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Hobo Day is the homecoming celebration of South Dakota State University and features a parade through campus and downtown Brookings, a Jackrabbits football game, and longstanding university traditions. The first Hobo Day was held on November 2, 1912. The event has developed into the largest one day celebration in South Dakota and serves as a central occasion for alumni to return to the university for athletic events and campus activities. Over time, Hobo Day has become an enduring part of South Dakota State University’s institutional history and student life.

Women Artists in Collaboration was created in 1985 at Brookings, South Dakota. It started out as a small group of women who had joined together when the Brookings Women's Center sponsored a presentation by women artists. Finding the collaboration stimulating, these women continued to work together. The group was made up of "whoever was willing to contribute" and changed from year to year. Friends of the Arts and the Brookings Women's Center provided funding for the group.

The South Dakota Farm Bureau is one of the oldest agricultural organizations in the state, with roots dating back to 1913 when local efforts began at the county level. The South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation was officially established in 1917. Initially, the Bureau worked closely with the Cooperative Extension Service, but this relationship had largely dissolved by 1935 as the organization evolved independently.

The South Dakota Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, once a key service arm of the Federation, offered insurance exclusively to its members. This member-owned company merged with the Iowa Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company in July 1999, at which point it ceased operations under the South Dakota name. The South Dakota Farm Bureau Service Company, a for-profit corporation wholly owned by the Federation, continues to operate in support of the Bureau’s broader mission.

The South Dakota Resources Coalition was established in the early 1970s, during the formative years of the national environmental movement. Although conservation efforts had long existed, significant federal action began after 1967 with the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of major environmental legislation.

In 1972, Governor Richard Kneip sought to unify various grassroots environmental groups in the state, offering political support and visibility. Esther R. Edie, then secretary of South Dakotans for a Quality Environment, facilitated communication among citizens' groups. With support from the governor’s office, a South Dakota Environmental Symposium was held on September 28, 1972, attracting around 80 participants. The event featured state officials and experts addressing topics such as water management, forest practices, air quality, recycling, and the establishment of a formal environmental organization.

Following the symposium, the South Dakota Environmental Coalition was formed and became active in state and national environmental issues, including the Oahe irrigation project, the Clean Air Act, the Water Pollution Control Amendments, and the Trans-Alaska pipeline. The group held its first annual meeting in May 1973 at Augustana College. By the end of that year, numerous South Dakota organizations had joined, representing a broad coalition of environmental, civic, and academic interests.

In 1978, the group adopted the name South Dakota Resources Coalition to reflect its wider scope and was incorporated as a non-profit. In 1982, it established the South Dakota Resources Protection Fund to support lobbying efforts. Over the years, the coalition has sponsored public education initiatives and partnered with South Dakota Public Television and the U.S. EPA on projects addressing water quality and land use. Notable projects include the 1973 television series Who Shall Control the Land?, a water quality institute funded in 1974, and the film The Invisible Thief in 1978–79.

The coalition has participated in numerous state advisory committees and regional environmental initiatives, including the South Dakota Futures Program and the Great Plains Environmental Conference. Throughout its history, the South Dakota Resources Coalition has played a significant role in advancing environmental advocacy in the state, particularly in areas such as water quality, waste management, and mining regulation.

Eugene “Gene” Henry Lothrop was born on August 16, 1920, in Redfield, South Dakota. He graduated from Huron High School in 1938 and earned a degree in electrical engineering from South Dakota State College in 1942. On December 20, 1942, he married Wilma “Jean” Walters. Gene worked as the foreman for Lothrop’s Electrical Service, owned by Elmer M. Lothrop. He passed away on April 15, 2014, in Prescott, Arizona.

Kari Rombs Kohlhoff is a graduate of South Dakota State University and has worked extensively in museum and archival settings in the Upper Midwest. She contributed to the preparation of manuscript inventories at the North Dakota State Archives during the late 1980s and later served as Curator of Collections for the Siouxland Heritage Museums in Minnehaha County, South Dakota. Her work has supported the preservation, organization, and accessibility of regional historical collections, and she has been listed among professionals maintaining North American natural history collections.

