The Robert V. Burns Papers document his professional service, teaching, and involvement in state and national commissions between the late 1960s and early 2000s. The collection includes material from the 2000 NAFTA Conference on Canadian–United States agricultural trade issues organized by Burns, with correspondence, government official communications, publicity, talking points, publications, proceedings, and Governor William Janklow’s keynote speech.

Extensive records relate to the South Dakota Executive Branch Reorganization (1968–1973), including correspondence, staff documents, legislation, reports, research files, and recommendations from the Citizen’s Commission on Executive Reorganization. Burns’s work with the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) is represented through agenda books, publications, and policy studies.

Additional materials reflect his participation in the National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education, the Constitutional Revision Commission, and the Governor’s Task Forces on education and wages. Files also include material on judicial elections, Brookings railroad safety, higher education assessment, civic service, and Burns’s 1980 State Representative campaign. The papers preserve a record of Burns’s role in shaping higher education policy, state governance, and civic engagement in South Dakota and beyond.

This collection is a resource for understanding South Dakota’s political, educational, and policy development during the late 20th century. It provides insight into Burns’s leadership in higher education reform, state reorganization efforts, agricultural trade policy, and public service. His involvement with regional and national commissions underscores South Dakota’s participation in broader discussions on governance, education, and economic policy.