5/24/2008:
Since his birth on this day in 1914, Arthur Albert Link has become widely recognized in his home state for his service as a US Representative and as the twenty-seventh Governor of North Dakota.
Perhaps a less familiar aspect of the former governor is his lifelong interest in the fiddle. An accomplished fiddle player who learned to play at the age of eight, he often performed at the annual Lawn Party hosted by the Former Governors’ Mansion each August.
When the Society for the Preservation of the Former Governors’ Mansion sought a way to honor Art Link and his wife Grace for their dedication to the preservation of the Former Governors’ Mansion, fiddling provided the answer. The first annual Governor Arthur A. Link Fiddle Contest was held in March of 2008 to encourage students of the violin and provide scholarships to the International Music Camp.
Written by Christina Sunwall
Sources:
Kincaid, Sara. "Young Fiddlers Compete in Contest Named for Link." The Bismarck Tribune, March 25, 2008. http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2008/03/25/news/local/151837.txt
"March 4, 2008 News Release: March 14 Deadline Approaching to Register for Arthur A. Link Fiddle Contest", State Historical Society of North Dakota http://www.nd.gov/hist/news/linkfiddlecontest08.html (accessed 2008).
Piepkorn, Merrill. "Wednesday, March 19, 2008." In Hear it Now: Prairie Public Radio. http://www.prairiepublic.org/programs/hearitnow/