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.

Loto Rollinstahl Underwood was born on August 22, 1888, in Bryant, South Dakota, to John E. and Mary M. (McLees) Underwood. She was one of four daughters—Ethel, Genevieve, Loto, and Beatrice—the latter three of whom attended South Dakota State College. Her parents emigrated from Canada in 1882 and settled in Garfield Township, Hamlin County, South Dakota, where John Underwood worked in the hardware business. While attending South Dakota State College, Loto was a member of the Athenian Society. She married Orland Emilie White on July 28, 1913. Loto Underwood White died on April 21, 1968, in a nursing home in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Einar Jentoft Anderson was born on June 17, 1897 to J. Martin and Nicoline A. Anderson. In 1918 Einar was in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Ft. Sheidan, Illinois. He attended South Dakota State College after the war. Einar married Ethel Lucille Olson, who was born August 27, 1908. On September 5, 1988, Einar J. Anderson died in Catawba County, North Carolina.

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.

The Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) Summer Track Program began in 1969. It was part of the ""1969 Junior Champ Track Program,"" held in ten cities across South Dakota and sponsored by the South Dakota Jaycees and the Spader Camper Center of Brookings. Stan Jensen of Brookings served as the program’s chairman.

The program aimed to give youth the opportunity “to run, jump, or throw” and to experience the enjoyment, recreation, and sense of well-being associated with physical activity and fitness. It culminated in a state championship for boys and girls aged 15 to 18, with winners qualifying for the 6th/5th Annual U.S. Jaycee Junior Track and Field Championships at the University of Minnesota. Food, lodging, and transportation were provided by the sponsors.

From 1970 to 1973, the South Dakota Jaycees and the American Dairy Association of South Dakota continued supporting the Junior Track Program, with state meets held in Brookings.

The Sioux Falls Jaycees Developmental Meets, affiliated with the Sioux Falls Recreation Department and directed by Rich Greeno, were held from 1974 to 1976 and had reached their eighth year by then.

Jon McNitt was a collegiate wrestler at 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 fourth in 1968, establishing himself as one of the leading wrestlers in SDSU’s program during that period. His accomplishments contributed to the university’s wrestling program during the tenure of coach Frank Kurtenbach and are documented in university archival records and wrestling media guides from the era.

Propaganda played a prominent role in German political and social life during the twentieth century, particularly during the two World Wars. During World War I, Germany, like other major powers, produced propaganda posters to mobilize public support for the war effort. These posters encouraged military enlistment, promoted civilian participation and sacrifice, and often employed patriotic imagery and appeals to national duty, sometimes accompanied by anti-Allied messaging.

In the years preceding and during World War II, propaganda became a central instrument of state policy under the Nazi regime. Directed by Joseph Goebbels, the Ministry of Propaganda oversaw a comprehensive system that controlled newspapers, films, radio broadcasts, and visual media. Posters were widely used because they could quickly communicate messages to broad audiences in public spaces.

Nazi propaganda posters served multiple purposes, including promoting the leadership of Adolf Hitler and the ideology of the Nazi Party. They were designed to advance themes of Aryan racial ideology and German nationalism, justify military expansion, encourage public sacrifice for the war effort, and spread antisemitic, anti-communist, and anti-Allied messages. Many posters emphasized unity, discipline, and loyalty among both civilians and soldiers.

Visually, these posters often relied on bold compositions, heroic figures, and dramatic imagery. Designers frequently used symbolic color schemes, particularly red, black, and white, alongside emotionally charged slogans intended to shape public opinion and reinforce ideological conformity.

Following the end of World War II, Allied authorities confiscated large quantities of Nazi propaganda materials. These materials were examined as evidence of psychological warfare and state-directed indoctrination. Today, historians study such posters as examples of how visual media functioned within authoritarian systems and as historical documentation of propaganda’s influence on public perception.

