Professor Donald Berg received a B.A in History form North Dakota State University in 1964 and a M.A. in 1966 with a second M.A. from the University of California-Berkely in 1971. He received his Ph.D. in Geography from the University of California at Berkeley in 1976.
Professor of Geography and History, hired in 1990; retired in May 2011 with previous service at South Dakota State University from 1983 to 1986.He was also employed as a seasonal ranger-naturalist at Sequoia National Park, California, during summers of 1970, 1971 and 1972.
Dr. Berg was in U.S. Army from 1966 to 1969, serving in the Vietnam War (1967-68).
Berg served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Great Plains-Rocky Mountain Division of the Association of American Geographers from 1994 to 2008. Faculty sponsor for the Delta Zeta Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon since 1994 to present. Professor Berg instructed courses principally in physical geography, world regional, environmental disasters and hazards, with seminars in regional geography, transportation, energy, and illegal drugs, plus history of the American West and American Indian history and culture. He also provided orientation sessions for the International Partnership for Service-Learning students for over 15 years.
Professor Berg was the first instructor to present live (real time) interactive television courses on the Brookings campus and was the recipient of two Governor’s Grants (2000, 2002) for the application of computer technology to teaching online physical geography courses.
Dr. Berg’s research, professional presentations, and publications have ranged from studies on Native American casinos, historical geography of railroads, federal government defense and water development programs, book reviews, contributions to four encyclopedias.
Current work is focused on the historical geography of the Dust Bowl era in northern Great Plains and development and significance of the American Indian Reservation (A.I.R.) system in South Dakota.
Berg, Sherwood O. (Sherwood Olman) 1919-2014
Sherwood O. Berg was raised on a farm near Hendrum, Minnesota. All of his public schooling was taken at Hendrum where he participated in 4-H Club work for at least 10 years, earning honors in this area. His father died while he was a senior in high school and for a time, Berg took over the management of the home farm.
He attended the School of Agriculture on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota for two years. He entered South Dakota State College [SDSC] the fall of 1940. He choose to come to SDSC because of their agricultural program, the opportunity to place on the basketball team and to work so that he might contribute to paying his college expenses. In 1943, he entered military service where he remained until 1946. While Berg was in military service, he obtained U.S. Army, field infantry experience. During his last year of military service, he was Military Government Food and Agricultural Officer.
In 1946, Berg returned to South Dakota State. In 1947, he was granted the BS degree. In 1948, he was awarded an MS degree from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. In 1951, the University of Minnesota conferred the PhD degree on him. Following the completion of his work for the PhD, he was agricultural attache to Yugoslavia from 1951 to 1954 and to Norway and Denmark from 1954 to 1957.
In July 1957, Berg accepted the position of Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Minnesota. He held this position until June 1963. In July 1963, he accepted the position of Dean of the Institute of Agriculture, and Professor of Economics, University of Minnesota. During his tenure as Dean of the Institute of Agriculture, he served as chair of the President's National Advisory Commission on Food and Fiber.
From 1973 to 1975, Berg was Director, The Indonesia Project of Midwest Universities Consortium. After his work in Indonesia he returned to the United States and to his Alma Mater, beginning his duties as President of South Dakota State University August 1, 1975. He became the first graduate of South Dakota State to be named president. He came to SDSU after serving as the director of the Indonesia Project of the Midwest University Consortium for International Affairs. During Berg’s tenure, South Dakota State saw the internationalization of the campus. Collaborative programs were established in Syria, Botswana, Senegal, and Mauritania, and the number of international students on campus grew. In addition, he oversaw the groundwork for the first endowed chair for the university, the Ethel Austin Martin-Edward Moss Martin Chair in Human Nutrition. Berg retired from the presidency in 1984 and became president emeritus.
In 1952, Sherwood O. Berg married Elizabeth Ann Hall. They have two children, Mary Elizabeth and Bradley Joseph.
Willibald C. Bianchi was born March 12, 1915, in New Ulm, Minnesota to Joseph and Carrie Bianchi.
He enrolled at South Dakota State College in 1937. An active member of the R.O.T.C., Bianchi was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army upon his graduation in 1940.
That fall, Bianchi entered Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia, where he was later promoted to First Lieutenant. In April 1941, Bianchi joined the 45th Infantry Regiment of Philippine Scouts. His unit was to provide military training to Filipinos.
