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David Allan Evans was born in 1940 in Sioux City, Iowa, and began his undergraduate studies on a football scholarship at Morningside College in his hometown. During college, he discovered a passion for writing and began producing poetry and short stories. He went on to earn additional degrees from the University of Iowa and the University of Arkansas, where he completed his MFA in Creative Writing.

Evans moved to Brookings, South Dakota in 1968, where he became Professor of English and Writer-in-Residence at South Dakota State University. A prolific author, he has published five volumes of poetry and contributed to or edited seven other books.

In 1974, Evans became the first South Dakotan to receive a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) fellowship in creative writing. He has also received writing grants from the Bush Artist Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the South Dakota Arts Council. His poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in numerous literary magazines and journals, as well as more than 60 anthologies, including Best Poems of 1969 (The Borestone Awards), Heartland II: Poets of the Midwest, The Norton Book of Sports, The Sporting Life, Imaging Home, Poetspeak, Motion: American Sports Poems, and Fathers.

His poetry—particularly his sports-themed writing—has been widely reprinted in anthologies and K–12 educational textbooks. Evans has served as a Fulbright Scholar to China twice, with appointments in Nanjing and Guangzhou. Over the span of more than 25 years, he has held writing residencies with the South Dakota, Iowa, and Wyoming Arts Councils.

Evans is featured in several major biographical directories, including Contemporary Authors, International Authors and Writers Who’s Who, and Who’s Who in America.

The Freemasons. Grand Lodge of the State of South Dakota is the governing body for Freemasonry in South Dakota. Established shortly after South Dakota achieved statehood in 1889, the Grand Lodge oversees the activities of local Masonic lodges across the state, setting regulations, granting charters, and organizing statewide events and communications. Freemasonry, a fraternal organization with historical roots in medieval stonemason guilds, emphasizes moral and spiritual development, brotherhood, charity, and civic responsibility.

In South Dakota, the Grand Lodge publishes materials such as proceedings of annual communications, newsletters, ritual guides, and historical summaries, which document the administrative and ceremonial activities of Masons in the state. These publications also often include member directories, lodge reports, and commemorative content related to Masonic anniversaries and public service. The Grand Lodge has historically played a role in community leadership and philanthropy throughout South Dakota.

Dr. Norman Paul Gambill was born on April 3, 1941, in Dade City, Florida, to George Washington Gambill IV and Dorcas (Darling) Gambill. He was raised in Florida and Georgia.

A scholar of art history and film studies, Gambill earned degrees from Emory University, the University of Iowa, and Syracuse University. He also graduated from Emory at Oxford, a preparatory school in Atlanta.

Gambill served as an art history professor at the University of Illinois and South Dakota State University, where he chaired the Visual Arts Department for 26 years before retiring in 2010. Over a 48-year teaching career, he educated thousands of undergraduate students and mentored graduate students in areas including Asian art, film art and design, women artists, and international cinema.

An enthusiastic admirer of Oscar Wilde and Orson Welles, Gambill was particularly known for his lectures and writings on Welles’s Citizen Kane, which inspired many to pursue film studies. His scholarly work took him across the country and around the world, culminating in his participation in the Oxford Roundtable in 2010.

He published extensively in academic journals and respected film magazines. His research on 1930s American cinema and its cultural impact is featured in his book, Ritz and American Mediocrity. In recognition of his academic achievements, he was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi in 2006.

Gambill was also deeply involved in fundraising and arts advocacy. He founded the annual ""Evening for the Arts"" dinner and auction and organized the popular Valentine’s Day ""Chocolate Auction,"" both of which raised scholarship funds for art students. He also co-founded the DVAGI (Design and Visual Arts Group Inc.) fundraiser, which supported student travel to national art and design events through the auction of professional design services.

Known for his hospitality, Gambill frequently hosted gatherings in his 19th-century home in Brookings, showcasing his art collection and entertaining friends with generous food and wine.

