Conrad George Selvig was born in Rushford, Minnesota. He was the son of Gunder C Selvig (1842–1935) and Guri Maria Hagnestad Selvig (1845–1882), immigrants from Stavanger, Norway. His father worked for the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad. Conrad Selvig fought in the Spanish–American War as a member of the 12th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He graduated from Rushford High School (1895) and the University of Minnesota (1908). He worked as an educator and educational administrator for various school districts in Fillmore County, Minnesota and Crookston, Minnesota during his lifetime. In 1910, Selvig was appointed as Superintendent of the Northwest School of Agriculture in Crookston, Minnesota where he served for 17 years. He also served as president of the Minnesota Education Association (1908–1909) and the Northwestern Minnesota Education Association (1921–1922).^{[citation needed]}

Selvig was a U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 9th congressional district. He served in the 70th, 71st, and 72nd congresses, March 4, 1927 – March 3, 1933. He died in 1953 in Los Angeles, California and was interred in Oakdale Cemetery in Crookston, Minnesota.^{[citation needed]}

• United States Congress. "Conrad Selvig (id: S000236)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

• Selvig, Conrad G. (1951) Tale of Two Valleys: An Autobiography (Los Angeles, CA: Grover Jones Press)

• Conrad Selvig at Find a Grave
• Northwest School of Agriculture