author
John H. (John Henry) Worst
1850–1945
Best remembered as a builder of North Dakota’s early public institutions, this farmer-educator turned politics and practical learning into a lifelong public mission. His surviving speeches and addresses reflect a plainspoken faith in education, agriculture, and civic duty.
2 Audiobooks
The Stewardship of the Soil Baccalaureate Address by John Henry Worst, President, North Dakota Agricultural College
by John H. (John Henry) Worst
About the author
Born in Ohio in 1850, John H. Worst became an important public figure in North Dakota as both a politician and a school leader. Reliable biographical sources describe him as a Republican officeholder who served in the North Dakota Senate and later as the state's fourth lieutenant governor. He also became president of the North Dakota Agricultural College, where he was known for helping shape the young institution.
Worst's career connected farming, education, and public service. He had firsthand experience as a farmer, and that practical background seems to have informed the talks and addresses published under his name, including works on education and stewardship. For readers coming to him through his writing, he stands out less as a literary stylist than as a thoughtful speaker on rural life, learning, and responsibility.
He lived from December 23, 1850, to September 25, 1945. Today he is remembered chiefly for his role in the civic and educational development of North Dakota, especially during the state's early decades.