Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
Date(s)
- 1938-2002 (Creation)
Extent
1.0 linear feet (1 record box)
Name of creator
Biographical history
Audrae Eugenie Visser was born on June 3, 1919, near Hurley, South Dakota, to Harry J.L. and Addie Mae (Perryman) Visser. She attended rural schools in Turner and Moody counties and graduated from Flandreau High School in 1938. Visser earned degrees from Black Hills Teachers College, South Dakota State University, and the University of Denver.
Her 52-year teaching career began in Moody County country schools (1939–1943) and continued in communities across South Dakota and Minnesota, including Hot Springs, Pierre, Elkton, De Smet, Flandreau, Windom, Verdi, and Lake Benton. From 1954 to 1955, she taught children of U.S. Air Force personnel in Nagoya, Japan.
Visser began writing poetry at age twelve, publishing her first poem in Pasque Petals at twenty-one. Her first poetry collection, Rustic Roads and Other Poems, was published in 1961. She was named South Dakota Poet Laureate in 1974 by Governor Richard Kneip and published nine additional volumes of poetry between 1974 and 1998, often incorporating her own artwork. Her honors include second prize in the 1984 National Federation of State Poetry Societies contest, judged by May Swenson. She also sponsored numerous poetry contests and established the Perryman-Visser scholarship at South Dakota State University. Visser served as associate editor and editor of Pasque Petals during her tenure as Poet Laureate and remained active in the South Dakota State Poetry Society.
She had one son, Lou H. Guardino, and a brother, Donald Visser. Audrae Visser died on October 8, 2001, in Mabank, Texas.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
The materials in this collection were collected and donated by Dr. Charles Woodard of the South Dakota State University English Department. The collection is primarily composed of correspondence between Audrae Visser and Dr. Woodard, much of which documents her literary development and academic work. Included are many of Visser’s writings created to fulfill class assignments, such as book reports, instructional texts, and a Pioneer Humor Project undertaken for the Heritage of the Prairies Institute at Southwest State University in Marshall, Minnesota.
In addition to extensive correspondence, the collection contains clippings, photographs, and a wide range of poetic and prose writings by Visser. These include autobiographical sketches, children's stories, fiction, speeches, and both published and unpublished poetry. Notable published works represented are Country Cousin, Honyocker Stories, Pheasant Flights, and Prairie Poetry. Also included are materials related to her awards, honors, and organizational memberships, as well as written accounts of her travel experiences and photographs she took on various trips, including one to Mexico. Writings by other authors and anonymous works are also present.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
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In Copyright This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Materials in this collection may be subject to Title 17, Section 108 of the United States Copyright Act. Users are responsible for ensuring compliance with copyright, privacy, trademark, and other applicable rights for their intended use. Obtaining all necessary permissions is the user's responsibility. Written authorization from the copyright and/or other rights holders is required for publication, distribution, or any use of protected materials beyond what is permitted under fair use. .sdstate.edu/sdsu-archives-and-special-collections/researcher-registration-form)
The collection is open for research, but please note that the materials in the Archives do not circulate and can only be used In the SDSU Archives and Special Collections Reading Room.
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In most cases, the materials in this collection have not been digitized and are not available online.
South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections supports access to the materials in its collections. However, access to some items may be restricted due to their fragile condition, donor agreements, or other considerations.
If you would like to know more about the contents of the collection, please contact the SDSU Archives at: Telephone: 605-688-5094 Email: arcrefs@sdstate.edu
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Reproduction of materials from the collection is subject to the following conditions:
- Permission: Written permission must be obtained from the SDSU Archives for any reproduction, publication, or quotation of materials.
- Copyright: Users are responsible for complying with copyright laws and securing any necessary permissions from copyright holders.
- Fragile Materials: Some items may not be reproduced due to their fragile condition.
- Charges: Reproduction charges may apply, and users will be informed of any costs in advance.
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Acknowledgment: Any reproduced material must include proper acknowledgment of the South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections as the source.
For more information or to request permission, please contact the SDSU Archives.
Languages of the material
English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Country Cousin
Call Number: PS3572.I75 C68 1986
Publication Date: 1986
Grass Roots Poetry
Call Number: PS3572.I75 G7 1991
Publication Date: 1991
Honyocker Stories
Call Number: PS3543.I58 H6
Publication Date: 1981
Meter for Momma
Call Number: PS3572.I75 M47 1974
Publication Date: 1974
Pages Glued Apart by Fern Evelyn Winklepleck-Stuefen, edited by Janet Leih
Introduction by Audrae Visser
Call Number: PS3573.I534 P33 1990
Publication Date: 1990
Pheasant Flights
Call Number: PS3572.I75 P5 1989
Publication Date: 1989
Poems for Brother Donald
Call Number: PS3572.I75 P6 1974
Publication Date: 1974
Poems for Pop
Call Number: PS3572.I75 P63 1976
Publication Date: 1976
Prairie Poetry
Call Number: PS3572.I75 P7 1998
Publication Date: 1998
Rustic Roads and Other Poems
Call Number: PS3543.I58 R8
Publication Date: 1961
South Dakota Stories
Call Number: PS3572.I75 S67
Publication Date: 1980
Related descriptions
Notes element
General note
Copyright and Use Statement
In Copyright This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Materials in this collection may be subject to Title 17, Section 108 of the United States Copyright Act. Users are responsible for ensuring compliance with copyright, privacy, trademark, and other applicable rights for their intended use. Obtaining all necessary permissions is the user's responsibility. Written authorization from the copyright and/or other rights holders is required for publication, distribution, or any use of protected materials beyond what is permitted under fair use.
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Sources used
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Visser, Audrae 1919-2001 (Subject)