George A. Bangs

George A. Bangs
Portrait of George A. Bangs, circa 1917
Born(1867-11-08)November 8, 1867
Le Sueur County, Minnesota
DiedJuly 15, 1955(1955-07-15) (aged 87)
Indianapolis, Indiana
Occupationattorney

George Archer Bangs (November 8, 1867 – July 15, 1955) was an American lawyer and insurance executive. He was a prominent attorney in North Dakota from the early 1900s to the 1930s, with a law firm in Grand Forks. He later served as President of the United Mutual Life Insurance Company in Indianapolis, Indiana, from the early 1930s to 1947.

Early life

Bangs was born in Le Sueur County, Minnesota, to Alfred W. Bangs and Sarah D. (Plowman) Bangs. He grew up and attended school in Le Sueur County and then worked at his father's law office.

Career

In 1882 or 1883, Bangs moved to Grand Forks, Dakota Territory (North Dakota) and worked as a clerk in the land office for a few years. In 1892 or 1893, he joined the law office of his half-brother, Tracy R. Bangs, and Charles J. Fisk. Tracy Bangs left the firm in 1895. George Bangs and Fisk then ran the firm until Fisk was elected District Judge in 1897.

Bangs quickly became a prominent and respected lawyer in the state. He served as attorney for the city of Grand Forks and was elected State's Attorney of Grand Forks County, serving one term.

In 1911, Bangs served as one of the prosecuting attorneys during the impeachment trial of Judge John F. Cowan. The charges against Cowan included habitual drunkenness, frequenting establishments where intoxicating liquors were sold (North Dakota was a "dry state" at the time), engaging in disorderly and boisterous conduct, speaking lewd and obscene words, assaulting a woman by attempting to forcibly kiss her, dismissing or ignoring motions and cases, deceiving the auditor, influencing jurors, intimidating attorneys, and sleeping during trials. Lead counsel for the defense was Tracy Bangs, George's half-brother. Ultimately, Cowan was found not guilty.

In 1916, Bangs ran for U.S. Congress but was defeated by Henry T. Helgesen.

During World War I, but after the Armistice, Bangs was commissioned as a major in the Army and was assigned to the Office of Judge Advocate General (JAG). He was commissioned in March 1919 and was stationed in Washington, D.C. He was discharged a few months later in October 1919.

From about 1923 to 1924, Bangs assisted the North Dakota Attorney General's office with its cases against those connected to the Scandinavian American Bank of Fargo. These cases were heavily influenced by politics, which pitted the Independent Voters Association (IVA) against the Nonpartisan League (NPL).

Into the 1920s, Bangs continued to assist North Dakota state government in various ways. He served as counsel for the State Banking Department and the Guaranty Fund Commission, and he was also a member of the State Fair Association.

Bangs practiced law in Grand Forks until the early 1930s.

Later years

In the fall of 1932, Bangs moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, and served as President of the United Mutual Life Insurance Company. He led the company until 1947, when he retired. Previously, Bangs had been involved with insurance law and cases, and he assisted the Knights of Pythias with adjusting their insurance rates in the early 1900s.

Bangs died in Indianapolis in 1955.

Personal life

In 1889, Bangs married Maria A. Griggs. In March 1891, Maria Bangs traveled to the Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis for treatment for consumption (tuberculosis). She died a week later at the age of 20.

In 1895, Bangs married Zenia A. Gilbreath (sometimes spelled "Xenia"), who was a stenographer at the Bangs & Fisk law firm. Around 1911, Zenia Bangs fell ill, and she eventually went to Wisconsin for treatment. She died in September 1912.

In 1922, Bangs married Cyrilla A. Behme.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Compendium history and biography of North Dakota; a history of early settlement, political history, ... and biography; reminiscences of pioneer life . Chicago: G. A.Ogle. 1900. p. 222.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Hennessy, William B. (1910). History of North Dakota, embracing a relation of the history of the state from the earliest times down to the present day, including the biographies of the builders of the commonwealth ... Bismarck: The Bismarck Tribune Company. pp. 459–460.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Lounsberry, Clement A. (Clement Augustus) (1917). North Dakota history and people; outlines of American history. Vol. 3. New York Public Library. Chicago: The S.J. Clarke Pub. Co. pp. 301–303. OCLC 3496214 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ↑ "History of North Dakota | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Crawford, Lewis F. (1931). "Hon. George A. Bangs". History of North Dakota. Vol. 2. The American Historical Society, Inc. pp. 301–303. OCLC 4242015.
  6. ↑ North Dakota Court System. "Charles Fisk". www.ndcourts.gov. Archived from the original on 2026-02-08. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Winslow, VeLoyce; Blinn, Keith; Smith, Francis; Thormodsgard, O. (1952). "Book Reviews". North Dakota Law Review. 28 (3). Grand Forks, ND: University of North Dakota School of Law: 240–242. ISSN 0029-2745 – via Digital Commons.
  8. ↑ Gifford, William E. (1897). "Souvenir album, city of Grand Forks, North Dakota : a pictorial and prose description of "Wheat City", the metropolis of North Dakota". p. 36. Retrieved 2026-08-21 – via Digital Horizons.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ North Dakota Legislative Assembly (1911). Journal of the Senate of North Dakota sitting as a High court of impeachment for the trial of Hon. John F. Cowan, judge of the Second judicial district ... Bismarck: Tribune, state printers – via HathiTrust.
  10. 1 2 Eriksmoen, Curt (2006-12-03). "Popularity proves not to be everything for Cowan". InForum. Archived from the original on 2022-11-26. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  11. ↑ North Dakota Office of the Secretary of State (1916-11-07). "Party Votes, General Election, November 7, 1916" (PDF). Election Results: Archived Election Results. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2026-05-12. Retrieved 2026-09-02.
  12. ↑ Adjutant General of North Dakota. "Roster of the men and women who served in the army or naval service (including the Marine corps) of the United States or its allies from the state of North Dakota in the World War, 1917-1918". North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs. p. 166. OCLC 2273550. Archived from the original on 2026-08-14. Retrieved 2026-09-02.
  13. ↑ "Grand jury to be asked in Cass Co". Bismarck Tribune. 1923-07-31. p. 1. ISSN 2330-5967. Retrieved 2026-09-03 – via Digital Horizons.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ↑ "8 Indicted by Grand Jury Probing Bank". Bismarck Tribune. 1923-11-16. p. 1. ISSN 2330-5967. Retrieved 2026-09-03.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ↑ Morlan, Robert L. (1955). Political prairie fire; the Nonpartisan League, 1915-1922. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 117–118, 264–266, 310–311, 342. OCLC 230685.
  16. 1 2 Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
  17. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.
  18. ↑ Ancestry.com. U.S., Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT. USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2019.
  19. ↑ Ancestry.com. Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
  20. ↑ Ancestry.com. Web: Minnesota, U.S., Marriages from the Minnesota Official Marriage System, 1850-2022 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022.
  21. ↑ "Mrs. George Bangs dies in St. Paul". Bismarck Weekly Tribune. 1891-03-13. p. 1. ISSN 2330-6041. OCLC 12660125. Retrieved 2026-09-03 – via Chronicling America.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ↑ "Mrs. George Bangs dead". Bismarck Daily Tribune. 1912-09-24. p. 5. ISSN 2330-5924. Retrieved 2026-09-03 – via Chronicling America.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ↑ "Bangs Wedding". Grand Forks Herald. 1922-01-23. p. 10. ISSN 2379-1209. Retrieved 2026-09-03 – via Chronicling America.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)