Eugene “Gene” Henry Lothrop was born on August 16, 1920, in Redfield, South Dakota. He graduated from Huron High School in 1938 and earned a degree in electrical engineering from South Dakota State College in 1942. On December 20, 1942, he married Wilma “Jean” Walters. Gene worked as the foreman for Lothrop’s Electrical Service, owned by Elmer M. Lothrop. He passed away on April 15, 2014, in Prescott, Arizona.
Henry Langford Loucks was born on May 24, 1846, in Hull, Ontario, Canada, to William J. and Anna (York) Loucks. Educated in Canadian common schools, he married Florence Isabel McCraney on May 22, 1878, in Oakville, Ontario. They had seven children, four of whom—Perry, Anna, Elizabeth, and Daniel—survived to adulthood.
Loucks immigrated to the United States, operating mercantile businesses in Michigan and Missouri before settling on a government homestead near Clear Lake in Deuel County, Dakota Territory, in 1884. Arriving as the regional economic boom declined, he experienced firsthand the challenges facing farmers. In response, he organized a “farmer’s club,” which evolved into the Territorial Alliance and affiliated with the National Farmers’ Alliance in 1885. As its president, Loucks promoted cooperative ventures such as insurance and merchandising enterprises and founded The Dakota Ruralist, a newspaper that advanced his reform ideas for two decades.
Initially active in the Republican Party, Loucks and his associates sought to achieve reform from within. In 1890, he was nominated for governor at a joint convention of the Knights of Labor and the state Farmers’ Alliance. Although he lost the election, his efforts helped consolidate support for a new political movement—the Populist Party. He presided over its first national convention in 1892 and that same year became president of the National Farmers’ Alliance and Industrial Union. A strong proponent of direct democracy, Loucks was instrumental in securing adoption of the initiative and referendum process in South Dakota in 1898.
Loucks wrote extensively on political and economic reform. His publications include The New Monetary System (1893), Government Ownership of Railroads and Telegraphs (1894), and The Great Conspiracy of the House of Morgan and How to Defeat It (1916). Though he lived for many years in Watertown, South Dakota, he died in Clear Lake on December 29, 1928.
Charles A. Lundquist was born on March 26, 1928, in Webster, South Dakota. He graduated early from high school in 1945 intending to enlist in the military but instead enrolled at South Dakota State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in engineering physics. He later received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Kansas in 1953, where he also met and married Patricia Richardson in 1951.
Lundquist began his career as an assistant professor of engineering at Pennsylvania State University, conducting research on homing torpedoes in the university’s Ordnance Research Laboratory. Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1954, he completed basic training at Fort Bliss and was assigned to Redstone Arsenal, working in the Guided Missile Development Division while also teaching at Athens College. After completing his service, he became Chief of Physics and Astrophysics at the Army Ballistic Missile Agency.
In 1960, he joined NASA’s newly formed Marshall Space Flight Center, contributing to early spaceflight projects including Explorer 1 under the leadership of Wernher von Braun. Two years later, Lundquist became assistant director of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Scientific Research Project in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while also serving on NASA’s lunar exploration planning group—a position he attributed to the influence of astronomer Fred Lawrence Whipple.
Lundquist returned to the Marshall Space Flight Center in 1973 to serve as Director of the Space Sciences Laboratory following the death of Gerhard B. Heller. There, he played a key role in the Skylab and Space Shuttle programs until his retirement in 1981.
Following his NASA career, Lundquist joined the University of Alabama in Huntsville as Associate Vice President for Research and Director of the Interactive Projects Office. He conducted extensive oral history interviews with early American and German rocket scientists, culminating in the publication of his book Transplanted Rocket Pioneers. Although he officially retired in 2000, he continued his research and writing until his death in 2017.
Harry Mansheim is a long-standing Brookings resident, father of seven, dedicated runner, and community-focused professional. He’s known both for his experience navigating a major cardiac health challenge publicly endorsing the quality of local care and for his role as a State Farm insurance agent. He's also participated in civic discussions, with at least one public letter to the local newspaper.
