Robert F. Karolevitz was born on April 26, 1922, at Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, South Dakota. He began his writing career in high school as editor of the school newspaper and yearbook and contributed a sports column to the Yankton Public Opinion. After graduating from Yankton High School in 1940, he studied printing and journalism at South Dakota State College. During World War II, he served with the U.S. Army Infantry in Japan and the Philippines, rising to the rank of captain. As division historian for the 25th Infantry, he authored his first book, The 25th Infantry Division and World War II, published in 1946.
Following his military service, Karolevitz earned a B.S. in Printing and Rural Journalism from South Dakota State College in 1948 and later completed a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Oregon. Recalled to active duty during the Korean War, he served as a public-information officer and feature writer for the U.S. Eighth Army, contributing articles and organizing homecoming events for returning soldiers.
In the 1950s and 60s, Karolevitz and his wife, Phyllis, lived in Seattle, Washington, where he worked in public relations, advertising, and political ghostwriting. He gained recognition as a popular historian with the publication of Newspapering in the Old West (1965), for which he received a Sigma Delta Chi excellence award. After nearly two decades in Washington, the Karolevitz family returned to South Dakota, where he continued his writing career, producing a prolific body of work focused on regional history and culture.
Karolevitz authored nearly forty books, including Where Your Heart Is: The Story of Harvey Dunn, which won the National Cowboy Hall of Fame Wrangler Award; Challenge: The South Dakota Story, written for the South Dakota Division of Elementary and Secondary Education and honored by Augustana College's Center for Western Studies; and Flight of Eagles, co-authored with Ross Fenn, which earned the Polish Gold Merit Cross. His newspaper columns, Writer at Large and The Way It Was, appeared in various South Dakota publications and were later compiled into books such as Tears in My Horseradish and Toulouse the Goose.
Deeply involved in civic and historical institutions, Karolevitz served on numerous boards, including the South Dakota Hall of Fame, South Dakota State Historical Society, and Sacred Heart Hospital. He was instrumental in the establishment of the South Dakota State Historical Society Press and served as president of the South Dakota State University Alumni Association. Over his career, he received numerous honors for his literary and public service contributions, including the South Dakota Hall of Fame induction (1973), Distinguished Citizen of the Year (1981), and the Bishop Dudley Media Award (2004).
Karolevitz’s legacy reflects his lifelong dedication to documenting and promoting the history, people, and culture of South Dakota and the American Midwest.
Robert Floyd Kerr was born on April 12, 1850, in Sugar Grove, Indiana. He attended Wabash College and later DePauw University, graduating in 1877. After teaching in Indiana for two years, Kerr traveled to Hirosaki, Japan, in 1879, where he taught English and mathematics. He returned to the United States in 1880 and taught throughout the Midwest before settling in Brookings, Dakota Territory, in 1885.
At Dakota Agricultural College (now South Dakota State University), Kerr served as professor of political economy and Principal of the Preparatory Department. He was dismissed from the college in 1892 and spent several years in Illinois before returning to Brookings in 1898. Upon his return, he was appointed Librarian and again served as Principal of the Preparatory Department.
In addition to his academic roles, Kerr managed the men's dormitory, served as steward and manager of the student boarding club, and advised the Dakota Agricultural Cadets, the campus military organization. He was also active in civic life in Brookings, helping to found the Forum, a local men’s association, and participating in the Masons.
In 1905, Kerr was appointed Private Secretary to South Dakota Governor Samuel H. Elrod. He later served in the South Dakota Legislature in 1911 and 1913. In his later years, Kerr remained in Brookings, edited a farm paper, and remained engaged in community affairs. He died on October 16, 1921.
Professor Frank Klock was born in 1950 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Raymond and Zeta (Babe) Klock. He graduated from South Dakota State University in 1973 with a degree in photojournalism. Following graduation, Klock worked as a sports editor, writer, and photojournalist for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. He later joined the faculty at South Dakota State University as a professor of photography. During his tenure, he taught Basic Photography, Photojournalism, and Advanced Photography. He also served as advisor to the Journalism Club and acted as a photo judge for the South Dakota Newspaper Association and other organizations.
Jim Koch was a highly respected figure in the wrestling community, known for his excellence as an athlete, coach, and national leader in the sport.
Koch began his wrestling career in 1963 as a junior at Milbank High School in South Dakota. As a senior, he posted a 23–1–1 record at the state meet, becoming the school’s first wrestler to earn a state medal.
Recruited to South Dakota State University for both football and wrestling, Koch received the Stephen F. Briggs Academic Scholarship. After his first year, he chose to focus exclusively on wrestling. He completed an undefeated freshman season and went on to become the varsity 160-pound wrestler, advancing to the North Central Conference championship finals in each of the next three years. Koch graduated from SDSU with honors in 1969 and later earned a Master of Science in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation from SDSU in 1974. His master’s thesis is available for viewing.
Koch began his coaching career in 1969 as a graduate assistant at SDSU. In 1970, he was appointed the first head wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin–Parkside, a position he held for 41 seasons until his retirement in 2011. Under his leadership, UW-Parkside developed into one of the nation’s premier wrestling programs. According to a university press release, Koch’s wrestlers earned 128 All-America honors and 80 Academic All-America honors, while 14 athletes won individual national championships. His teams finished in the national Top 10 during 23 seasons, participated in 68 national tournaments, and qualified for the NCAA Division II or NAIA National Championships 31 times.
Beyond his university coaching career, Koch played a significant leadership role at the national level. He chaired the National Hall of Fame committees for both the NAIA and NCAA Division II, overseeing the induction of more than 70 and 74 members, respectively. He also served as president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association for both organizations and was instrumental in establishing academic All-American award criteria. Koch served as host coach for the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Tournament in 1982, 1990, and 2002.
Koch received numerous honors for his coaching achievements and service to wrestling. In 1971, Amateur Wrestling News named him Collegiate Rookie Coach of the Year. As an SDSU alumnus, he received the Ralph Ginn Coaching Award in 1995. He was inducted into six halls of fame, including the NAIA National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1993 and the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2003, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame recognized Koch with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jim Koch passed away on March 23, 2017, at the age of 69, after being struck by a car while jogging in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was attending the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Shortly before his death, the National Wrestling Coaches Association renamed its Division II hall of fame in his honor. In November 2018, the University of Wisconsin–Parkside dedicated the Jim Koch Wrestling Center practice facility.- South Dakota State University
Kari Rombs Kohlhoff is a graduate of South Dakota State University and has worked extensively in museum and archival settings in the Upper Midwest. She contributed to the preparation of manuscript inventories at the North Dakota State Archives during the late 1980s and later served as Curator of Collections for the Siouxland Heritage Museums in Minnehaha County, South Dakota. Her work has supported the preservation, organization, and accessibility of regional historical collections, and she has been listed among professionals maintaining North American natural history collections.