The Saturday Literary Club, founded in 1897 with 14 members, was the first women’s club organized in Brookings, South Dakota. Dedicated to social engagement and cultural enrichment, the club played a significant role in the community’s intellectual life.
Scabbard and Blade is a national collegiate military honor society founded in 1904 at the University of Wisconsin to recognize outstanding ROTC cadets and promote excellence in military training. The South Dakota State College chapter, designated as Company I, 6th Regiment, was installed on May 15, 1927. The organization sought to raise the standard of military drill and instruction in colleges, strengthen cooperation among military departments, encourage the development of capable officers, and foster fellowship among cadets.
Membership was open to ROTC cadets enrolled in the advanced course and was based on demonstrated qualities including efficiency, patriotism, honor, courage, obedience, and good fellowship. The chapter functioned as an honorary organization within the military science program and remained active at South Dakota State University until sometime in the 1970s.
Theodore W. Schultz (1902–1998) was an influential economist known for his work on human capital and agricultural economics. Born on April 30, 1902, in Arlington, South Dakota, he was the eldest of eight children. Due to labor shortages during World War I, he worked on the family farm instead of attending high school. The agricultural depression of the 1920s motivated him to study the economic factors affecting farmers. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from South Dakota State University in 1926 and went on to the University of Wisconsin, where he completed his master’s and doctoral degrees in 1930.
Schultz began his teaching career in agricultural economics at Iowa State University, later becoming head of the Department of Economic Sociology. During World War II, he and his colleagues produced reports on government policies affecting agriculture. One controversial report recommended substituting margarine for butter, leading to opposition from the Iowa dairy industry and college administration. In 1943, Schultz successfully fought against censorship but resigned in protest along with several colleagues. He then joined the University of Chicago, where he became department chairman and played a key role in establishing Chicago as a center for economic innovation. In 1952, he was named a Charles L. Hutchinson Distinguished Service Professor, a position he held until retiring as emeritus professor in 1972.
Schultz pioneered the concept of human capital, arguing that investment in education and skills enhances economic productivity. He also challenged traditional views on agriculture, emphasizing its role in economic development beyond just food production. In 1979, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics, shared with Arthur Lewis, for his groundbreaking research on economic development and human capital. He also received the Francis A. Walker Medal in 1972, a prestigious honor given by the American Economic Association every five years. Schultz authored and edited numerous books and served as an adviser to major foundations, federal agencies, the White House, and the military. He received five honorary doctorates, including one from South Dakota State University.
Schultz married Esther Werth, a fellow South Dakota native and SDSU graduate. They had two daughters, Elaine and Margaret, and one son, T. Paul. Though he formally retired in 1972, he remained active in research until 1990, when a hip fracture left him bedridden. He passed away on February 26, 1998, in Evanston, Illinois, due to complications from pneumonia.
Tom Schumacher is Professor Emeritus of Plant Science at South Dakota State University. His scholarship focuses on soil biophysics, soil management, and soil conservation. He earned a Ph.D. in Soil Biophysics in 1982 and an M.S. in Crop and Soil Science in 1979 from Michigan State University, following a B.A. in Biology from Bluffton University in 1972.
Throughout his academic career, Schumacher conducted research on soil structure, soil physical properties, and soil architecture. His work has been widely cited, with more than 7,900 citations, and he has authored or co authored over 168 scholarly publications. His research contributed to the scientific understanding of soil behavior and management practices relevant to agriculture and environmental conservation.
Schumacher has been active in professional organizations including the American Society of Agronomy, the Soil Science Society of America, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society. In addition to his research, he was involved in teaching and mentoring students and professionals in soil science. His career includes recognition through awards and honors related to his research and professional service.
In April 1977, South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota participated in a joint men’s basketball delegation to Cuba. The initiative developed after U.S. Senator George McGovern’s 1975 visit to Cuba, which prompted discussions about the potential for academic and athletic exchanges. South Dakota State Sports Information Director Dave Martin contacted Senator McGovern to explore the feasibility of a basketball exchange. With the support of Senators George McGovern and James Abourezk, arrangements were finalized for a combined delegation of players, coaches, and university representatives from both institutions.
