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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.

Dr. John E. Miller was born on March 28, 1945, in Beloit, Kansas, to Channing and Mildred Miller. He received his B.A. in history from the University of Missouri, followed by an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. After completing his graduate studies, he spent one year as a visiting professor at the University of Tulsa. He grew up in multiple towns in Missouri and Illinois and served as a court reporter in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War in 1969 and 1970.

Dr. Miller taught recent American history for three decades. After a brief teaching appointment at the University of Tulsa, he joined the faculty at South Dakota State University in Brookings in 1974, where he remained until retirement. During his military service in Vietnam, he also taught classes. In retirement, he continued teaching through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

He authored, edited, and reviewed numerous books and scholarly articles, writing primarily on American history but also addressing politics, literature, creativity, and small-town life. His notable works include Looking for History on Highway 14, Small Town Dreams: Stories of Midwestern Boys Who Shaped America, three books on Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Democracy’s Troubles: Twelve Threats to the American Ideal and How We Can Overcome Them.

Beyond academia, John enjoyed golf, baseball, biking, and cheering for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a frequent visitor of libraries and bookstores and often combined research trips with family visits and vacations. He was active in church, community, and professional organizations, serving on numerous committees. His scholarship earned several honors, including the South Dakota Board of Regents Research Award in 2000 and the Herbert Schell Governor’s Award for History in 2001.

Dr. John Edward Miller passed away suddenly at his home in Brookings, South Dakota, on May 1, 2020, at the age of 75.

Edgar Sharp McFadden was born to James Edgar and Beatrice (Stocking) McFadden on February 3, 1891, in Day County, South Dakota. James E. McFadden came to South Dakota in 1882 to homestead and built a granary-dwelling house combination on his land.

In 1903, James E. McFadden was severely injured when he was gored by a bull. This put the burden of the 1904 spring planting onto Edgar McFadden when he was only thirteen years old. In addition to the regular planting of wheat that year, Edgar S. McFadden planted a small plot with seeds he had selected in 1903 from a few completely beardless wheat plants. He wanted to see if he could develop a better grain. McFadden’s first crop, including the small plot, was ruined by black stem rust.

In the winter of 1908-1909, the McFadden’s left South Dakota and moved to the West Pecos area of Texas, where Edgar went into the cattle ranching business in partnership with his father. Over the next three summers, Edgar S. McFadden followed the wheat harvest from Texas to their homestead in South Dakota, and then north and east into the Red River Valley in North Dakota and Minnesota. At this time, he observed that wheat rust started in the south and moved north.

In 1911, Edgar S. McFadden began taking courses in the School of Agriculture at South Dakota State College (SDSC), completing the program in 1914. He began as a freshman at SDSC in the fall of the same year. In 1916, agronomy professor Manley Champlin encouraged McFadden to plant wheat in a small plot of land behind the boarding house where he lived as a student in Brookings. He hoped to transfer the disease resistance of Yaroslav emmer to Marquis, a common bread wheat. While a student at SDSC, McFadden also worked as an assistant in the SDSC agronomy laboratory and in the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station test plots (1913-1917). He received his Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from SDSC on March 1, 1918.

Following his graduation, McFadden went to work for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a field assistant at the Agricultural Experiment Station in Highmore, South Dakota, where he continued his research to develop rust-resistant wheat. During World War I, McFadden joined the United States Army and served from May 25, 1918 to February 25, 1919. Following his military service, he returned to work for the USDA at the Highmore Experiment Station. After completing cereal experiments for the SDSC agronomy department in June 1920, he returned to his farm near Webster in Day County, South Dakota.

He continued his wheat breeding experiments on the land that his parents had homesteaded, and he farmed for a living from September 1, 1920 to February 28, 1929. After his crops were destroyed by drought in 1921, hailed out in 1922, and rusted out in 1923, he mortgaged the farm in order to continue working on his wheat breeding research. During this time McFadden developed the Hope and H44 varieties of rust-resistant wheat.

McFadden returned to work for the USDA on March 1, 1929 as an Associate Agronomist stationed in Redfield, South Dakota, and also worked for the USDA at University Farm in St. Paul, Minnesota. He held that position until 1935, when he accepted a position with the USDA and the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. In Texas, McFadden continued his research with wheat and other small grains, including oats, barely, and flax.

Edgar S. McFadden is best known for his work developing Hope Wheat, which is the parent of numerous disease-resistant varieties. He is credited with saving at least 25 million people from starvation, and an estimated $400 million during World War II.

During his career, McFadden was awarded numerous honors and accolades including an honorary doctor of science degree from South Dakota State College (1950), the Reader’s Digest award for meritorious contributions to public welfare (1946), the American Agricultural Editors’ Award for outstanding service to American agriculture and country life (1947), and the Progressive Farmer man-of-the-year award (1950). He also received the USDA Distinguished Service Award (1949), a citation of merit from the Texas Chemurgic Council (1947), and honored by the American Agricultural Education Association (1945) for outstanding service. Prior to his death, McFadden received the prestigious John Scott Legacy Medal and Premium (1955). In 1966, a granite memorial to McFadden was erected in Webster, South Dakota.
In 1918, McFadden married Mabel Blakeslee. They had two daughters, Carol and Phyllis, and a son, James.

Edgar S. McFadden passed away at his home in College Station, Texas on January 5, 1956.

Jon McNitt was a collegiate wrestler for South Dakota State University during the late 1960s. Competing in the 167-pound weight class, he earned national recognition as a two-time NCAA Division II All-American. McNitt placed second at the national championships in 1967 and followed with a fourth-place finish in 1968, marking him as one of the top wrestlers in SDSU history during that era. His achievements contributed to the university’s strong wrestling tradition under coach Frank Kurtenbach, and he is noted in archival records and media guides from the period.

Vincent Joseph McAuliffe was born on January 25, 1927 in New York City, New York, to Michael and Gertrude McAuliffe. During his childhood he resided in Kerhonkson, New York, where he graduated high school. In 1944, at the age of 17, Joseph enlisted in the U.S. Army and served until 1946. After his military contributions, McAuliffe went to college, earning his Bachelor degree at Cornell University in 1949, a Master's degree at the University of Maryland in 1955, and a Doctorate degree at Stanford University in 1965.

McAuliffe began his career in 4-H as a member and President of the Kerhonkson 4-H club in Ulster County, New York. From there, Joseph became a 4-H agent in South Dakota and Minnesota. In 1959 until 1968, Joseph became Program Leader of 4-H and Youth Development. In late 1968, Joseph was promoted to Extension Service and Associate State Leader of 4-H Youth in Minnesota. He then held the position of Director of Educational Programs of the National 4-H Foundation, then Director of Educational Programs and Services of the National 4-H Council in Washington D.C. from 1968 to 1974. In 1973, in the last stages of Joseph McAuliffe's career, he was named Program Leader of 4-H Youth until his retirement in 1977.
After retirement, Joseph kept his involvement in 4-H further by consulting to Jamaica to expand their 4-H program, then consulting with his wife, June McAuliffe, at major U.S. fairs to promote 4-H Wildlife and Fisheries Program, and finally consulting to Romania to establish a 4-H program.

McAuliffe’s awards and honors from his lengthy career with 4-H are extensive, with some including being named a National 4-H Fellow, 4-H Distinguished Service Award, National Partner in 4-H, and being named to the National 4-H Hall of Fame.

Vincent Joseph McAuliffe passed away on January 18, 2021, preceded by his wife, June McAuliffe.