John P. Hendrickson was born on February 17, 1923, in Valley City, North Dakota, to Rev. Alfred and Karen (Skorpen) Hendrickson. He graduated from Bismarck High School in 1940 and served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946 in the United States and Europe. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1947, a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Minnesota in 1949, and a doctorate in political science from the University of Iowa in 1952. In 1951, he married Arlene “Susie” Brogla in Iowa City, Iowa. Before joining South Dakota State University in 1954, Hendrickson taught at the University of Iowa and the College of Wooster in Ohio. He also pursued post-doctoral study at the University of Nebraska and the University of Manitoba, where his work contributed to the development of courses on Canadian politics and government at South Dakota State University.
Dr. Hendrickson had a long and distinguished career at South Dakota State University, serving as professor of political science from 1954 to 1988 and as head of the political science department from 1967 to 1988. He worked with the South Dakota Constitutional Revision Commission (1969–1975), the Local Government Study Commission, and the State Supreme Court Blue Ribbon Committee. In 1967, he was chosen to confer an Honorary Doctor of Science degree on Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Two years later, he was selected as Outstanding Teacher of the Year by SDSU students, faculty, and alumni. The South Dakota Supreme Court recognized him in 1986 for his service on the Blue Ribbon Citizen Committee. In 1988, he received the SDSU Alumni Association’s non-alumnus award for service to South Dakota and was named Professor Emeritus. He also received the Liberty Bell Award from the Brookings County Bar Association in 1989. Dr. Hendrickson was profiled in South Dakota 99, a collection highlighting 99 influential people from the state’s first 99 years.
After retiring from SDSU, Dr. Hendrickson remained active in public life. He authored the Home Rule Charter for Brookings in 1996 and served on the Argus Leader Editorial Board. He was also a member of Golden K and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
Wilma (Jean) Walters Lothrop was born July 19, 1919 in Brookings, South Dakota to William Hayes and Grace (Durland) Walters. Jean Walters graduated from Brookings High School in 1937, from South Dakota State College in 1941, and from Denver University with a Masters in Library Science. She also attended the University of Minnesota. In 1941-1942, she taught home economics and science at Langford, South Dakota, High School. On December 20, 1942 she married Eugene “Gene” Henry Lothrop of Huron, South Dakota. She was a librarian. They had two daughters Helen and Martha; and one son Robert. Jean died November 20, 2013 in Prescott, Arizona.
Eugene “Gene” Lothrop was born in Redfield, SD, on August 16, 1920. Gene graduated from Huron High School in 1938 and went on to study electrical engineering at South Dakota State College, graduating in 1942. On December 20, 1942, he married Wilma (Jean) Walters. Gene was the foreman at Lothrop’s Electrical Service owned by Elmer M. Lothrop. Gene died on April 15, 2014 in Prescott, Arizona.
William Hayes Walters was born December 8, 1877 in Laverne, Minnesota to Solomon and Mathilda Walters. He attended school in Bruce, South Dakota and graduated from South Dakota Agricultural College in 1897. William married Grace Jennie Durland in 1904. They had seven children; Maxine, Robert, Leslie, Hubert, Helen, Curtis, and Wilma. William was a self-employed real estate agent in Brookings, South Dakota. William died March 18, 1962. Grace died on March 3, 1978.
Lucille Helen Lothrop was born May 2, 1916 in Redfield, South Dakota to Elmer and Allie Lothrop, She graduated from Redfield High School in 1937. She died on July 20, 1937.
Reed “Rocky” G. Hart, Jr. was born on August 4, 1926, in Pipestone, Minnesota, to Reed Sr. and Marie (Johannsen) Hart. He grew up in Pipestone and graduated from high school in 1944. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army and served until the end of World War II. In 1947, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota, where he played on the freshman football team. He was later recalled to service during the Korean War and eventually returned to complete his B.S. degree in 1955.
Hart spent much of his professional life working on government contracts around the world, including assignments in Greenland, Guantanamo Bay (Cuba), Kwajalein (Marshall Islands), and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), as well as living in Washington, D.C.; San Diego, California; and New Orleans, Louisiana.
While stationed in Kwajalein and later in Saudi Arabia, Hart founded jogging clubs that organized races, events, and awards. A 1975 scrapbook notes, “October 8 [1975] Kwajalein loses Rocky Hart… Rocky has been a Kwaj resident for 8½ years and during that time organized the [jogging] club in 1968 and in the last five years has organized jogs, special events for the club and he even makes all the awards and trophies himself at the Special Services Hobby Shop.”