Dr. Norman P. Gambill died of heart failure on July 12, 2016, at the Neighborhoods at Brookview in Brookings, South Dakota.

Field of Activity: Geography
Delta Zeta Chapter (South Dakota State University)

Wayne Scott Gardner was born January 11, 1920, and died April 19, 2014. He served three years in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, including a tour of duty on Guadalcanal. He married Leona Oberly in Clifton, Colorado.

Following his military service, Gardner pursued higher education under the GI Bill, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in botany and plant pathology from Utah State Agricultural College in Logan. He was subsequently employed as a civilian researcher by the United States Army in Utah and later conducted environmental and crop research for U.S. Steel Corporation in Utah and Pennsylvania.

At the age of 43, Gardner returned to academic study under a Regents Fellowship at the University of California, Davis, where he earned a Ph.D. in plant pathology in 1967. His doctoral research focused on barley stripe mosaic virus, and he received recognition for outstanding accomplishment in electron microscopy at UC Davis.

Gardner was hired as an associate professor at South Dakota State University in Brookings, where his teaching and research emphasized the use of the electron microscope in plant pathology. He also served on a United States Agency for International Development mission to Botswana. While living in Brookings, he participated actively in Toastmasters and the Pitchblenders Barbershop Chorus. Gardner retired from South Dakota State University in 1985.

Gordon Richard Garnos was born on April 6, 1935, in Presho, South Dakota, to Carl and Louise (Schnert) Garnos. He served in the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1958, and earned a B.S. degree from the University of South Dakota in 1964. Garnos began his journalism career as a reporter for the Watertown Public Opinion, later leaving to serve as Executive Vice President of the American Cancer Society of South Dakota for two years. He returned to the Public Opinion in 1968, advancing through various editorial roles, including Area Editor and News Editor. In 1980, he was named Editor, a position he held until his retirement in 2002.

Following his retirement, Garnos continued to contribute to journalism by writing the weekly opinion column Seeing South Dakota, which was syndicated in nearly a dozen newspapers across the state. He continued the column until his death in 2016.

Garnos received numerous honors for both his journalism and civic service. He was named South Dakota Newsman of the Year in 1981, received several Golden Apple awards from the South Dakota Education Association, and was recognized as a Lusk Fellow by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at South Dakota State University. He was inducted into the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2007 and the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2010. In addition to his journalistic contributions, he served on the Watertown City Council from 2002 to 2010.

He married Elizabeth McFarland in Chester, England, on September 7, 1958. They had four children: William, Heather Simmonds, Richard, and Christopher. Gordon Garnos passed away on December 9, 2016.

Gartner earned a B.S. in Range Science from the University of Wyoming, Laramie, in 1950, an M.S. in Range Science from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1956, and a Ph.D. in Range Science from the University of Wyoming, Laramie, in 1967. He began his career as a Veterans Instructor in Agriculture in Newcastle, Wyoming, from 1950 to 1952. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954, he worked as a Junior Specialist in research at the Experiment Station, School of Forestry, University of California, Berkeley, from 1954 to 1955. From 1956 to 1964 he was an Assistant Professor of Range Management at South Dakota State University in Brookings. In 1967 he served as a Research Assistant in the Plant Science Division at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, and later that year joined Colorado State University, Fort Collins, as an Associate Professor of Range Science for the 1967–1968 academic year. In 1968 he moved to the National College of Business in Rapid City, South Dakota, where he was Chairman of the Division of General Education until 1969. He then joined the Department of Animal Science at South Dakota State University’s Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Rapid City as an Associate Professor of Range Science, a position he held from 1969 to 1975. Since 1975 he has served as Regional Coordinator for the Society for Range Management and the Old West Regional Commission range resource program.

He has been a life member of the Society for Range Management and served as its Director from 1972 to 1975. He was Vice President of the South Dakota Section of the Society in 1962 and President in 1963. Since 1970 he has been Newsletter Editor for the South Dakota Section of the Society for Range Management. He is also a member of Alpha Zeta (since 1949), Chi Gamma Iota (since 1966), Gamma Sigma Delta (since 1965), and Sigma Xi (since 1965). His research expertise includes plant ecology, fire ecology, range plant physiology, range soils, and range improvement and management.

