Richard Wahlstrom graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Husbandry. Wahlstrom then attended the University of Illinois where he earned a Master’s degree in animal nutrition followed two years later by a Ph.D. in animal nutrition. While at the University of Illinois, Wahlstrom served as a graduate assistant mainly in research. From 1951 to 1952, he pursued research with the Merck Institute of Therapeutic Research. After Merck, Wahlstrom came to South Dakota State College, hired on for researching and teaching Animal husbandry from 1952 to 1959. Wahlstrom became the Head Professor of Animal husbandry in 1959, followed by becoming Head of the Department in 1960 to 1967. Wahlstrom returned once more as the head of the department for the academic year of 1987. / Wahlstrom served in many organizations including Rotary International, First United Methodist Church, and an American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) Fellow. / Wahlstrom has received many awards over the years, including being named Teacher of the Year, three times. Other awards and honors include the ASAS Animal Management Award (1976), the SDSU Gamma Signa Delta Award for Research (1980), the F.O. Butler Award for Outstanding Research (1986), the ASAS Animal Industry Service Award (1989), and the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus from SDSU (1988).
Charles Louis Sewrey, a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, came to South Dakota State College in 1947 after graduating with high distinction from the University of Minnesota. He held BA and MA degrees and had some teaching experience from the University of Minnesota. His third degree, Ph.D., also from Minnesota, was granted in 1955. He taught American political, economic, cultural and diplomatic history as professor of history at South Dakota State University. In addition to teaching, he published numerous articles in some of America's leading intellectual magazines. Dr. Sewrey also authored a book titled, A History of South Dakota State College in 1959. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, a national scholastic honorary society. Dr. Sewrey retired from teaching in 1974 due to failing health. He died in 1979. A memorial endowment fund was established in 1981. The History Department is the main benefactor of the endowment, which funds scholarships and faculty development with such programs as the Sewrey Faculty Colloquium.
Niels Ebbesen Hansen, a pioneering horticulturist renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to agriculture and plant breeding, dedicated his career to enhancing agricultural practices through the introduction of new plant varieties. The N.E. Hansen Papers offer an exploration of his achievements, including articles, bulletins, and circulars from his tenure at the South Dakota Experiment Station. Additionally, contributions from Helen Hansen Loen provide valuable insights into his personal and professional life. The collection serves as a valuable resource for understanding Hansen's legacy and his contribution to agricultural science.
He has been awarded the United Methodist Church General Board of Higher Education and Ministry Teaching Excellence Award and the Clarke Award for Teaching Excellence Award. He has written four books, including "Without Reservation: Benjamin Reifel and American Indian Acculturation" (Pierre: South Dakota Historical Society Press, 2018), a biography of South Dakota's only American Indian congressperson; and "Chief, Marine Corps Warrior" (2003), a military biography of Flynn's father, a decorated aviator and Korean War POW and one of the few pilots of American Indian descent to fly combat missions in World War II and Korea.