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.

In the spring of 1970, I.J. Carey and others founded the South Dakota Paint Horse Club, an affiliate of the American Paint Horse Association. Carey served as President for three years before becoming National Director and Secretary-Treasurer.

The South Dakota Paint Horse Club operated as a non-profit organization to promote the paint horse—a breed known for its distinctive white and dark-colored markings. The club focused on publicizing the breed through newspapers, television ads, and magazines, as well as by organizing horse shows, fairs, auctions, and races. These efforts, which included local and national awards and memorabilia, significantly increased interest and membership.

Among the club’s most notable contributions were its paint horse shows and the Hoofprints newsletter, launched in 1975. The newsletter featured updates from officers and directors, show dates, futurity results, meeting notes, sales, and financial statements. Due to financial challenges, the South Dakota Paint Horse Club disbanded in 2021, leaving a lasting legacy in support of the paint horse breed.

In the 1884–85 catalog, chemistry was listed under the Department of Natural Sciences as part of the agriculture curriculum. Three courses were offered: elementary chemistry, analytical chemistry, and agricultural chemistry. By 1892, all students were required to complete three terms of elementary chemistry, while analytical and agricultural chemistry were available as electives.

Chemistry first appeared as an independent department in the 1897–98 catalog, with a significantly expanded curriculum. Course offerings continued to grow, with new courses added regularly every few years. In 1944, the department’s professional curriculum received approval from the American Chemical Society.

Following World War II, increased enrollment led to the expansion of departmental staff. By 1958, the department was authorized to offer a Ph.D. in biochemistry, and in 1965, Ph.D. programs were approved in most branches of chemistry. The Biochemistry Experiment Station, established in 1887, remained separate until it merged with the Chemistry Department on July 1, 1974.

In the 1998–2000 catalog, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry was listed as approved by the American Chemical Society for training professional chemists. In addition to the B.S. in chemistry, the department offers coursework to support other disciplines, a minor in chemistry, and graduate programs leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.

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 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.

The first college catalog (1884–1885) listed political economy as a course of instruction. At the time, political economy was a broad 19th-century discipline encompassing political science, economics, and sociology. By the 1890s, academic departments began to form, and political science courses were incorporated into various departmental groupings. In 1905, the Department of History and Political Science was established, serving as the administrative home for both fields until their separation in 1967.

Political science courses aim to: 1) convey the values and traditions of democratic institutions and encourage civic engagement; 2) promote global awareness and understanding; 3) develop critical thinking and strong communication skills; 4) support other social sciences as a cognate field; and 5) provide political science majors with foundational and advanced coursework across the discipline’s subfields to support intellectual and career development.

Today, Political Science is part of the Department of Political Science, Philosophy, and Religion.

Prior to the establishment of the Department of Philosophy and Religion in 1968, instruction in those subjects was sporadic. Religion courses were occasionally taught by local clergy, with the first mention of this arrangement appearing in the 1947–48 course catalog. Philosophy courses, by contrast, were taught by college faculty.

Philosophy has been part of the curriculum since the university’s founding. The Morrill Act, which established land-grant institutions like South Dakota State University, required instruction in ""moral philosophy."" A Chair of Psychology and Philosophy was created in 1885, and a Department of Philosophy was established in 1906. For a time, it included philosophy, psychology, and education before these disciplines were moved under the Department of Education in 1913. In 1967, a Department of Psychology and Philosophy was briefly reestablished before splitting the following year into separate departments for psychology and for philosophy and religion.

The department began offering minors in philosophy (1975) and religion (1978). Although efforts were made to establish a philosophy major, the Board of Regents denied the request.

Philosophy and religion courses remain open to students of any major. The study of these subjects is intended to broaden students’ perspectives and explore foundational questions in human thought. The program is now part of the Department of History, Political Science, Philosophy, and Religion.

