Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Harding, A. S.
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
Albert Spencer Harding was born on November 30, 1867, in Janesville, Wisconsin. In 1883, he relocated with his family to Spink County in Dakota Territory. He entered Dakota Agricultural College in 1889, earned a B.A. in agriculture in 1892, and later received an M.A. from the University of Nebraska. In 1897, Harding returned to Brookings to begin his long career as a faculty member at South Dakota State University.
From 1897 to 1943, Harding taught history, political science, sociology, and economics at SDSU. Over the course of his 54-year teaching career, he led 600 different courses and instructed 11,798 students. He was appointed head of the History and Political Science Department in 1931, a role he held until retirement.
Harding married Neva Marie Whaley of De Smet, South Dakota, in 1897 or 1898. The couple had one adopted son, Robert. Neva lived to the age of 105 and died in Brookings in 1978.
In addition to his academic work, Harding was active in the Brookings Kiwanis Club, the Methodist Church, and the Forum. His longstanding dedication to SDSU is commemorated in multiple ways. Harding Hall, constructed in 1952 on the university campus, was named in his honor. The Harding Distinguished Lecture Series, established in 1963, continues to bring notable lecturers to SDSU.
Albert S. Harding passed away in Brookings, South Dakota, on December 2, 1952.