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) traces its origins to 1868, when Jane Cunningham Croly founded the Sorosis Club in New York City. In 1889, she united women’s clubs nationwide to form a national federation.

In South Dakota, the women’s club movement was spearheaded by Clara D. Coe, founder of the Round Table Club of Deadwood (1887). Coe organized the Black Hills Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1897, which joined the national GFWC in 1898. As the appointed Federation organizer for South Dakota, Coe convened a meeting on December 8, 1899, in Deadwood, and reconvened it on January 15, 1900, where the South Dakota Federation of Women’s Clubs (now GFWC of South Dakota) was formally established. The group affiliated with the national GFWC on March 1, 1900. Its first state convention was held June 14–15, 1900, in Aberdeen, with thirteen clubs represented and Winona Axtell Lyon elected president.

The organization aims to unite non-partisan, non-sectarian women’s clubs throughout South Dakota to foster collaboration and promote intellectual, moral, and social advancement. It is divided into six districts and governed by elected officers and board members, including the editor of The South Dakota Clubwoman and the Director of Junior Clubs. Committees and departments mirror national GFWC priorities in areas such as arts, education, conservation, international affairs, and public policy.

The Brookings Civic League was founded on April 12, 1912, by forty local women responding to civic needs in partnership with Mayor A. A. Harris and the Commercial Club. Early initiatives included organizing waste collection and enhancing public sanitation. The League affiliated with the South Dakota Federation in 1914 during the women’s suffrage campaign and contributed to wartime efforts by establishing the Brookings Chapter of the American Red Cross. In 1919, it helped form the City Federation of Women’s Clubs to coordinate local women’s organizations.

Throughout the 20th century, the Brookings Civic League led local improvement projects, including health campaigns, urban beautification, tree conservation, and educational support like school milk programs. It also operated a rest area for rural women and played a foundational role in creating the South Dakota Art Museum at South Dakota State University.

As municipal services expanded in the later 20th century, the League shifted focus to social and philanthropic activities. It continues this legacy through events such as the annual Craft & Collectibles Fair, which supports the South Dakota Art Museum.

GFWC Brookings was founded on March 24, 1977, as Community Federated Women and formally affiliated with GFWC in 1983. Its members were active in the City Federation and structured the club according to GFWC departments. Projects have included youth leadership programs, wellness initiatives, legislative awareness, and fundraising for South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

The concept for a state art center was first proposed under the presidency of Mrs. Herbert Kenyon (1947–1949). In 1950, the South Dakota Federation endorsed the creation of a Memorial Art Center, building on its decades-long promotion of cultural enrichment through circulating art collections. The South Dakota Board of Regents approved the placement of the center at South Dakota State University in Brookings. Fundraising yielded nearly $350,000, supplemented by a federal grant and a $55,000 contribution from the Federation. Construction began in 1969, and the Memorial Art Center—now the South Dakota Art Museum—was dedicated in May 1970.

William Ray (Bill) Gibbons was born on January 5, 1958, in Winner, South Dakota, and grew up in Brookings, South Dakota. He graduated from Brookings High School in 1976. Gibbons attended South Dakota State University from 1976 to 1987, earning a B.S. in Microbiology and Chemistry in 1980, an M.S. in Microbiology in 1982, and a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Agronomy in 1987.

Gibbons joined the faculty of South Dakota State University in 1987 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology and Microbiology. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1991 and to Professor in 1997. During his tenure at SDSU, he held several administrative and leadership roles, including Associate Director of the Center for Bioprocessing Research and Development, Director of the South Dakota Oilseed Initiative, and Interim Director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station.

