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The Engineering Resource Center, established in 1986, serves the university, citizens, and industry in South Dakota through a combination of outreach and technology transfer programs. These programs are designed to be complementary, with knowledge gained from one often supporting or enhancing the others. The center's initiatives include Engineering Extension, the Office of Remote Sensing, the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium, the South Dakota Local Transportation Assistance Program, the University/Industry Technology Service, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and the Essential Networking and Training for Entrepreneurship (ENTRE) program.

The center undertakes projects directly or through interdisciplinary teams composed of students, university faculty, and external experts. It maintains an online expertise database to help identify faculty and industrial consultants, along with a separate database containing information on manufacturers and processors in South Dakota.

The South Dakota Space Grant Consortium, funded in part by NASA, includes South Dakota State University, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Augustana College, and the EROS Data Center. Its goal is to foster interest in aerospace science among students and faculty and to encourage careers in related fields. The University/Industry Technology Service links university resources with industry, business, and government to solve technical problems and support economic development. The ENTRE program offers a ten-session course designed to help individuals explore and refine entrepreneurial ideas, promoting business development and economic growth across the state. The Office of Remote Sensing, established in 1969 as the Remote Sensing Institute with support from Senator Karl Mundt, uses multispectral imagery and geographic information systems for natural resource studies and mapping projects in South Dakota and beyond. It is supported by both state and federal funding.

The Faculty Association records document the establishment and development of the South Dakota State College (SDSC) Faculty Association from its founding in 1946 until its dissolution in the early 1970s. The organization was formed to promote unity and cooperation among faculty, administration, and the South Dakota Board of Regents. According to its original constitution, the Faculty Association aimed to establish procedures for carrying out faculty duties and responsibilities, facilitate communication, and elect faculty representatives.

Membership included all faculty members holding the rank of instructor or higher. Although the Faculty Association did not function as a decision-making body, it served as a forum for addressing general faculty welfare concerns. It also elected up to five representatives to the President’s Administrative Council, the institution's main administrative policymaking body.

In the late 1960s, following a faculty vote to establish an Academic Senate, the Faculty Association’s role began to diminish. It continued to meet during the transition but ceased functioning entirely after 1972.

Faculty meetings were a longstanding tradition at South Dakota State University, regularly convened by the university president to share information on campus and external developments. In the institution’s early years, these meetings also served as forums for faculty decision-making on policies and procedures. As the university expanded, it became increasingly difficult to conduct such comprehensive meetings, prompting the creation of more formal administrative bodies such as the Council of Deans. Faculty meetings continued but shifted toward a primarily informational function.

By the late 1940s, faculty expressed a need for more structured representation beyond informational meetings. The Faculty Association emerged to serve as an advocacy group for faculty interests. In the mid-1960s, the formation of the Academic Senate further formalized faculty governance. President Emeritus H.M. Briggs characterized later faculty meetings as resembling town hall gatherings—open to all faculty, optional in attendance, and informal in structure. By the early 1970s, these meetings transitioned from a monthly schedule to being held once per semester or on an as-needed basis.

South Dakota State University has a long-standing tradition of faculty governance. In 1946, faculty established the Faculty Association to advocate for faculty interests and welfare. While not a formal decision-making body, the association played a consultative role in shaping university policies. By the mid-1960s, faculty sought a more formal role in institutional governance. Following extensive discussion, they voted to establish an Academic Senate, which was implemented in 1970. The Faculty Association facilitated the transition and formally disbanded in 1972.

The Academic Senate was created to serve as a representative body for faculty, researchers, campus-based extension specialists, and non-teaching professional staff. While similar bodies exist at other institutions, the SDSU Academic Senate is distinct in its composition, scope, and authority.

As an elected body, the Academic Senate represents faculty interests, promotes institutional improvement, facilitates communication, and contributes to the development of university policies. It holds constitutional authority for formulating and approving policies related to academic, faculty, student, and internal senate affairs, within the constraints of state law and Board of Regents regulations.

The Global Studies major and minor were introduced at South Dakota State University in 2004. This interdisciplinary program offers students a broad academic foundation, preparing them to be globally literate, culturally aware, and proficient in a modern foreign language.

The program provides students with a current understanding of global studies, including contemporary global events, and potential career paths in international business, global corporations, government agencies (both domestic and international), and non-governmental organizations. A central goal is to promote global citizenship and a broad perspective on the individual's relationship to the world community. Global Studies is administered through the Department of Modern Languages and Global Studies.