The delegation traveled to Cuba from April 4 to April 8, 1977. During the visit, the South Dakota team played two exhibition games against the Cuban National Team. In addition to competition, participants toured Havana and met Cuban athletes, including members of the national boxing program, providing opportunities for cultural and athletic exchange. Later that year, the Cuban National Team traveled to South Dakota and competed at Frost Arena on November 13, 1977, before a public audience. The exchange represented one of the early athletic visits by American citizens to Cuba following the suspension of diplomatic relations in the early 1960s and reflected the use of collegiate athletics as a channel for international engagement.
Charles Louis Sewrey, a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, joined South Dakota State College in 1947 after graduating with high distinction from the University of Minnesota. He held Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Minnesota, where he also gained teaching experience. In 1955, he earned his Ph.D. from the same institution.
At South Dakota State University, Dr. Sewrey served as professor of history, teaching courses in American political, economic, cultural, and diplomatic history. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he published extensively in national intellectual magazines and authored A History of South Dakota State College in 1959. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Dr. Sewrey retired in 1974 due to declining health and passed away in 1979. In 1981, a memorial endowment fund was established in his name. The History Department at South Dakota State University is the principal recipient of the fund, which supports student scholarships and faculty development initiatives, including the Sewrey Faculty Colloquium.
Cecile Irene Welch Sexauer was born on January 18, 1888, in Huron, South Dakota, to Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Welch. The family moved to Arlington, South Dakota, and later to Brookings in 1903. Cecile graduated from Brookings High School and South Dakota State College and attended the Boston Conservatory of Music for one year. She taught piano at South Dakota State College and was a member of the First Baptist Church in Brookings, where she played piano and organ for about 25 years. Cecile was actively involved in music organizations at the local, state, and national levels, including serving as president of the National Music Organization. She was also a member of the BA chapter of PEO and the Sorosis Club. Cecile passed away on October 7, 1973, at Brookings Hospital, after being hospitalized for four weeks.
Elmer Harrison Sexauer was born on July 13, 1888, in Winona, Minnesota, to George P. and Elisa (Ulrich) Sexauer. The family moved to Volga, South Dakota in 1891 and later to Brookings, where Elmer attended public schools and South Dakota State College. In 1911, he joined his father in managing The Sexauer Company. Elmer served in the U.S. Army during World War I and held leadership roles in several organizations, including president of the SD Seed Dealers Association, the Western Seedsmen Association, the American Seed Trade Association, and the National Grain and Feed Association. He was also involved with the Board of Directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, First Bank Systems, and Northwestern Bell Telephone. Elmer received the Distinguished Service Award from the University of South Dakota for his business achievements. He was a member of Gamma Sigma Phi at SDSU, the Brookings Masonic Lodge No. 24, and the El Riad Shrine. Elmer retired in 1977 as chairman of The Sexauer Company, which had offices in Brookings, Des Moines, West Fargo, and Norfolk. He passed away on November 15, 1986.
Harold W. Shunk (1907-1998) was an educator, public servant, and historian, born on July 25, 1907, in Philip, South Dakota. He married his former Colome High School classmate, DeLilah E. Wood, in 1929. After earning a degree from Southern State College, he taught in Tripp County before working on the Rosebud and Cheyenne River Indian reservations. During World War II, he served in the South Pacific as a tank driver.
In the 1950s, Shunk began his career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, serving as superintendent at the Sisseton, Turtle Mountain, Standing Rock, and Rosebud agencies. He retired in 1968 and subsequently focused on public service, actively participating in civic and fraternal organizations. His roles included serving on the governing boards of Rapid City schools, South Dakota State University, the University of South Dakota, and Black Hills State University, as well as holding positions with the South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Lower Brule Irrigation Board, and the Pennington County Housing Board.
Deeply interested in history, Shunk contributed to the South Dakota State Historical Society and hosted radio and television programs in Rapid City, sharing his knowledge of local history. He passed away on April 18, 1998, in Rapid City.
Oscar and Alice Simonson were married on June 11, 1938, and made their home in Day County, South Dakota, where they farmed for forty years. They planted their first crops in the spring of 1939. Over the decades, they witnessed significant changes in rural life and agriculture, including the transition from horses to tractors, the adoption of crop hybridization, and the introduction of electricity and indoor plumbing. They practiced diversified farming, rotated crops, planted shelterbelts, and saved seed annually for the next year’s planting. Alice maintained the financial records for the farm.