His research focused on applied microbiology and biotechnology, particularly the use of microbial processes to develop value-added products from biomass and agricultural materials. A central area of emphasis was the development of sustainable fuels and chemicals intended to reduce reliance on petroleum-based products. His work frequently involved collaboration with regional universities, federal laboratories, and research institutions, including the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, North Dakota State University, the University of Minnesota, and the USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research.

Gibbons received numerous awards and honors recognizing his contributions to research and education. He was named SDSU Microbiology Club Teacher of the Year in 1990 and became a Golden Key Honorary Member in 2003. In 2006, he was part of the team that received the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences Dean’s Team Award for developing a Center for Excellence in Bioprocessing. In 2007, he was named the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences Distinguished Researcher of the Year and received the Gamma Sigma Delta Researcher of the Year award. He also received the Pat and Jo Cannon Intellectual Property Commercialization Award in 2011 and 2012 and the F.O. Butler Award for Excellence in Research in 2014.

Edwin C. Graber was a poet from Freeman, South Dakota. Active primarily between the late 1930s and late 1940s, he produced a series of chapbooks featuring original poetry that explored themes of nature, solitude, time, and spirituality. His works, including Stars Are My Parade and Nature the Peerless Colorist, reflect a lyrical and reflective style rooted in the landscape and sensibilities of the Great Plains. Graber’s chapbooks are preserved in the Edwin C. Graber Poetry Collection at South Dakota State University, which documents his creative output and contribution to regional literature.

Nels H. Granholm (born 1941) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biology, Microbiology and Global Studies at South Dakota State University. He earned a biology degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and pursued doctoral study in developmental biology at Iowa State University, followed by a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Yale. During his scientific training he participated in Antarctic research as a U.S. Antarctic Research Program biologist at Hallett Station (1967–1968); Mount Granholm in Antarctica was named for him by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names. Granholm taught at South Dakota State University for forty-one years, initially in zoology and entomology and later also teaching philosophy and bio-ethics; he taught in the Honors College for twenty-five years and later coordinated SDSU’s Global Studies program for six years. SDSU recognized him as a Distinguished Professor (2004).

The manuscript In the Blizzard recounts events from a blizzard in South Dakota in March 1882 and was written by Louis Grewing (1843–1908). His son, Frederick Grewing (1867–1937), copied the document, though the original's whereabouts are unknown. Notes suggest Frederick intended to publish the story, with the earliest known publication appearing in 1949, twelve years after his death. Carlene Aro, a descendant of Louis Grewing, later provided a copy of the manuscript to Carl R. Sunde, a Professor of German at South Dakota State University, for translation from handwritten old German script into English. A small grant from SDSU’s research support fund aided the translation and related research.

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.

arol Hepper, born in 1953 and raised in McLaughlin, South Dakota, earned a B.S. in 1975 from South Dakota State University. She gained national recognition with her inclusion in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s 1983 exhibition New Perspectives in American Art and relocated to New York City in 1985. Her work has been exhibited at numerous institutions, including the Orlando Art Museum, Worcester Art Museum, Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, The Phillips Collection, the Walter Art Center, and the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Her artwork is held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Detroit Institute of Arts, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Dannheisser Foundation, among others. Hepper has also served as a visiting lecturer at Brandeis University, Princeton University, the Maryland Institute College of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, and the School of Visual Arts

Edward Patrick Hogan was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the eldest of five children of Edward W. Hogan and Dorothy Fehrenbach Hogan. He attended St. Gabriel the Archangel Grade School and graduated from Bishop Du Bourg High School. He earned a B.S. in 1961, an M.A. in 1962, and a Ph.D. in 1969, all from Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Dr. Hogan joined the faculty of South Dakota State University in 1967 as a member of the Geography Department, where he was responsible for developing South Dakota’s only geography program. Over the course of his career at SDSU, he held several leadership positions, including Head of the Department of Geography from 1973 to 1991, Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 1977 to 1983, and Coordinator of Student Academic Affairs within the same college from 1983 to 1991. From 1991 to 1999, he served as Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs. In December 1999, he was appointed Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Information Technology Officer. He also served as Coordinator of Faculty Development and Articulation, and Director of Summer Term.