Vera Way Marghab was the co-founder and president of Emile Marghab Inc., New York, and Marghab, Ltd., Madeira—renowned producers of fine linens. Born on August 21, 1900, in Wesley, Iowa, to Stitzel X. Way and Kathryn Bacon Way, Vera became a visionary in the world of luxury textiles.
In 1934, she and her husband, Emile Marghab, established their business, which specialized in exquisite embroidered linens crafted by skilled artisans in Madeira. Their products were sold exclusively in prestigious shops worldwide. Following Emile’s passing in 1947, Vera managed the company independently until political changes in Madeira forced its closure in 1984. Shortly after, she returned to Watertown, South Dakota, where she expanded her childhood home, ""Wayland,"" on Lake Kampeska and settled into the community.
Emile Marghab, originally Emile Mogabgab, was a British subject from Cyprus. In 1921, he began managing the L. Tweel Importing Co. House, an importer of hand-embroidered textiles in Funchal, Madeira. Later, he joined F. M. Jabara and Bros., another embroidery firm, before co-founding Farra and Mogabgab Ltd. with Gabriel Farra. By 1930, Emile and Farra leased a factory from Jabara and operated independently, securing buyers in England and New York.
After marrying Vera in 1931, Emile changed his surname at her insistence. Vera quickly became involved in the business, bringing fresh ideas for management and production. When Farra sold his stake in 1933, Vera became Emile’s partner, and the couple undertook significant improvements to the company.
Renaming the business Marghab Ltd., Vera and Emile sought to elevate their products' quality. They sourced the finest linen from Irish weavers and collaborated with Swiss weavers to develop Margandie, a fabric made from premium Egyptian cotton.
Vera played a crucial role in design, ensuring that Madeira embroiderers adhered to her exacting standards. Unlike other companies, Marghab Ltd. maintained a permanent collection of designs, a revolutionary concept in the linen industry. This commitment to consistency and quality set the brand apart.
In 1934, Vera and Emile launched a U.S. branch, Emile Marghab Inc., in New York City, focusing on exclusive marketing strategies. Vera devised the Marghab Shops concept—dedicated spaces within select high-end department stores that adhered to strict display and layout guidelines. Each shop was managed by a personally trained expert under Vera’s direction.
Advertising was similarly controlled. Stores could only advertise Marghab products with Vera’s explicit approval, ensuring the brand’s elite status. This meticulous oversight preserved the linens' prestige and sustained business growth.
At its peak, the Marghab business was synonymous with luxury. However, after Emile’s passing in 1947, shifting consumer preferences and Vera’s rigid business practices led to a gradual decline. By the late 1970s, increasing demands from the Madeira embroidery guild (Gremio), coupled with political upheaval in Portugal and Madeira, made it difficult for Vera to continue operations. By 1984, both Marghab Ltd. and Emile Marghab Inc. had ceased operations.
Marghab linens, celebrated for their unparalleled craftsmanship, adorned palaces and embassies worldwide. Today, several designs remain part of the permanent collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. A complete collection—1,918 pieces spanning 282 designs—is preserved at the South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings, South Dakota.
Vera Way Marghab’s legacy endures, a testament to her dedication to quality, innovation, and timeless elegance.
Jack W. Marken was born on February 11, 1922, in Akron, Ohio, and died on November 17, 2005, in Brookings, South Dakota. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1942 to October 1945. Dr. Marken was recognized for rediscovering William Godwin’s novel Imogen: A Pastoral Romance. In 1968, he moved to Brookings to serve as head of the English Department at South Dakota State University, a position he held until 1978. He retired in 1986. In 1969, Marken met with SDSU President Hilton Briggs to advocate for greater support for American Indian students, which led to the establishment of the American Indian Studies minor. He also co-founded the South Dakota Committee on the Humanities in 1972.
Jim Marking was born April 26, 1927, in Parkston, South Dakota, and was raised by his grandparents. He earned seven varsity letters at Parkston High School, where he excelled in football. After service in the United States Navy, he enrolled at South Dakota State University. Although he did not make the university’s basketball team, he remained committed to the sport and, during his senior year, served as head coach at Bruce High School in Bruce, South Dakota. He graduated from SDSU in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education.