Dr. Helen Johnson Van Zante, a Brookings County native and 1920s mathematics graduate of South Dakota State College, established the Van Zante Endowment to support the visual arts at her alma mater. A physicist by training and a pioneering developer of the microwave oven, Van Zante also maintained a lifelong passion for studio art, inspired by SDSC professor Ada B. Caldwell. In 1987, following a retrospective of her paintings at the Ritz Gallery, she donated her personal art collection to the Department of Visual Arts and received an honorary doctorate. The following year, she was recognized as a Centennial Alumni by the South Dakota Board of Regents.

The endowment she created funds visiting professorships and design forums with an emphasis on interior design, housing, and visual arts. These initiatives are jointly supported by the Department of Visual Arts and the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Since its inception, the Van Zante Endowment has enriched SDSU’s academic and cultural environment by bringing nationally recognized artists and designers to campus for lectures, exhibitions, and student engagement.

The Home Economics Club was composed of students interested in both professional home economics and homemaking. Operating under its own constitution, the club was affiliated with the State Home Economics Association and the American Home Economics Association (now the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences). Its primary purpose was to foster friendships among students and faculty in the College of Home Economics while promoting professional development and interests. Club activities aimed to support the organization’s goals, enhance members’ knowledge and skills, broaden cultural awareness, and provide professional and social experience benefiting the community, school, and nation.

The first catalog of South Dakota State University included a proposed engineering curriculum. A full course of study was outlined, and by 1891, the university’s two graduates were both engineering students. Early instruction focused on civil and mechanical engineering, while electrical engineering was taught through the Department of Physics, briefly known as the Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering. By 1900, growing enrollment led to the creation of separate departments for civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering.

In 1924, the university reorganized into five divisions—precursors to modern colleges. The Engineering Division offered degrees in civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering. Physics and mathematics were housed in the General Science Division, while agricultural engineering was initially in the Agriculture Division. All eventually became part of the Engineering Division, now the College of Engineering.

In 1976, due to declining enrollment and budget concerns, the South Dakota Board of Regents proposed consolidating engineering education at the South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City. The proposal, known on campus as the Engineering Controversy, was never implemented but generated significant opposition and renewed support for the College of Engineering at SDSU.

In 1986, the College established the Engineering and Environmental Research Center to serve the university, industry, and citizens of South Dakota. The center launched several initiatives, including the Engineering Extension Service, the Office of Remote Sensing, the South Dakota Local Transportation Assistance Program, the University/Industry Technology Service, and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Jerome J. Lohr, who enrolled in 1955 as a civil engineering student, has had a lasting impact on the College of Engineering through his leadership, philanthropy, and advocacy. In recognition, the South Dakota Board of Regents approved renaming the college the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering on June 20, 2013.

The Latin American Area Studies Program was first introduced in the 1976–78 general catalog and has remained largely consistent in focus since its inception.

The program is designed to allow students to pursue interdisciplinary studies across colleges and departments, combining Spanish language instruction with coordinated coursework on the geography, culture, socio-economics, and politics of Latin American countries.

Primarily vocational in nature, the program is intended for students seeking a Latin American emphasis alongside a disciplinary major in areas such as history, economics, political science, geography, anthropology, Spanish American literature, sociology, or professional fields like Food and Nutrition or Agronomy.

The program prepares students for careers in agriculture, family and consumer sciences, nursing, international business, the Foreign Service, the Peace Corps, and roles with government agencies, the United Nations, or private companies engaged in Latin America. It also fosters improved communication and understanding between Latin America and the United States.

Little International is a two-day agricultural exposition planned, organized, and managed by students at South Dakota State University. Recognized as the largest student-run two-day agricultural event in the country, it offers high school and college students the opportunity to compete in livestock judging, showmanship, and fitting contests.

The event has been held annually since 1921, with only three cancellations: in 1926 due to a Scarlet Fever epidemic, and in 1944–1945 during World War II. Modeled after the Chicago International Livestock Exposition, the first Little International took place in what is now the Agricultural Heritage Museum. It was relocated to the Intramural Building in 1952 and has been held in the Animal Science Arena since 1977.

In the week leading up to the exposition, student staff transform the Arena by constructing the iconic red barn and white fence, setting up bleachers, and preparing the green-dyed wood chips for the show ring. Each staff member is responsible for fulfilling the duties of their assigned committee, which may involve organizing contests, managing livestock, or coordinating the event schedule.

