This collection documents the professional career and public service of Sherwood O. Berg, with a substantial focus on his role as chairperson of the National Advisory Commission on Food and Fiber, established by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. The collection includes comprehensive documentation of the Commission’s activities, such as collected research materials, correspondence, policy drafts, technical papers, transcripts from public hearings, meeting notes, and the final published reports. Topics span international agriculture, rural development, population pressures, agricultural economics, cotton and fiber policy, nutrition, and global hunger.

The papers also include records from Berg’s international consulting and leadership roles with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Midwest Universities Consortium for International Activities (MUCIA), particularly in Indonesia, Morocco, Cameroon, and the Philippines, covering projects in agricultural education, institutional development, and economic policy.

Further materials document Berg’s service as President of South Dakota State University, including administrative notes, speeches, committee records, and press coverage. His involvement with numerous civic, professional, and international organizations—such as the Reserve Officers Association, Phi Kappa Phi, Nature Conservancy, Farm Foundation, and Rotary International—is also well represented. The collection includes biographical files, awards, military service records, photographs, and correspondence spanning from the 1940s through the early 2000s.

This collection is a record of Sherwood O. Berg’s influence on U.S. agricultural policy, international development, and higher education leadership. It provides insight into federal food and fiber policy during the 1960s, particularly through the Commission’s efforts to guide agricultural decision-making at the national level. The records also reflect the growing emphasis on global collaboration in agricultural education and the modernization of institutions in developing countries. Berg’s presidency at SDSU is further documented through his administrative leadership and campus initiatives, especially those related to internationalization and faculty governance.

The Robert T. Wagner Papers span the years 1971 to 1998 and document Wagner’s academic and administrative career in South Dakota higher education. The collection includes biographical information, professional correspondence, calendars, speeches, photographs, newspaper clippings, reports, certificates, newsletters, evaluations, and materials related to public events and institutional activities.

Early materials document Wagner’s service as a professor of rural sociology at South Dakota State University and include correspondence, calendars, programs related to speaking engagements, and greeting cards. A small amount of instructional material related to courses he taught is also present. Records from his service as Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs include correspondence, calendars, clippings, photographs, certificates, and related administrative materials.

The largest portion of the collection documents Wagner’s presidency at South Dakota State University from 1985 to 1997. These records include extensive correspondence, calendars and activity files, speeches, newspaper clippings, photographs, reports, and materials related to campus events, travel, and public appearances. Notable files document international travel, including a trip to Russia in 1990 and participation in the Oxford Round Table at Cambridge University in 1994. The collection concludes with materials related to Wagner’s retirement, including guest books, letters, and records from his designation as President Emeritus.

The Robert T. Wagner Papaers document the administration of South Dakota State University during a period of institutional transition and growth from the mid 1980s through the late 1990s. The records provide insight into university governance, presidential leadership, campus development, and public representation of the institution. The collection also contributes to the documentation of higher education administration in South Dakota and preserves evidence of Wagner’s earlier academic career in rural sociology.