Marking began his coaching career at Hayti High School, where from 1950 to 1954 his teams compiled a record of 117 wins and 13 losses. Hayti won the South Dakota Boys State Class B Championship in 1954 and finished as runner up twice. Beginning in 1956, he coached at Watertown High School, where his teams posted a 78 and 35 record, won the South Dakota Boys State Class A Championship in 1959, and finished as runner up twice.
In 1960, Marking joined South Dakota State University. As assistant coach under Jim Iverson, the men’s basketball team won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1963. Marking served as head coach from 1965 to 1974, leading the team to four North Central Conference championships in 1968, 1969, 1970, and 1973, and five NCAA postseason appearances. At the time of his retirement in 1974, he was the winningest coach in SDSU men’s basketball history, with a record of 148 wins and 80 losses. He also served as the university’s tennis coach for five years. After leaving SDSU, he was employed by Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Dakota until his retirement in 1987.
Over 24 years of basketball coaching, Marking compiled a combined record of 386 wins and 137 losses. His high school coaching record was 194 wins and 48 losses. His SDSU freshman teams posted a 44 and 9 record, and his varsity teams finished 79 and 45 in conference play. Throughout his career, he worked with student athletes as a teacher, coach, and advisor.
Marking received numerous honors, including induction into the South Dakota Hall of Fame, South Dakota High School Coaches Hall of Fame, South Dakota Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame, North Central Conference Hall of Fame, SDSU Hall of Fame, and Watertown High School Hall of Fame. He received the SDSU Distinguished Alumnus Award, the South Dakota Press Association Distinguished Athletic Award, and was named South Dakota College Coach of the Year in 1970. On December 21, 1974, Governor Richard F. Kneip issued an executive proclamation declaring “Jim Marking Day.”
On August 22, 1952, he married Carola Koehn, a high school friend and a 1982 graduate of South Dakota State University in Home Economics. They had five children. Carola Marking died on March 18, 2012. Jim Marking died on January 19, 2013, and is buried in Brookings, South Dakota.
Steve R. Marquardt was born on September 7, 1943, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Macalester College in Minnesota. He completed graduate study at the University of Minnesota, where he received master’s degrees in European history and library science and earned a doctorate in the history of modern France.
Marquardt’s professional career has been devoted to academic librarianship and library administration. He served as Original Monographic Cataloger at New Mexico State University Library in Las Cruces from 1973 to 1975 and concurrently held appointments as Acting University Archivist and Acting Director of the Rio Grande Historical Collections from 1973 to 1974. He later worked at Western Illinois University Library in Macomb, first as Acquisitions Librarian from 1976 to 1977 and then as Head Cataloger and OCLC Coordinator from 1977 to 1979.
From 1979 to 1981, Marquardt was Assistant Director for Resources and Technical Services at the Ohio University Library in Athens. He joined the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire as Director of Libraries in 1981 and served in that role until 1989. He then served as Director of University Libraries at Northern Illinois University from 1989 to 1990 before returning to the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire as Director of Libraries from 1990 to 1996. In 1996, he was appointed Dean of Libraries at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota, a position he held thereafter.
David Martin, the SDSU Sports Information Director, sought to bring SDSU men’s basketball players to Cuba to compete against the Cuban National Basketball Team. He worked with Senator George McGovern and Senator James Abourezk to organize a delegation that included players from both SDSU and the University of South Dakota’s men’s basketball teams. At the time, diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba had been severed, and Senator McGovern viewed the trip as an opportunity to rebuild relations between the two countries.
After two years of effort, Martin’s vision was realized. Five basketball players from SDSU and five from the University of South Dakota were selected to serve as ambassadors for South Dakota and the United States. Including the players and their coaches, a total of 100 Americans traveled to Cuba on April 4, 1977. The delegation also included Senators McGovern and Abourezk, dignitaries, university officials, spouses, and members of the press, with Tom P. Nelson serving as the trip photographer.