Bianchi remained in the Philippines after the United States entered World War II. On February 3, 1942, he was injured during the Battle of Bataan. Despite being wounded multiple times, he continued to push back Japanese troops until an explosion disabled him. As a result of his actions, General Douglas MacArthur presented Bianchi with a Congressional Medal of Honor, making him the third recipient of the medal during World War II.
After recuperating, Bianchi returned to service and received a promotion to Captain. Along with 75,000 other American and Filipino soldiers, he was captured by the Japanese on April 9, 1942. The captives marched 65 miles across the Bataan Peninsula in the heat with no food or water, in what is known as the Bataan Death March. Bianchi worked to help his fellow prisoners survive the grueling conditions of the march and prison camps.
After more than two years of being held prisoner, Bianchi was detained in several prison camps. On January 9, 1945, he was being held on an unmarked prison ship, which was bombed by an American airplane. He died instantly.
His body was never recovered, and Bianchi is remembered on the Wall of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, Philippines. His grave marker is located at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.
In 1998, South Dakota State University honored Captain Willibald Bianchi by dedicating a plaque placed in the Student Union, creating a scholarship, and holding a ceremony.
Biggar, George C. (George Cecil) 1899-1989
George Biggar, born on January 11, 1899, near Aurora, South Dakota, attended South Dakota State University, earning a BS in agriculture in 1921 and an MS in Dairy Husbandry in 1922. Noteworthy for his involvement in campus publications, he served as editor of the Industrial Collegian newspaper and contributed to the Jackrabbit yearbook. Transitioning to journalism after graduation, Biggar began his radio career in 1924 at station WLS in Chicago, focusing on agricultural and farm programs. His notable contributions included producing the National Barn Dance, a launching pad for many country performers, and dispatching Herb Morrison to cover the Hindenburg landing. In 1938, he joined WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he managed rural and entertainment programs. Invited by the British Information Service, Biggar visited Great Britain during World War II, documenting agricultural practices during the conflict. After retiring from WLW in 1964, he acquired station WLBK in DeKalb, Illinois, where he concluded his career. Later relocating to Laguna Beach, California, and Fargo, North Dakota, Biggar passed away on March 19, 1989.
Joye Ann Billow was born July 28, 1943 in Middletown, Pennsylvania to Mary Dorothea (Pierce) and Schuyler Elsworth Billow. In 1961 she graduated from Middletown High School. She received a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy in 1967, and a PhD in medicinal chemistry from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Billow joined the SDSU College of Pharmacy faculty in 1972 and served for 30 years until her retirement in 2002. She was a professor of pharmaceutical sciences and a licensed pharmacist throughout her career.
Dr. Billow was faculty advisor to the Chi Chapter of the Kappa Epsilon Fraternity for women pharmacy students for 29 years. She won the Kappa Epsilon Outstanding Advisor Award (1991), The Unicorn Award (1991), and the Career Achievement Award (2003) during her tenure. She also guided the fraternity to become Outstanding Collegian KE Chapter for 2002-2003.
The SDSU Woman of Distinction award was presented to Billow in 2002 for her excellence in service as a pharmacy faculty member and her involvement in and contributions to numerous campus and community organizations, including coordinator of the Bush Project, chair and vice-chair of the Academic Senate , writing the 1990 self-study for university accreditation, and helping establish the Brookings Women’s Center, Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter, and Brookings Hospice.
Following retirement, Billow became an art student and produced work that was featured in local shows. She was also a board member of the Brookings Arts Council. She died on December 6, 2013 at the age of 70.
Elvin C. Bjorklund lived from 1908 to 1990 and worked for Soil Conservation Service as deputy state conservationist. He dealt with soil and water conservation needs inventory, flood prevention, and watershed protection. This Collection contains Elvin Bjorklund Soil Conservation Service papers. It is comprised of records on Soil Conservation Service’s works, events, and personnel. Likewise, it has photographs of personnel, conservation, and events.
2008-09: As a freshman wrestling mostly at 184 pounds, Blindert finished 15-10 ... won the 184 pound weight division at the season opening Warren Williamson Open by winning four matches in a row ... had a seven match winning streak in the middle of the season during the Indiana Duals and the Franklin & Marshall Quadrangular ... had first pin of collegiate career at the Franklin & Marshall
High School: Hold the record for most wins in the state of South Dakota... placed fifth in 8th grade at 103 pounds... finished third at 140 pounds in his sophomore year, second at 160 pounds his junior year and third at 171 his senior year... graduated with honors from McCook Central High School...
Boarding Club (Dakota Agricultural College)