Dr. Hogan received numerous honors throughout his career, including the Distinguished Teaching Award from the National Council for Geographic Education and the Distinguished Service Award from the Defense Mapping Agency. He was listed in multiple biographical directories such as Who’s Who in the Midwest, Who’s Who in the World, and International Who’s Who. He was also featured in Leaders in American Geography, a publication profiling seventy-nine individuals who have had a major influence on geographic education in the United States. In 1991, Governor George S. Mickelson named him the State Geographer of South Dakota.

Dr. Hogan is married to Joan Ford Hogan. They have five children: Bridget, Edward Jr., Timothy, Erin, and Molly.

Richard Powell Holm was born on February 1, 1949, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in De Smet, South Dakota. He earned his medical degree from the University of South Dakota and Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1981, he returned to South Dakota, settling in Brookings, where he practiced at Brookings Health System and Avera Medical Group. From 1983 to 2013, he served as Director of Continuing Medical Education at the hospital and was a Full Clinical Professor of Medicine at the USD Sanford School of Medicine.

Dr. Holm held several leadership positions, including Chief of Staff at his local hospital, President of the South Dakota State Medical Association, and Governor of the South Dakota Chapter of the American College of Physicians. A frequent speaker at medical conferences, he was also active in professional associations including the American Medical Association and the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

A prolific writer, Dr. Holm contributed to four medical textbooks and published articles in journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, The Pharos, and South Dakota Journal of Medicine. He also authored The Picture of Health: A View from the Prairie (2008).

He hosted a weekly 30-minute call-in radio show on KBRK and served as host and medical editor of On Call with the Prairie Doc, a one-hour television program on South Dakota Public Broadcasting. In recognition of his service, he was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2016 and received the National Volunteer of the Year Award from the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Holm married Joanie Smith, a registered nurse and certified pediatric nurse practitioner from Jacksonville, Florida. They had four children: Eric, Carter, Preston, and Julia.

Dr. Holm passed away on March 22, 2020."

Andrew G. Hopp is a graduate of South Dakota State University, where he completed a Master of Science degree in Geography in 2007. His thesis, titled “South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Preserves,” reflects a research focus on land use, wildlife conservation, and rural tourism in South Dakota. His academic work integrates geographic information systems (GIS), environmental planning, and cultural geography, with particular attention to recreational land management in the Northern Plains.

Emil Jacobsen was born on August 8, 1903, to Armus and Elvina Jacobsen. Armus immigrated to the United States from Europe in 1881 and later met and married Elvina in Iowa. The couple settled near Rock Valley, Iowa, where they raised their family. Emil had two sisters, Hilda and Lucile. He attended South Dakota State Agricultural College from 1922 to 1923. Emil later married Ruby Ingebord, and together they had six children: Russel, David, Marilyn, Roy, James, and Stanley. Emil Jacobsen passed away on August 4, 1998.

Donald Dale Johnson was born on February 4, 1925, to Adolph and Martha Johnson. A resident of Brookings, South Dakota, he remained unmarried. Johnson preserved family and local history through his contributions to the South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections, including the Donald D. Johnson Papers. The collection contains a narrative about his grandfather, Johan Peter Johnson, a Swedish immigrant born in 1854, and a publication titled The Quill from Marion High School dedicated to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Johnson of Hartford, South Dakota.

Henry M. Johnson was born on October 5, 1903, to Ole and Beret Johnson on a farm near Baltic, South Dakota. He was baptized at Old Nidaros Lutheran Church, where he remained a lifelong member. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting and fishing throughout his life. On March 14, 1931, he married Inez Erickson at East Nidaros Lutheran Church. The couple lived and farmed on Henry’s family homestead until retiring and moving into the town of Baltic in 1987. They had four sons: Odel, Ivan, Dean, and Jerome. Henry passed away on June 4, 1993, at the Dell Rapids Community Hospital.