During their stay, the Americans toured Cuba and met with Cuban dignitaries. When the American basketball players took the court, they were greeted with a standing ovation. Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro, along with 15,000 spectators, attended the games. Fans cheered for both teams, though the Americans lost each matchup against their Cuban counterparts. The delegation returned to the United States on April 8, 1977.
Ethel Austin was born on July 14, 1893, in Storm Lake, Iowa, to George and Evaline Austin. Her family moved to Brookings, South Dakota, in 1902, where she completed grade school and high school. She graduated from South Dakota State College (SDSC) in 1916, later earning a second bachelor’s degree (1919) and a master’s degree (1923) from Columbia University. In 1955, SDSC awarded her an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
Martin began her career teaching high school in Faulkton, South Dakota (1916–1918), and later taught home economics and nutrition at several institutions, including Texas State College, the University of Illinois (1923–1924), the University of Chicago (1925–1929), and Northwestern University (1957–1959). From 1929 to 1951, she served as director of nutrition services for the National Dairy Council, where she launched its research program and nutrition education initiatives.
An accomplished author, Martin published numerous technical works and co-authored three university-level textbooks, including Nutrition in Action and Nutrition Education in Action. In 1949, she was the only woman delegate among ten U.S. representatives to the 11th International Dairy Congress in Stockholm. She also served on the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Advisory Committee (1950–1960) and held leadership roles in the Chicago Nutrition Association and Chicago Board of Health.
In retirement, Martin remained actively engaged in advancing nutrition education. She and her husband, Dr. Edward Moss Martin, established an endowment for the Ethel Austin Martin Chair of Human Nutrition at South Dakota State University to support visiting professorships and lectureships. Her goal was to promote a multidisciplinary understanding of nutrition.
Dr. Edward Martin, a civic reform advocate in Illinois, passed away in 1985. Ethel Austin Martin died on September 11, 1993, in Chicago at the age of 100. On her 99th birthday, she was named a Fellow of the Society for Nutrition Education.
Vincent Joseph McAuliffe was born on January 25, 1927 in New York City, New York, to Michael and Gertrude McAuliffe. During his childhood he resided in Kerhonkson, New York, where he graduated high school. In 1944, at the age of 17, Joseph enlisted in the U.S. Army and served until 1946. After his military contributions, McAuliffe went to college, earning his Bachelor degree at Cornell University in 1949, a Master's degree at the University of Maryland in 1955, and a Doctorate degree at Stanford University in 1965.
McAuliffe began his career in 4-H as a member and President of the Kerhonkson 4-H club in Ulster County, New York. From there, Joseph became a 4-H agent in South Dakota and Minnesota. In 1959 until 1968, Joseph became Program Leader of 4-H and Youth Development. In late 1968, Joseph was promoted to Extension Service and Associate State Leader of 4-H Youth in Minnesota. He then held the position of Director of Educational Programs of the National 4-H Foundation, then Director of Educational Programs and Services of the National 4-H Council in Washington D.C. from 1968 to 1974. In 1973, in the last stages of Joseph McAuliffe's career, he was named Program Leader of 4-H Youth until his retirement in 1977.
After retirement, Joseph kept his involvement in 4-H further by consulting to Jamaica to expand their 4-H program, then consulting with his wife, June McAuliffe, at major U.S. fairs to promote 4-H Wildlife and Fisheries Program, and finally consulting to Romania to establish a 4-H program.
McAuliffe’s awards and honors from his lengthy career with 4-H are extensive, with some including being named a National 4-H Fellow, 4-H Distinguished Service Award, National Partner in 4-H, and being named to the National 4-H Hall of Fame.
Vincent Joseph McAuliffe passed away on January 18, 2021, preceded by his wife, June McAuliffe.
Jon McNitt was a collegiate wrestler for South Dakota State University during the late 1960s. Competing in the 167-pound weight class, he earned national recognition as a two-time NCAA Division II All-American. McNitt placed second at the national championships in 1967 and followed with a fourth-place finish in 1968, marking him as one of the top wrestlers in SDSU history during that era. His achievements contributed to the university’s strong wrestling tradition under coach Frank Kurtenbach, and he is noted in archival records and media guides from the period.