After retiring, Hart returned to Pipestone and later moved to Egan, Minnesota. In retirement, he founded the All-Star Jogging League, which served runners in southwestern Minnesota and southeastern South Dakota. At its height, the club had nearly 150 members.
Reed Hart passed away on July 14, 2014, at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Neva Marie Whaley Harding was born on June 5, 1872, in Rock Island County, Illinois, to Josiah and Susan Whaley. In 1880, the family relocated to De Smet, South Dakota, where Neva completed her education at De Smet High School in 1889. She then embarked on a teaching career in Kingsbury County before pursuing higher education at South Dakota Agricultural College, now South Dakota State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Domestic Economy in 1897.
On July 6, 1898, Neva married Albert S. Harding, and they settled in Brookings, South Dakota, where Albert served as a professor in the history department at South Dakota State College. The couple adopted a son, Robert Eugene Harding, in 1909.
Throughout her life, Neva played an active role in the educational and cultural life of the community. She was instrumental in founding the Brookings Women's Club, serving as its inaugural president in 1900, and remained an active member throughout her life. Neva also contributed to St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Guild.
In her later years, Neva developed a passion for painting, creating numerous artworks that reflected the beauty of her surroundings. She also chronicled her life experiences in an autobiography titled "I Recall Pioneer Days in South Dakota," offering insights into the region's pioneer era.
Governor Richard Kneip honored Neva's remarkable life by proclaiming June 5, 1974, as "Neva Harding Day," recognizing her enduring influence and legacy. Neva passed away on January 5, 1978, in Brookings, South Dakota, at the remarkable age of 105.
Albert Spencer Harding was born on November 30, 1867, in Janesville, Wisconsin. In 1883, he relocated with his family to Spink County in Dakota Territory. He entered Dakota Agricultural College in 1889, earned a B.A. in agriculture in 1892, and later received an M.A. from the University of Nebraska. In 1897, Harding returned to Brookings to begin his long career as a faculty member at South Dakota State University.
From 1897 to 1943, Harding taught history, political science, sociology, and economics at SDSU. Over the course of his 54-year teaching career, he led 600 different courses and instructed 11,798 students. He was appointed head of the History and Political Science Department in 1931, a role he held until retirement.
Harding married Neva Marie Whaley of De Smet, South Dakota, in 1897 or 1898. The couple had one adopted son, Robert. Neva lived to the age of 105 and died in Brookings in 1978.
In addition to his academic work, Harding was active in the Brookings Kiwanis Club, the Methodist Church, and the Forum. His longstanding dedication to SDSU is commemorated in multiple ways. Harding Hall, constructed in 1952 on the university campus, was named in his honor. The Harding Distinguished Lecture Series, established in 1963, continues to bring notable lecturers to SDSU.
Albert S. Harding passed away in Brookings, South Dakota, on December 2, 1952.
Niels Ebbesen Hansen (1866–1950) was a pioneering horticulturist, plant breeder, and explorer whose career at South Dakota State College, now South Dakota State University, spanned more than four decades. Joining the faculty in 1895 as Professor of Horticulture and Forestry, Hansen became a central figure in the work of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. His research focused on developing fruits, forage crops, and ornamental plants capable of surviving the harsh winters, drought, and variable climate of the northern Great Plains. Through systematic plant breeding and selection, he introduced more than 300 hardy varieties that significantly influenced regional agriculture.
Between 1897 and 1924, Hansen undertook multiple plant exploration expeditions to Siberia, Russia, China, and Korea, supported by state and federal funding. From these journeys he introduced species such as crested wheatgrass, smooth bromegrass, and hardy alfalfas, including Cossack alfalfa, which proved transformative for prairie farming. At South Dakota State, he established what is recognized as the first greenhouse in the world dedicated specifically to plant breeding, further advancing scientific horticulture in the United States.
Often referred to as the “Burbank of the Plains,” Hansen combined scientific rigor with practical agricultural application. In addition to his research achievements, he contributed to campus culture by writing the lyrics to the university’s alma mater, “The Yellow and Blue.” He retired in 1937 but continued his research and writing until his death in 1950. His legacy endures on campus through Hansen Hall, dedicated in 1967, and a monument erected in his honor in 1959, commemorating his lasting impact on horticultural science and Great Plains agriculture.