Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
Date(s)
- 1892-2022 (Creation)
Extent
2.42 linear feet (2 record boxes, 1 document case) photographs
Name of creator
Administrative history
In 1889, before South Dakota achieved statehood, 16 members of that year’s graduating class formed the Dakota Agricultural College Alumni Association. These early graduates came together “for the purpose of preserving a feeling of unity and fellowship between the several graduates and for the purpose of cementing more closely the bonds existing between the alumni and their Alma Mater.”
The association’s first efforts to maintain contact with graduates began in 1908–09 under Chairperson Prof. B.T. Whitehead. In 1910, the Alumnus newsletter was launched with Hubert B. Mathews as editor, laying the groundwork for what would become STATE Magazine. A major early initiative was the establishment and support of Hobo Day activities, beginning in 1912.
In 1962, the Alumni Association passed a resolution advocating the name change from South Dakota State College of Agricultural and Mechanical Arts to South Dakota State University. According to Art Sogn (’47), past chairperson of the Association, the success of the name change was largely due to alumni efforts. During the 1970s, the association, which had been housed in five different offices over a nine-year period, began discussing the need for a permanent headquarters. At a council meeting on June 23, 1973, a proposal for the Tompkins Alumni Center was presented. The center was dedicated during Alumni Days on June 12, 1976. In 1980, plans for a patio addition were revived, including a clock tower to house the Old North Clock donated by the classes of 1922 and 1923. The bell from Old Central, once in the Coughlin Campanile, was later added.
In 1992, the Alumni Association became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In 2000, it launched the Return to Glory campaign, raising funds to restore the Coughlin Campanile. The restored structure was rededicated on September 22, 2001. By 2006, the Association had expanded its reach through a website and electronic newsletter.
In 2008, the Jackrabbit Advocates—a legislative advocacy group—was formed to provide alumni a strong, independent voice in support of public higher education. In 2010, renovations to Tompkins Alumni Center were completed, including the addition of the Paul Freeburg (’33) Archives Room. Alumni are encouraged to visit the center as their home on campus.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
This collection primarily consists of printed materials and publications produced by the Office of the Director of the Alumni Association. Included are event programs, brochures, newsletters, flyers, mailers, and postcards related to reunions, banquets, alumni awards, and other gatherings. A significant portion of the collection is devoted to STATE: A Magazine for SDSU Alumni and Friends, Rabbit Ears, and the Jackrabbit Insider e-newsletters. Also included are alumni directories, promotional items, greeting cards, and certificates of distinction such as the Campanile Climbers Award of Merit. Photographs (Box 3) depict alumni activities and events. Notably, some material addresses institutional concerns, such as correspondence related to the possible removal of the College of Engineering from SDSU.
The Alumni Association Records documents the relationship between South Dakota State University and its alumni. The collection provides insight into alumni engagement strategies, institutional memory, and campus traditions. It is especially valuable for researchers interested in university history, the development of alumni relations, and the cultural identity of SDSU over time. Materials such as reunion memorabilia, award programs, and alumni publications preserve a strong sense of community and shared history among SDSU graduates.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Information request form: Ask Us!
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.
Please contact us in advance so we can prepare for your visit.
If you cannot visit the Archives in person, please reach out to us. We will do our best to help you find the information you need.
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.
-
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
1986 SDSU reunion record.
Brookings, S.D.: Alumni Association, South Dakota State University, [1986]
Call number: S537.S6 S653 1986
Alumni directory.
Brookings, S.D.: South Dakota State University Alumni Association; White Plains, N.Y.: B.C. Harris Pub. Co., 1992-
Call number: S537.S6 S652 1990
Celebrate State.
[Brookings, S.D.] : South Dakota State University Alumni Association, [1990]
Call number: S537.S6 C44 1990
Directory of alumni, South Dakota State University: compiled from information in the Alumni Office files at South Dakota State University as of Dec. 1, 1978.
Brookings: Alumni Association of South Dakota State University, [1979]
Call number: S537.S6 S65 1979 v. 1-2
Fabulous forties reunion II: the sequel; 1991 record.
[Brookings, S.D.] : Alumni Association, South Dakota State University, [1991]
Call number: S537.S6 S6532 1991
SDSU reunion record.
Brookings, S.D.: Alumni Association, South Dakota State University, [1987]
Call number: S537.S6 S654 1987
South Dakota State University alumnus.
Brookings, S.D.: SDSU Alumni Association, 1910-1997
Call number: 378.783 So8.03
State: a magazine for South Dakota State University alumni and friends.
Brookings, S.D.: SDSU Alumni Association, 1997-
Call number: 378.783 So8.032
The college on the hill: a sense of South Dakota State University history / by Amy Dunkle with V.J. Smith.
Brookings, S.D.: South Dakota State University Alumni Association, c2003.
Call number: S537 S6 D86 2003
The winds of change: an autobiography of South Dakota State University's last Dean of Women / by Vivian V. Volstorff.
[Brookings, S.D.] : South Dakota State University Alumni Association, c2000.
Call number: S537.S6 V64 2000
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.