Edgar Sharp McFadden was born to James Edgar and Beatrice (Stocking) McFadden on February 3, 1891, in Day County, South Dakota. James E. McFadden came to South Dakota in 1882 to homestead and built a granary-dwelling house combination on his land.
In 1903, James E. McFadden was severely injured when he was gored by a bull. This put the burden of the 1904 spring planting onto Edgar McFadden when he was only thirteen years old. In addition to the regular planting of wheat that year, Edgar S. McFadden planted a small plot with seeds he had selected in 1903 from a few completely beardless wheat plants. He wanted to see if he could develop a better grain. McFadden’s first crop, including the small plot, was ruined by black stem rust.
In the winter of 1908-1909, the McFadden’s left South Dakota and moved to the West Pecos area of Texas, where Edgar went into the cattle ranching business in partnership with his father. Over the next three summers, Edgar S. McFadden followed the wheat harvest from Texas to their homestead in South Dakota, and then north and east into the Red River Valley in North Dakota and Minnesota. At this time, he observed that wheat rust started in the south and moved north.
In 1911, Edgar S. McFadden began taking courses in the School of Agriculture at South Dakota State College (SDSC), completing the program in 1914. He began as a freshman at SDSC in the fall of the same year. In 1916, agronomy professor Manley Champlin encouraged McFadden to plant wheat in a small plot of land behind the boarding house where he lived as a student in Brookings. He hoped to transfer the disease resistance of Yaroslav emmer to Marquis, a common bread wheat. While a student at SDSC, McFadden also worked as an assistant in the SDSC agronomy laboratory and in the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station test plots (1913-1917). He received his Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from SDSC on March 1, 1918.
Following his graduation, McFadden went to work for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a field assistant at the Agricultural Experiment Station in Highmore, South Dakota, where he continued his research to develop rust-resistant wheat. During World War I, McFadden joined the United States Army and served from May 25, 1918 to February 25, 1919. Following his military service, he returned to work for the USDA at the Highmore Experiment Station. After completing cereal experiments for the SDSC agronomy department in June 1920, he returned to his farm near Webster in Day County, South Dakota.
He continued his wheat breeding experiments on the land that his parents had homesteaded, and he farmed for a living from September 1, 1920 to February 28, 1929. After his crops were destroyed by drought in 1921, hailed out in 1922, and rusted out in 1923, he mortgaged the farm in order to continue working on his wheat breeding research. During this time McFadden developed the Hope and H44 varieties of rust-resistant wheat.
McFadden returned to work for the USDA on March 1, 1929 as an Associate Agronomist stationed in Redfield, South Dakota, and also worked for the USDA at University Farm in St. Paul, Minnesota. He held that position until 1935, when he accepted a position with the USDA and the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. In Texas, McFadden continued his research with wheat and other small grains, including oats, barely, and flax.
Edgar S. McFadden is best known for his work developing Hope Wheat, which is the parent of numerous disease-resistant varieties. He is credited with saving at least 25 million people from starvation, and an estimated $400 million during World War II.
During his career, McFadden was awarded numerous honors and accolades including an honorary doctor of science degree from South Dakota State College (1950), the Reader’s Digest award for meritorious contributions to public welfare (1946), the American Agricultural Editors’ Award for outstanding service to American agriculture and country life (1947), and the Progressive Farmer man-of-the-year award (1950). He also received the USDA Distinguished Service Award (1949), a citation of merit from the Texas Chemurgic Council (1947), and honored by the American Agricultural Education Association (1945) for outstanding service. Prior to his death, McFadden received the prestigious John Scott Legacy Medal and Premium (1955). In 1966, a granite memorial to McFadden was erected in Webster, South Dakota.
In 1918, McFadden married Mabel Blakeslee. They had two daughters, Carol and Phyllis, and a son, James.
Edgar S. McFadden passed away at his home in College Station, Texas on January 5, 1956.