Little International provides a dynamic, hands-on learning environment that helps students develop technical skills, time management, responsibility, and leadership. It also fosters camaraderie, school spirit, and networking among participants, making it a hallmark experience for students pursuing careers in agriculture.

The Miltonian Literary Society was one of the earliest student organizations at South Dakota State University. Originally founded as the Lyceum Club in the early 1880s with male-only membership, it split in 1887 to form the coeducational Athenian Literary Society. In 1892, the Lyceum Club reorganized under a new charter as the Miltonian Literary Society. The group focused on developing forensic, dramatic, and social skills through debates, oratory, extemporaneous speaking, dramatic readings, and one-act plays. The society remained active until the early 1930s.

Instruction in general economics at South Dakota State College began under the name of political economy. It was later integrated with history and philosophy before becoming an independent discipline in 1921 with the establishment of the Department of Farm Economics. The department focused on teaching, research, and extension, and over time, became a leader in the scientific study of South Dakota's economic issues.

As noted in the 1996–1998 Undergraduate Bulletin, the Economics Department prepares students to apply economic principles and analytical techniques to decision-making in areas such as agricultural business, agricultural economics, and general economics. The curriculum emphasizes core economic concepts, equipping students to understand the complexities of the economic and business environment and to pursue graduate study in fields such as economics, agricultural economics, business administration, management, finance, and law.

The department offers Bachelor of Science degrees in agricultural business and agricultural economics through the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, and a Bachelor of Science in economics through the College of Arts and Sciences, with an optional emphasis in business economics. Minors are available in accounting, agricultural business, agricultural marketing, and economics. These programs prepare students for careers in farm and ranch management, agricultural finance, agribusiness, banking, business management, sales, marketing, government service, and related fields.

The Non-Traditional Student Club aimed to foster a community for individuals interested in lifelong learning. Its goals included expanding educational opportunities for a diverse student population, promoting the exchange of experiences among members with varied backgrounds, and providing support and information to anyone pursuing educational opportunities at South Dakota State University. Membership was open to all students interested in lifelong learning, with associate membership available to university staff and prospective students.

The Non-Traditional Student Program Office supported students who had experienced a break in their education or who were older than traditional college-age students. The office provided advising services, access to a dedicated lounge, and opportunities for involvement through the Non-Traditional Students Club. Both the program and the club were formalized in the mid-1970s, with the office serving as the coordinating body for the club, which was officially established in April 1976.

Before 1960, academic programs and related matters at South Dakota State College were managed independently by departments and offices. As responsibilities expanded, the position of Dean of Academic Affairs was established in 1960 to centralize oversight. In 1973, the title was changed to Vice President for Academic Affairs, reflecting the position’s elevated role. Simultaneously, the Vice President for Administration (formerly Assistant to the President) was created to oversee non-academic administrative functions.

The Vice President for Academic Affairs, serving as the university’s chief academic officer, reports directly to the president. All college deans—including those from Arts and Sciences, Agriculture and Biological Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences, Engineering, Nursing, Pharmacy, General Registration, Education and Counseling, the Graduate School, and the Library—report to this office.

Key responsibilities include oversight of curriculum development, faculty affairs, scholarship standards, academic advising, honorary degrees, and appeals related to academic integrity. The office plays a central role in establishing and maintaining the university’s academic policies and standards.

In 1965, Paul McConaughy sought an inexpensive method for producing limited-edition watercolor prints. He tested his idea at his alma mater by creating a series of prints depicting buildings at Cornell University. The prints were immediately popular, leading to the formation of the College Watercolor Group. The group soon expanded production to include affordable watercolor prints of college buildings from across the United States.

Modeled after the nineteenth-century approach used by Currier and Ives, the process began with a pen-and-ink drawing of a building, which was reproduced as an 8 x 10 lithograph on watercolor paper. Artists then hand-colored each print. The group offered limited-edition sets of four scenes as well as larger individual prints, available framed or unframed.

As professional artists joined the staff, the overall quality of the work improved significantly. One artist, E. B. Walden, began signing his prints using the surname Gray, derived from the watercolor pigment Davy’s Gray. Other artists adopted the same surname while using different first names, with Walden signing as Davis Gray. More than a dozen artists eventually used the Gray name, and this naming convention led to the business becoming known as Gray’s Watercolors.

