The Incredible Gladys Pyle Collection comprises clippings, correspondence, financial records, manuscripts, research materials, transcripts, and audiocassettes, documenting the life and contributions of Gladys Pyle, a trailblazing political figure in South Dakota.
The clippings include advertisements for the book The Incredible Gladys Pyle and news articles marking Pyle’s 96th birthday. Correspondence features letters discussing the book’s pub-lication, including corrections suggested by Pyle and a handwritten letter from Governor Sig-urd Anderson commending her political contributions. Financial records are minimal, consisting of itemized expense lists.
Two manuscripts of the book are included - one with the published title The Incredible Gladys Pyle and another under the alternative title Gladys Pyle: Always a Pioneer. Research materi-als span from 1918 to 1984, providing historical context. The collection also includes transcripts of interviews with Pyle, some accompanied by notebooks containing interview questions.
The audiocassettes document Pyle’s reflections on her career, including her tenure in Pierre, involvement in the ERA committee, and business endeavors. Additional recordings capture her 90th birthday recollections, childhood memories, and insights into Huron College. Other tapes contain travel logs from unidentified individuals recounting experiences in Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, China, and Japan, as well as Radio Issues Forum broadcasts from 1976. A re-cording of guitar music is also included, though its significance is unclear.
This collection provides insight into Pyle’s legacy as a pioneering woman in politics, preserving firsthand accounts of her experiences and historical contributions through written and audio materials.
