James K. ""Tex"" Lewis was born on October 24, 1924, in Waco, Texas. He earned a B.S. in Animal Science from Colorado State University in 1948 and an M.S. in Animal Science from Montana State College in 1951, later pursuing graduate studies in range management at Texas A&M University.
As a professor of Animal Sciences at South Dakota State University, Lewis specialized in range management and range livestock nutrition. His research at the Cottonwood and Antelope Range Field Stations focused on grazing systems, supplementation trials, range improvements, and biometric analyses of grassland ecosystems. He was honored with several awards, including the Special Appreciation Award (1975), the Trail Boss Award (1980), and the Outstanding Achievement Award (1984) from the Society for Range Management.
Lewis retired from SDSU in 1985, leaving a lasting impact on the field of range science. His legacy continues through the long-term data he collected, which remains a valuable resource for contemporary research in sustainable rangeland and livestock management. Current studies analyzing stocking rates, forage productivity, and ecological sustainability continue to build on the foundational work Lewis conducted across South Dakota’s rangelands.
The Academic Women's Equity Coalition was established at South Dakota State University during the 1983–1984 academic year in response to informal conversations among faculty members concerned with workplace policies and professional opportunities. Open to all faculty and supporters of its mission, the coalition aimed to promote equity in hiring, salary, promotion, and tenure practices. It provided a forum for discussing faculty experiences, identifying institutional barriers, and fostering professional development.
The coalition advocated for clear, consistent communication in professional contexts and supported faculty interested in administrative advancement. Through these efforts, it contributed to institutional conversations about fairness, transparency, and career progression within the university setting.
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.