Evelyn T. Hubbard was an American artist whose work is represented in the holdings of South Dakota State University through a painting depicting Old Central and Old North, two historic campus buildings. The oil painting, created in the mid 20th century, is preserved by SDSU Archives and Special Collections and is documented as part of the university’s art and artifact holdings. References in South Dakota Memorial Art Center documentation indicate the work was acquired as a gift and reflects Hubbard’s artistic depiction of the SDSU campus rather than a formal institutional role at the university. The art museum transferred the painting to SDSU Archives and Special Collections.

Edgar J. Banks was an antiquities enthusiast and itinerant archaeologist active during the final decades of the Ottoman Empire. He served as American consul in Baghdad beginning in 1898 and acquired large numbers of cuneiform tablets through the antiquities market, which he sold in small groups to museums, libraries, universities, and theological seminaries across the United States, including institutions in Utah and the American Southwest. Many tablets originated from local excavations at sites such as Telloh and other tells in central Mesopotamia, while others were obtained through dealers in Istanbul. During this period, the Ottoman government did not regulate the trade in minor antiquities. Although initially funded to excavate at Ur, Banks was denied permission to dig at major sites such as Babylon and Tell Ibrahim. In 1903, he was authorized to excavate at Bismya, the site of the ancient Sumerian city of Adab in present-day Iraq. His 1912 publication on the Bismya excavations documents both the archaeological work and administrative challenges encountered under Ottoman authority.

In 1909, Banks became a professor of Oriental languages and archaeology at the University of Toledo. After World War I, he traveled widely as a lecturer and continued to distribute cuneiform tablets to collectors and institutions. Tablets he sold to Charles W. Ames are now held by the Science Museum at the University of Minnesota, among other public and private collections in the United States. Banks is also associated with the sale of the cuneiform tablet known as Plimpton 322 to publisher George Arthur Plimpton; the tablet later entered Columbia University’s collections and is recognized for its importance to the study of Babylonian mathematics, frequently cited for its relevance to early understandings of relationships later formalized as the Pythagorean theorem. Banks was additionally involved in early motion picture ventures and undertook an expedition to Mount Ararat in search of Noah’s Ark, and he reportedly served as a consultant on biblical films in the early 1920s. He settled in Eustis, Florida, in 1921 and remained there until his death in 1945 at the age of 79. The Eustis Historical Museum maintains a permanent exhibit interpreting his life and work.

In 1933, students at South Dakota State College began laying the groundwork to apply for a charter with Phi Upsilon Omicron, the Home Economics Honor Society. Encouraged by Dean Edith Pierson and Laura McArthur—who taught Home Economics Education and was an alumna of Alpha Chapter—the students received guidance and access to valuable contacts to support their efforts.

After much preparation, Phi Chapter was officially chartered on May 19, 1934, just one week before the senior students graduated. Members of Alpha and Beta Chapters organized the installation ceremony, which was conducted by Priscilla Rowland, National President of Phi U. The event took place in the Foods Laboratory, then located in the Administration Building.

The first president of Phi Chapter was Merle (La Mont) Gunsalus, a junior at the time of installation. Several students were initiated during the May 1934 ceremony, marking the beginning of the chapter’s long-standing presence on campus.

As of 2008, Phi Upsilon Omicron is recognized as a Family and Consumer Sciences Honor Society, dedicated to promoting professional development and community service. Membership in Phi U is both an honor and a commitment to active engagement in the organization’s initiatives.

One of the society’s core goals is to help members grow as professionals—not only through academic achievement, but also through involvement in meaningful activities and experiences. Each year, Phi U carries out a professional project that encourages student involvement on campus and within the local community. In addition, the chapter maintains connections with its alumni through joint activities and events.

Students who have completed at least 40 credit hours and maintain a GPA of 3.2 or higher are eligible for invitation to join. In evaluating prospective members, the chapter seeks individuals who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service.

Theodore Schultz was the only graduate of South Dakota State University to receive a Nobel Prize. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1979 for his groundbreaking work on the theory of investing in human capital. To honor this achievement, a planning committee was established to organize a series of campus events and activities celebrating Dr. Schultz’s legacy and scholarly impact.

The Publications Council served as the advisory body for all student publications at South Dakota State College. Its membership consisted of two faculty members appointed by the university president, the student editors and business managers of The Collegian and the Jackrabbit, representatives from other recognized student publications, and additional members selected by the Board of Control. The Council oversaw the operations of The Collegian and the Jackrabbit and exercised supervisory authority over other student publications in accordance with the student constitution.