Inez O. Erickson Johnson was born on October 31, 1911, in Lake County, South Dakota, to Martin and Julia Erickson. At age eight, she moved with her family to a farm near Baltic. She attended rural school and Baltic Grade School. Inez was baptized at St. Peter Lutheran Church and confirmed at East Nidaros Lutheran Church. She married Henry Johnson on March 14, 1931, and they farmed together until their retirement in 1987. Inez became a resident of Terrace Manor Nursing Home in Dell Rapids on April 28, 1995, and died on May 19, 1995, at Dell Rapids Community Hospital.

A native of O’Neill, Nebraska, Dr. James L. Johnson has had a long career in higher education in South Dakota. He served a total of 38 years in higher education, including 28 years at South Dakota State University, where he joined the Department of Communication Studies and Theatre in the College of Arts and Science in 1973.

During his career, Dr. Johnson directed more than 100 theatrical productions. Through his work with Prairie Repertory Theatre and State University Theatre, he provided students with practical training and performance experience.

Dr. Johnson received several awards and honors, including the Outstanding Teaching Award at the University of Kansas, the Outstanding Educator Award at Dakota State University, the Outstanding Graduate Teacher Award at South Dakota State University, and the Governor’s Award in the Arts in 2001 for Distinction in Creative Achievement, presented by South Dakotans for the Arts and the South Dakota Arts Council.

Dr. W. Carter Johnson is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Ecology at South Dakota State University whose academic career spans more than forty years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Augustana College and a doctorate in botany from North Dakota State University. He began his professional career as a Research Associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and later joined the Department of Biology at Virginia Tech. From 1989 to 1995, he served as Head of the Department of Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape, and Parks at South Dakota State University.

Dr. Johnson’s research addresses a wide range of ecological topics, including river regulation and riparian forest ecology, climate change impacts on prairie pothole wetlands, seed dispersal in fragmented landscapes, paleoecology, and multifunctional agriculture. His paleoecological work includes climate reconstruction using tree rings and studies of Holocene seed dispersal and plant migration. His research program has been strongly multidisciplinary and interinstitutional.

He has published approximately one hundred peer reviewed journal articles, as well as books and book chapters. His research on riparian wetlands along the Platte, Missouri, and Snake rivers has contributed to wetland conservation and restoration practices and has been recognized by scientific societies. His work on climate change effects in prairie pothole wetlands has also informed policy discussions related to wetland management and conservation.

In more recent years, Dr. Johnson founded EcoSun Prairie Farms, a nonprofit organization focused on demonstrating the environmental and economic benefits of restored prairie wetlands. As a Distinguished Professor Emeritus, he has continued to contribute to ecological research, education, and leadership in conservation initiatives.

Born on April 28, 1895, in Alexandria, South Dakota, Blanche Avery Johnston was a member of the South Dakota State College Class of 1916. Following graduation, she taught home economics in Elgin, Minnesota, from 1916 to 1917. On September 4, 1917, she married Ralph Johnston. The couple lived in Hot Springs, South Dakota, before relocating to Brookings. Ralph Johnston later became the first curator of the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum. In recognition of her connection to campus history, Blanche Johnston served as Grand Marshal of the Hobo Day Parade in 1986. She passed away on December 13, 1986.

Susan A. (Sedgwick) Jones was born on January 11, 1844, in North Adams, Massachusetts. She married Henry R. Jones on May 3, 1865, and the couple moved to Clintonville, Wisconsin, in 1866. They had six children: Clara, Lillie, Jessie, Stella, Bert, and an unnamed son. Henry passed away in 1897.

In 1905, Susan and her daughter Jessie moved to South Dakota, where they homesteaded in Hughes County. While Jessie worked to prove her claim, Susan alternated between residing on the claim and returning to Wisconsin during the winter months. During this time, she also taught school in both Wisconsin and South Dakota.

Susan Jones died on June 23, 1925, in Clintonville, Wisconsin.