On January 20, 1933, a group of women met at the home of Mrs. A.H. Hoppe to organize a music club under the auspices of the American Association of University Women. They adopted the four-year study program of the National Federation of Music Clubs. In 1934, the club became officially affiliated with the Federation. The organization's goals were to promote mutual support among members and to advance music within the community.
The National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights and benefits of retired federal employees and their families at the local, state, and national levels. The Big Sioux Chapter (Chapter 0872), based in Brookings, South Dakota, is part of the South Dakota Federation of NARFE chapters. Although currently inactive, the chapter has previously served members in the region through advocacy, community engagement, and information-sharing.
Alfred Lyman Musson was born on August 31, 1911, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Alfred and Mildred Musson. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Connecticut State College at Storrs in 1933, followed by a master’s degree in 1934 and a doctorate in 1951, both from Iowa State University at Ames. On November 28, 1935, he married Helen Saunders in South Norwalk, Connecticut. They had three children: Alfred L. Jr., Esther, and Merrill, and five grandsons. Helen Musson passed away in November 1987. Alfred later married Hannah Sharp in Brookings on February 18, 1989.
From 1938 to 1941, Alfred and Helen Musson served as house parents at Greer School at Hope Farm in New York. Alfred was called to active duty with the U.S. Army Reserve from 1931 to 1945, serving in the 271st Infantry, 69th Infantry Division. He was a veteran of World War II and retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was employed at Iowa State University for six years and spent three years at the Hope Farm School for Dependent Children.
In October 1952, Musson joined the faculty of South Dakota State College as professor and head of the Animal Science Department. From 1960 until his retirement in 1973, he served in the Office of the Dean of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, ultimately retiring as associate director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station.
Following his retirement, Musson pursued genealogical research. He wrote a privately published family history in 1986 and issued a family genealogy newsletter from 1980 to 1982. He was a member of the Brookings Area Genealogy Society, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, and the Marblehead (Mass.) Historical Society. His affiliations also included the Mystic Seaport, Inc., the 69th Infantry Division Association, the American Society of Animal Science, Gamma Sigma Delta, Sigma Xi, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. He was a former Rotarian and Scoutmaster in Ames, Iowa.
Alfred Musson died on July 21, 1990, at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls. He was buried at Westwood Cemetery in Westwood, New Jersey.