Individuals, groups, or organizations seeking to initiate a new publication or program were required to obtain the Council’s approval. Working jointly with the Board of Control, the Council regulated the types of advertising permitted in all student publications. Its duties also included recommending engravers for the Jackrabbit and approving related contractual agreements.

The Council was responsible for nominating and recommending candidates for the positions of business manager and managing editor of the Jackrabbit and The Collegian. Applicants, typically rising juniors or seniors, submitted written applications. Candidates for editor of The Collegian were required to submit at least three original editorials and three news articles and have a minimum of one year of experience on the newspaper staff. All applicants were required to meet the academic standards of the college. The Council forwarded two candidates for each position to the Board of Control, which made the final appointments. It also advised the Board on staff salary recommendations for the publications under its jurisdiction.

The Publications Council appears to have been dissolved around 1970. Its advisory functions are now carried out by the Media Council, which provides support and oversight for The Collegian, the Jackrabbit yearbook, and KSDJ Radio Station.

The Remnant Trust is a public educational foundation dedicated to sharing a growing collection of original and first edition works that explore the themes of liberty and dignity, with some volumes dating as early as 1250. In the fall semester of 2005, South Dakota State University hosted a loan of fifty titles from the Remnant Trust. These rare volumes were housed in the SDSU Archives & Special Collections within the Hilton M. Briggs Library. The initiative emphasized direct engagement with historical texts, encouraging students, faculty, scholars, and the public to touch, feel, and read the original works. This hands-on approach reflected the Trust's mission to make historical materials accessible and to foster a deeper understanding of the philosophical foundations of freedom and human rights.

The loan of these materials to SDSU marked a significant academic and cultural enrichment for the university community. By providing access to primary source texts spanning centuries, the collaboration promoted intellectual curiosity, historical inquiry, and public scholarship.

From 1908 to 1960, the South Dakota School of Agriculture at Brookings provided practical, vocational education to young men and women across South Dakota. Operating on the campus of South Dakota tate College, the school offered a five-month academic year focused on vocational agriculture and home economics, while still including standard subjects such as English and arithmetic. Students, known as Aggies, participated in extracurricular activities, including publishing a school newspaper, and often balanced their education with work or family responsibilities during the remaining seven months of the year.

In its early years, the school attracted strong enrollment from rural students, many of whom were older than traditional high school age and lacked access to nearby secondary schools. The short academic term and residential model appealed to students who lived far from established public high schools.

The passage of the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917, which funded vocational programs in public schools, contributed to a gradual decline in enrollment. The establishment of more high schools throughout South Dakota further reduced the demand for the School of Agriculture. In the post-World War II era, the school shifted focus to offering agricultural certificates akin to associate degrees. By the early 1950s, home economics courses were phased out, and female enrollment dropped significantly.

Despite maintaining agricultural offerings, declining student numbers led South Dakota State College to discontinue the high school-level curriculum in 1959. The school was officially closed in June 1960, after the final class graduated. Its closure marked the end of a transitional institution that had long served rural South Dakota youth at a time when access to secondary education was limited.

The first journalism course at South Dakota State College was offered in 1908, 27 years after the college's founding, during a period when journalism programs were emerging in many Midwestern state universities. In 1919, the School of Printing was established, and in 1924, Journalism Professor Charles D. Byrne, later Chancellor of Higher Education for Oregon, merged the journalism and printing departments to form the Department of Printing and Rural Journalism.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the department offered a two-year printing program combined with three additional years of journalism, resulting in a Bachelor of Science in Printing and Rural Journalism (PRJ). The department achieved accreditation in 1948, the first year of national journalism accreditation. South Dakota State College was the first department to be visited by an accrediting team and recommended for accreditation, according to Dean Earl English of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. In 1951, under department head George Phillips, the current building was dedicated.

In 1956, the PRJ program was revised to a four-year curriculum, and a Bachelor of Science in Printing Management was introduced. That same year, the department began offering a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and a Master of Science in Journalism. In 1958, a Master of Science in Printing Management was added, making the department one of the few in the country to offer a graduate degree in printing management. The program was discontinued in 1972.

After Professor Phillips retired in 1973, Professor Vernon Keel, who later became director of the Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University, took over as department head. The graduate program was suspended from 1973 to 1975 to focus on the undergraduate program. Professor Keel resigned in 1976 to become department head at the University of North Dakota. Professor Ruth Laird led the department until 1978, followed by Professor Richard Lee, who served from 1978 to 2002. Professor Mary Arnold, the current department head, was appointed in 2002.