The teaching of history at South Dakota State University developed alongside the college. From the beginning, students in all divisions of the college were required to take basic history courses. As time went on and the numbers of students and teachers multiplied, the Department of History was able to carve out its own niche. At times, other disciplines were taught through the department and the name was occasionally changed to reflect these areas. In 1905, the department was known as the Department of History and Political Science, this lasted until 1967. After a year as the Department of History, in 1968 the name changed to the Department of History and Geography to reflect the number of geography courses taught. In 1973, a separate geography department was established and the history department was reorganized into a resemblance of today's department.

The courses offered by the Department of History are intended to prepare majors for careers in teaching, government, and service-oriented occupations, and to provide a necessary background for graduate work or other specialized training. / History is now merged into the Department of History, Political, Sciences, Philosophy, and Religion.

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.

The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at South Dakota State University traces its origins to early instruction in electrical engineering, which began in 1899 within the physics curriculum. A separate Department of Electrical Engineering was formally established in 1909. In 1968, the department launched the Center for Power System Studies (CPSS) to strengthen collaboration between the university and the regional power industry.

Computer Science developed as a distinct discipline in the early 1980s, beginning with the introduction of a minor in 1980 and the formation of a standalone department soon afterward. The university introduced a bachelor's degree in computer science in 1983, followed by a graduate program in 1991. In 2003, the departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science were merged, forming the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. A software engineering program was added at that time but discontinued in 2011 due to budget constraints.

1980s, leading to undergraduate and graduate degree programs and the merger of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science departments in 2003. In 2017, the department became part of the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering and was later named the McComish Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science following a $5 million endowment by alumni Richard and Karen McComish. The department offers undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering and computer science and continues to support industry-focused initiatives through CPSS while maintaining its longstanding role in engineering education at SDSU.

Residential life at South Dakota State University began in the 1880s when early students resided in unfinished campus buildings. By the early twentieth century, structured housing emerged to accommodate students enrolled in programs such as the School of Agriculture, which required on campus residence for portions of the academic year. Following World War II, significant enrollment growth led the university to expand housing through the use of converted military barracks and temporary structures in an area known as College Grove. These facilities housed veterans and their families until they were gradually removed between 1961 and 1975 and replaced with permanent residence halls, including Harding Hall and Lowry Hall.

The Department of Residential Life oversees on campus housing and food service operations. Residence halls function as living learning communities intended to support academic and social development. Unmarried students are generally required to reside in university housing and participate in a meal plan unless they meet specified enrollment or age criteria. The department also manages family housing, selected apartment units, and University Food Service operations, including meal plan administration and dining services for students, faculty, and staff.

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.

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The Environmental Health and Safety Office at South Dakota State University supports a safe learning and working environment for faculty, staff, and students. The office assists campus departments in evaluating safety conditions and implements regulatory codes applicable to teaching, research, and operational activities.

Environmental Health and Safety oversees programs related to laboratory and occupational safety, hazardous materials management, radioactive materials, respiratory protection, personal protective equipment, and chemical hygiene. The office ensures compliance with applicable federal and state regulations, including standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Through policy development, training, consultation, and oversight, the department promotes regulatory compliance, risk management, and environmental stewardship across the university.

Intercollegiate athletics at South Dakota State University began in the late nineteenth century, with football organized in 1885 and other activities such as baseball and track and field developing soon thereafter. Early athletic programs were largely student led, as administrative oversight and professional coaching were limited. Competition initially consisted of intramural contests and occasional intercollegiate events that often accompanied broader academic gatherings.

In 1905, following a football game, a newspaper account described the team as “quick as jackrabbits,” a nickname that was subsequently adopted as the university’s mascot. In 1922, South Dakota State College became a founding member of the North Central Conference, with faculty member Dr. Harry Severin serving as conference secretary for four decades. The university competed in the North Central Conference for much of the twentieth century before transitioning to NCAA Division I competition beginning with the 2008–09 academic year. Since that transition, South Dakota State has competed in Division I conferences including the Summit League and the Missouri Valley Football Conference, expanding its intercollegiate athletic programs and facilities.

