russian intelligence services against the United States
George Harbo – Norwegian-born American who in 1896, became the first people ever to row across an ocean.
Alf Gundersen
Belle Gunness – Norwegian-born American serial killer
Frances Haugen - American data engineer and scientist, product manager, and whistleblower.
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
Oscar Hauge – served on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Merle Hansen – founding president of the North American Farm Alliance and a spokesman for the plight of family farmers.
Thom Hartmann – 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 – 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 – American Prohibition agent, famous for his efforts to enforce Prohibition in Chicago, Illinois, also the leader of team The Untouchables
Pat Paulsen – 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 anthropologist
Frank Samuelsen – Norwegian-born American who in 1896, became the first people ever to row across an ocean
Tim Schafer – American computer game designer
Henry Seadlund - Kidnapper and killer who received the death sentence and was put to death by electric chair in Cook County Jail, Chicago, Illinois
Nels Skumsrud
Jacqueline Smith – Norwegian trade unionist
Thorvald Solberg – first Register of Copyrights in the United States Copyright Office
Frank Stephenson - Automobile designer
Kevin Alfred Strom – former managing director of National Vanguard
Per Ivarson Undi – also known as Peter Iverson, early Norwegian-American homesteader in Wisconsin Territory