English has been an established course of study since the College’s founding. Early curricula included three English courses associated with agriculture, general science, and civil engineering, each emphasizing grammar, composition, speech, rhetoric, literary theory and practice, and the history of English drama. These core subjects have remained central to English instruction over the years.

According to the 1998–2000 bulletin, the English Department’s curriculum is organized into two areas: English and linguistics. Instruction covers critical thinking, language history and usage, literature, literary criticism, and technical communication. The English major prepares students for careers in teaching, writing, and editing, as well as for professional study in law, business, theology, library science, and social work—fields where strong language skills are essential.

The SDSU Advisory Council was established to promote a clearer understanding of the university’s objectives, activities, challenges, and needs in relation to the broader needs of the State of South Dakota. Its primary function was to consult with the university administration on these matters, study them from the perspective of citizens and public welfare, and communicate its conclusions both to the administration and, through appropriate channels, to the public.

The Council did not function as a legislative lobby, nor did it replace any existing organizations focused on specific aspects of the university’s operations. Its membership was composed of individuals from across the state representing diverse sectors of business and industry.

The scientific research society Sigma Xi is an honorary organization dedicated to encouraging original investigations in the pure and applied sciences.

In the 1940s, faculty members at South Dakota State University formed the Natural Science Research Club. Meeting monthly, members shared reports on their research to foster awareness of ongoing work, promote discussion, and encourage scholarly activity among faculty. The club served as a platform for exchanging ideas and supporting a culture of research on campus.

Recognizing the benefits of broader affiliation, members of the club voted in 1952–53 to affiliate with Sigma Xi as a local club. This affiliation allowed them to maintain their existing activities while gaining formal recognition and access to the national organization’s network.

Membership grew significantly in the following years, aided by the arrival of new faculty who held Sigma Xi membership from other institutions. By 1959, the club was deemed ready for elevation to full chapter status. A formal petition was submitted in 1960, and chapter status was officially granted in May 1961.

The Director of the Summer School was responsible for implementing university policies guiding the summer session program at South Dakota State University. Acting under the authority delegated by the university president, the director supervised and authorized the various activities associated with the summer session. The summer session typically lasted eight weeks and included standard courses, specialized workshops, and other instructional programs offered for shorter durations.

The Honors College at South Dakota State University was established in the fall of 1999. President Peggy Gordon Elliott initiated the transformation of the existing honors program into a more prestigious college. Harriet Swedlund and Bob Burns were tasked with researching honors programs at other institutions and developing a model suitable for SDSU.

The Honors College was designed to reflect the characteristics of SDSU’s faculty and student body. It offers highly motivated students the opportunity to pursue a challenging and flexible honors curriculum while working toward a degree in any major. The program demonstrates South Dakota State University’s commitment to academic excellence, campus involvement, and academic enrichment.

Students in the Honors College benefit from smaller class sizes and a more rigorous curriculum, while maintaining engagement with the broader university community. The presence of Honors College students contributes to raising academic standards for the wider campus.

The mission of the Honors College is to provide high-quality academic and enrichment opportunities for motivated undergraduate students. Its curriculum is carefully designed yet flexible, emphasizing academic achievement, global awareness, cultural understanding, communication skills, and community service. The college operates on principles of flexibility, accommodation, and vision to adapt to changing needs.

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, many students left college to serve in the military. After the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, discharged servicemen began returning to college campuses. Recognizing a responsibility to support these veterans, the South Dakota Legislature passed the “Veteran’s Free Tuition Law” in 1919, allocating $15,000 to cover tuition costs. This financial support continued through 1920.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. entered World War II on December 8, 1941. Once again, large numbers of students left college for military service. By the spring of 1944, even as the war continued, the first returning servicemen began reappearing on campus. The G.I. Bill (Public Law 346), signed into law on June 22, 1944, provided comprehensive benefits to eligible veterans, including government-funded education and training, unemployment readjustment allowances, and guaranteed loans for homes, farms, or businesses. The education and training provisions ended on July 25, 1951, though those already enrolled or with valid interruptions could continue. Training benefits under this bill concluded entirely in 1956. A new G.I. Bill, passed on July 16, 1952, extended similar benefits to veterans of the Korean conflict.

In addition, the Vocational Rehabilitation Act (Public Law 16), enacted on March 24, 1943, offered training opportunities for disabled World War II veterans. Those qualifying under this act received the same subsistence allowances as those under the G.I. Bill. While training could begin any time after discharge, it had to be completed by July 25, 1956.

