Bruce Hagen

Bruce Hagen was a North Dakota original. A small-town boy who got into politics early in life, and realized quickly that politics should be about service. His ambition was to do a good job without handicapping himself with partisanship. Hagen, the longest serving member of the state Public Service Commission, died in Bismarck on June 19 at age 94. He also was the longest serving utilities commissioner in the nation, having been on the North Dakota PSC just short of 40 years. He was the only Democrat on the PSC in the state’s history, and when he retired in 2000 was one of very few Democrats in statewide office.

Political considerations were not primary for Hagen. He set the standard for bipartisanship and nonpartisanship on the PSC, establishing productive relationships with Republican commissioners, legislators and governors. His work was distinguished by pragmatic fairness that stressed the necessity of financially strong utilities balanced against affordable costs for rate-payers. In that regard, he was respected by company officials seeking rate increases, and appreciated by the people who pay electric and gas bills.

The PSC’s accomplishments during Hagen’s tenure included establishing the best coal mine reclamation laws in the nation. Today, years later, the results are evident in coal country where reclaimed strip mines are beautiful landscapes. He also was an early regulator of the extension of telephone service to the entire state in the 1970s and helped manage the cellphone revolution in the 1990s.

Hagen was recognized nationally, having served as president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. In 1988, Gov. George Sinner honored Hagen’s service with the National Leadership Award of Excellence.

I knew Hagen first in my work at the Devils Lake Daily Journal, then later when I joined The Forum staff.

Hagen’s roots go deep in the Devils Lake area. I knew his dad, the late Ernie Hagen, who was Ramsey County civil defense director. The family farmed west of Devils Lake in Ramsey and Benson counties. When Ernie wasn’t on the job, he could be found on the far west shore of Devils Lake fixing fences or otherwise working on the farm – before the lake rose and inundated much of the Hagen land. Bruce was in town frequently, sometimes to work the farm with his father, and to visit family and friends. Affable and down to earth, Bruce took his work seriously, but never let it become more important than his family.

In a circumstance Bruce recalled with a laugh, The Forum endorsed him for re-election in 1988 at a time when the newspaper did not endorse Democrats. That was a year after I took over as editorial page editor. I like to think I influenced the endorsement, but I don’t remember.

Hagen will be buried later in the old Norway Lutheran Church cemetery west of Devils Lake in Grand Harbor Township. His home congregation has long since disbanded. The church was moved to the lakeshore and became the St. Olaf Retreat Center. [St. Olaf maintains the Norway Lutheran Church cemetery.]

PSC commissioners don’t often make news. They seldom are big-name politicians. But their work is important, and Hagen understood that. His record reveals a life of public service as it should be practiced. His legacy is secure.

The above was written by Jack Zeleski, who retired in 2017 after 30 years as The Forum’s editorial page editor. He is a member of the Forum Readers Board, and a member of the North Plains Ethics Institute at North Dakota State University. Zeleski was the editor of the Devils Lake Journal from 1969 to 1987.

A memorial service will be held at Parkway Funeral Home in Bismarck on Aug. 8, 2025, at 4 p.m., and a graveside service will follow at the Norway Lutheran Church Cemetery west of Devils Lake, ND, on Aug. 9, 2025 at 11 a.m. A meal and time of fellowship and visiting will take place in the White House Cafe in the Holiday Mall, Devils Lake following the service at the cemetery. In lieu of flowers, Bruce would have appreciated donations be made to the recipient of your choice. He felt strongly about giving back.

Born on June 21, 1930, on his grandparents’ farm in Grand Harbor Township near Devils Lake, Bruce was the son of Mildred and Ernest Hagen. He grew up across various North Dakota communities and graduated from Central High School in Devils Lake in 1948. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s in government and economics from the University of North Dakota, plus did an additional year of postgraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin.

Bruce served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War (1950–52), training troops in Alabama. He was active in student government at UND and remained a progressive voice throughout his life. His lifelong love of farming continued even after he entered public service, maintaining family farmland in Ramsey and Benson counties with the help of trusted farming partners.

In retirement, Bruce remained an active civic participant. Among other things, he served as president of the board of the Society for the Preservation of the Former Governor’s Mansion from 2000-2023. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp said, “Bruce never stopped serving his country even in retirement. He worked to educate and to build trust across the political aisle. He remains an example to all who aspired to serve the public.” He also volunteered with Ministry on the Margins and contributed to various social and service organizations including the Lions Club, Farmers Union, American Legion and Sons of Norway, the Ruth Meiers Hospitality House, Inc. and Charles Hall, among many others.

Bruce was known for his intellect, warmth, humility and generosity. A 2000 resolution by NARUC stated, “He represented all the best in public service and set an ethical and intellectual standard to which we should all aspire.” Sen. Byron Dorgan added, “Bruce Hagen, for decades, relentlessly continued his dedicated public service to our state. If ever there was a real definition of “public service,” it would apply to Bruce. His life is the celebration of a man who made a difference.”

Bruce Hagen is survived by his daughters, Marin Hagen of Washington, DC, and Jennifer Robinson of Nashville, TN; grandsons Luke and Max Robinson; his brother, Dr. Boyd Hagen (Caroline) of Nelson County, ND; and many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings Marilyn Pederson and Roger Hagen. Bruce once said, “My roots are in the good soil of this place [the Devils Lake area].” He will be remembered for his deep love of North Dakota, his enduring commitment to public service, and the kindness and generosity he extended to all who knew him.