In 1957, they purchased the 1890 homestead of Lars A. Sand in Union Township, Day County, from Alice’s father, Elmer Bakken. The Simonsons lived on this farm until 1978, when they sold the property and moved to Webster, South Dakota. They also acquired Oscar’s family farm in Union County, which had originally been homesteaded by Alma Smoots and later passed down through his grandfather, Ole Simonson, to his parents.
Oscar and Alice enjoyed traveling by plane and bus, including a trip to Norway to visit the birthplace of Oscar’s mother.
Oscar E. Simonson was born on August 14, 1913, in Bristol, South Dakota, to Simon and Annie (Skudal) Simonson. He attended country school in Union Township and graduated from Bristol High School. In the 1930s, he worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Black Hills before returning to farm with his family. After retiring from farming, he worked for ten years at the Farmers Elevator in Holmquist and served on the board of Sun Dial Manor in Bristol during the 1980s. Oscar Simonson passed away on March 5, 2014, at Bethesda Home in Webster.
The Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) Summer Track Program began in 1969. It was part of the ""1969 Junior Champ Track Program,"" held in ten cities across South Dakota and sponsored by the South Dakota Jaycees and the Spader Camper Center of Brookings. Stan Jensen of Brookings served as the program’s chairman.
The program aimed to give youth the opportunity “to run, jump, or throw” and to experience the enjoyment, recreation, and sense of well-being associated with physical activity and fitness. It culminated in a state championship for boys and girls aged 15 to 18, with winners qualifying for the 6th/5th Annual U.S. Jaycee Junior Track and Field Championships at the University of Minnesota. Food, lodging, and transportation were provided by the sponsors.
From 1970 to 1973, the South Dakota Jaycees and the American Dairy Association of South Dakota continued supporting the Junior Track Program, with state meets held in Brookings.
The Sioux Falls Jaycees Developmental Meets, affiliated with the Sioux Falls Recreation Department and directed by Rich Greeno, were held from 1974 to 1976 and had reached their eighth year by then.
V.J. Smith, a 1978 graduate of South Dakota State University, began his career at Allied Signal Aerospace in Kansas City during the 1980s. In 1990, he returned to SDSU as Assistant Athletic Director and became Executive Director of the SDSU Alumni Association in 1996, a role he held until 2007. He is the author of The Richest Man in Town and has built a career as a motivational speaker. Smith was elected to the South Dakota State Senate in 2018, representing District 7, and served until January 2021.
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (pronounced S-navy) (b. February 21, 1933) is a celebrated Lakota writer, educator, and historian, renowned for her significant contributions to Native American literature and cultural preservation. An enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, she was raised on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota.
Sneve attended Bureau of Indian Affairs day schools and graduated in 1950 from St. Mary's Episcopal High School for Indian Girls in Springfield, South Dakota. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University in 1954 and began her career as an English and music teacher in White and later Pierre, South Dakota.
After a period devoted to raising her three children, she returned to teaching in 1965 at Flandreau Indian School, where she taught English, speech, and drama, eventually becoming a guidance counselor. In 1969, she earned a Master of Education degree from South Dakota State University.
Her literary career was launched in 1971 when her manuscript Jimmy Yellow Hawk won a competition held by the Council on Interracial Books. This led to a publishing contract with Holiday House, which released Jimmy Yellow Hawk and High Elk's Treasure in 1972. Expanding into nonfiction, Sneve edited South Dakota Geographic Names and authored The Dakota's Heritage in 1973. Her body of work has grown to include a history of the Episcopal Church in South Dakota, Completing the Circle (1995), and The First Americans Series, a historical series about Native American tribes.
Sneve's work has garnered numerous honors, including the South Dakota Governor's Award in the Arts for Distinction in Creative Achievement and the South Dakota Humanities Council's Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities Award. She has also received honorary doctorates from South Dakota State University and Dakota Wesleyan University. In 1996, she was awarded the National Education Association's Author/Illustrator Award, and in 2000, she became the first South Dakotan to receive the National Humanities Medal, presented by President Bill Clinton.
Throughout her career, Sneve has been a respected voice at literary festivals and educational forums, including the International Reading Association, the National Book Festival (2002), and the Native Writers Series at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (2005). With a prolific career spanning decades, she has authored fiction, nonfiction, short stories, articles, editorials, and book introductions solidifying her legacy as a leading figure in Native American literature.
Clav Snow was from Onaka, South Dakota. In 1930, he enrolled in the engineering program at South Dakota State College and served as a military cadet in Company B, 4th Squad. He died at the college infirmary in January.