South Dakota State University saw many students affected by these laws. To support them, the university established a Veterans Advising Office after World War II. This office assisted returning veterans with their transition to college life, helping them navigate paperwork and access financial benefits.

The Vice President for Administration oversees campus support, service, and administrative units, ensuring efficient operations and strategic direction. Responsibilities include financial management, personnel services, facilities maintenance, student services, legal affairs, public relations, policy development, campus planning, and alumni and foundation support. This role is vital to the university's stability, growth, and ability to serve students and faculty effectively.

The Water and Environmental Engineering Research Center is located in the College of Engineering. Formerly names the Northern Great Plains Water Resources Research Center, this center conducts research, education and outreach activities through principal investigators who are faculty members in the Engineering College. Projects are funded by governmental agencies, cities and industries, and are focused on engineering solutions to water resources and environmental problems. These solutions often require collaboration with other university departments or off-campus units. The research center also maintains an environmental chemistry laboratory in Crothers Engineering Hall in conjunction with the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. The laboratory supports research projects, environmental engineering courses and outreach activities.

The mission of the Center is to enhance the habitability and economic development of the Northern Great Plains through multidisciplinary research of the region's vast water and related land resources. The center supports this mission through the conduct of engineering and related research on significant issues affecting water resources by focusing on various disciplines in higher education such as agriculture, health and social sciences, law, chemistry, and biology in partnership with engineering, to assure a critical mass of researchers working to foster multi- and interdisciplinary work on the conservation, development, management and use of water and related land resources.

The South Dakota Water Resources Institute was established as an administrative unit of South Dakota State University on October 8, 1954, and was formally conceptualized in 1964 under the Water Resources Act. In September 1990, it was placed under the administrative authority of the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences.

The Institute provides leadership in coordinating water resources research and training at SDSU and affiliated institutions and agencies across the state. It administers funds from the U.S. Department of the Interior through the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as well as from the state of South Dakota. These funds support research aimed at addressing water-related issues at the state, regional, and national levels. The Institute also supports graduate research, technology transfer, and information dissemination.

Additionally, the Institute operates the Water Quality Laboratory, which serves the state by providing analytical testing of inorganic constituents and select pesticides in water.

The Women's Studies Program at South Dakota State University (SDSU) is an interdisciplinary minor that allows students to explore topics related to women’s experiences and contributions across various fields. Course offerings examine the development of feminism and women’s evolving roles in family life, religion, the workforce, and politics. The program is especially relevant for students pursuing careers in social work, counseling, nursing, business, or education.

The Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor aimed to promote an earnest Christian life, foster mutual fellowship, and encourage service to God, as outlined in its constitution. Membership included active and associate members. Active members were young individuals who identified as Christians and were committed to the society’s purpose. Associate members were of good character but not yet ready to identify as Christians. They received the prayers and support of active members and were excused from participating in prayer meetings, with the hope that they would eventually become active members.

The history of theater at South Dakota State University began in the 1880s with the formation of eight literary societies that presented farces and plays and established traditions such as the Senior Class Play. These organizations eventually merged into a short lived dramatic club in 1923. In 1930, the Footlight Club was organized and became the primary dramatic society on campus. By 1939, theatrical productions were formally placed under the supervision of the Forensics and Dramatics Council within the Speech Department. This council oversaw all campus productions in coordination with the State Players Dramatic Club, which was founded in 1949.

A chapter of Alpha Psi Omega was officially established on the SDSU campus in 1949 and was highly active throughout the 1950s. The first designated technical director of plays at SDSU, Lawrence Stine, was appointed in 1952. Beginning in 1953, students became eligible to receive academic credit for participation in theatrical productions. In 1956, SDSU expanded its repertoire to include Broadway musicals, including a production of South Pacific, making SDSU one of the first nonprofessional groups to stage the work. That same year, summer theater productions were introduced. Revue style productions, including Rabbit Rarities and vaudeville shows, also became part of campus theater programming during the 1950s.

State University Theatre later became a unit within the Department of Communication Studies and Theatre and is also affiliated with the School of Performing Arts at South Dakota State University. Theatrical productions have been staged in more than fourteen facilities across campus, with the most recent venues including Doner Auditorium and the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.

A comprehensive chronological history of theater programs at South Dakota State University has been documented for the period from 1892 to 1992. While records documenting theater activities after 1992 exist, they have not yet been compiled into a single, comprehensive institutional history.

Rhea Beryl DeHaven Stewart (1899– ) was an educator, writer, and active member of South Dakota’s literary and educational communities. Born on September 2, 1899, in Linden, Iowa, she moved with her family to homestead near Capa, South Dakota, in 1907 and later to Wessington, South Dakota, in 1915.

Stewart began teaching at a rural school while still in high school. She completed her high school education at Northern States Teachers’ College in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Education, followed by a Master of Arts in English Literature from the State University of Iowa in 1932. She held teaching positions at Roosevelt and Simmons Junior High Schools and became Director of the English Department at Central High School in Aberdeen, where she also advised the Drama Club and initiated the student publication Word Craft.

On January 24, 1943, she married Chase David Stewart and became a farm homemaker near Wessington. Stewart was a prolific poet and writer, contributing to numerous publications and receiving awards in national competitions and state literature contests. She was a member of the South Dakota Press Women and the National League of American Pen Women, serving as state president of the latter.

Stewart remained active in education through service on the South Dakota Board of Education (1947–1959) and participation in President Eisenhower’s Conference on Education in 1955. Her achievements are recognized in Who’s Who of American Women, Who’s Who in South Dakota, and International Who’s Who in Poetry.

Janet Cressman Stofferan graduated from South Dakota State University in 1966 with a degree in fashion merchandising. While a student, she participated in Little International, the Home Economics Club, and the Episcopal Church Youth Group. She earned a Master of Science degree in apparel and textiles with a focus on cooperative extension education from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 1972.

Following her graduation from South Dakota State University, Stofferan worked for the Simplicity Pattern Company. In 1994, she became the museum curator of the Snellman Hsia Collection at South Dakota State University, where she was responsible for managing a historical costume collection. She retired from this position in 2008.

Ora Blanche Fryer Swenning was born on February 23, 1882, in Michigan to John H. and Imogen Swenehart. As an infant, she moved with her family to a homestead near Clark, South Dakota, where she spent her early childhood. Her recollections of pioneer life and survival during the blizzard of 1888 were later preserved in a personal memoir. Ora spent her later years in Minnesota and passed away on February 5, 1972, in Pipestone.

Joseph and Winifred (Catlett) Swering married in 1918. They began their newlywed life in Brookings, South Dakota, before moving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Joseph worked for Westinghouse. They later relocated to Buffalo, New York. The Catlett family had built a large home in Brookings in 1902. While living there, both Winifred and her sister, Margaruite, held their weddings in the family home. The Catlett house also hosted many social events during the family's residence. Eventually, the home was converted into student housing for South Dakota State College.

Clark S. Thomas was born on December 8, 1917, in rural Springfield, South Dakota. He attended South Dakota State College from 1937 to 1941, earning a degree in agriculture. From 1941 to 1945, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, stationed at military posts in Texas and California, and overseas in Guatemala and India. Following his military service, he farmed near Springfield, South Dakota, until his retirement in 1980.

Valerian Three Irons is a Native American educator, oral historian, and advocate for Indigenous language preservation. He served as a professor of American Indian Studies and Associate for Diversity at South Dakota State University from 1997 to 2011. After leaving SDSU, Three Irons joined the faculty of Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in New Town, North Dakota, where he has been actively involved in teaching Native American Studies and supporting Mandan language revitalization efforts. In 2018, he received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to create a publicly accessible archive of Mandan language resources. Throughout his career, he has contributed to tribal education, cultural preservation, and service-learning initiatives.

Activity V of the Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grant was designed to improve institutional management and enhance student services by fostering increased connectivity and communication within the academic community on campus.

Andrew Benjamin Trump was born on November 28, 1950, in Brookings, South Dakota, to Alfred G. Trump Jr. and Anne A. Trump. His father served as librarian and archivist at South Dakota State University, and his mother worked at the Brookings Public Library. He later resided in Fargo, North Dakota, and passed away unexpectedly in Sioux Falls on October 27, 2021, at the age of 70.

TV Productions Inc. is a locally owned video production company based in Brookings, South Dakota. The company provides full-service media production, including filming, editing, and post-production services, primarily for clients in the Brookings area. It has been involved in the creation of a wide range of audiovisual content, including promotional materials, event documentation, and institutional recordings, particularly for South Dakota State University. The company is owned and operated by Jay Vanduch, who has also served in operations at the SDSU Performing Arts Center. TV Productions Inc. has contributed to the preservation and dissemination of local and institutional history through its media work.