Efforts to organize higher education faculty in South Dakota occurred throughout the mid twentieth century, including attempts by the American Association of University Professors and the South Dakota Higher Education Faculty Association. Although those early initiatives were not sustained, they contributed to the formation of the Council of Higher Education (COHE). In 1978, the South Dakota Board of Regents formally recognized COHE as the exclusive representative for collective bargaining on behalf of eligible higher education faculty.

COHE represents full time and regular part time instructional and research faculty within the South Dakota Board of Regents system, including faculty at South Dakota State University, the Agricultural Experiment Station, Cooperative Extension Service, Auxiliary Services, and designated state educational institutions. Supervisory and managerial personnel and certain professional categories are excluded from the bargaining unit. As the recognized bargaining representative, COHE negotiates agreements related to compensation, workload, grievance procedures, and other terms and conditions of employment within the state’s public higher education system.

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 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 Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Program was established at South Dakota State University in 1927 to recognize outstanding leadership and service in agriculture and rural life. The first honorees were two South Dakota farmers selected following a campaign led by the Farmer magazine and the South Dakota Agricultural Extension Service. Their portraits were placed in Agricultural Hall on what became known as the “Wall of Fame,” and the recognition was conferred by action of the South Dakota Board of Regents. In 1928, the program expanded to honor women under the title Master Farm Homemaker, an initiative supported by The Farmer’s Wife magazine to highlight the importance of farm women in their homes and communities. In 1935, the title changed to Eminent Farm Homemaker, and women were formally recognized alongside male recipients by the Board of Regents. The designation later evolved to Eminent Homemaker.
In its early years, the honor included the granting of an honorary degree; by the 1950s, the terminology was clarified to distinguish the award from an academic honorary degree while preserving its significance. The program has been jointly administered by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, the College of Education and Human Sciences, and the Cooperative Extension Service, with nominations reviewed annually and approved by the university president and the Board of Regents. In 2019, the program was renamed the Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family, and Community Award, reflecting a broader recognition of leadership across agricultural, family, and community spheres. Since 1927, more than 300 individuals have been honored for their contributions to South Dakota’s agricultural and civic life.

The Dakota Agricultural College Board of Regents was established in 1881 by the Dakota Territory to oversee the founding and governance of a land-grant college in Brookings, later known as South Dakota State University. During the territorial period, the Governor of Dakota Territory served on multiple institutional boards, including that of the agricultural college, actively shaping educational policy between 1883 and 1889.

The board appointed George W. Lilley as the college’s first president in 1884, under whose leadership the first permanent buildings were erected and academic programs were initiated. In 1885, James Plummer Day, a Civil War veteran and legislator, was appointed to the college's Board of Trustees and remained involved through the transition to statehood.

Following South Dakota’s admission to the Union in 1889, the newly formed South Dakota Board of Regents assumed oversight of all state higher education institutions, including Dakota Agricultural College. Day and other early trustees continued their service under the restructured governance model. This early board laid the foundational policies for curriculum, facilities, land use, and administrative structure that would shape the development of the institution for decades to come.

The Reel Images Film Society at South Dakota State University emerged from a shared interest in bringing independent, international, and historically significant cinema to campus audiences. Formed by a coalition of faculty, staff, students, and members of the Brookings community, the society was established to expand film culture beyond mainstream commercial offerings. Its founders recognized that many important works of cinema, particularly foreign films, documentaries, experimental works, and classic titles, were rarely screened in local theaters or readily available through conventional distribution channels. Reel Images was created to fill that gap.

From its inception, the society adopted a format centered on curated programming. During each academic year, Reel Images presents one film per month, typically organized around an annual theme. Themes have provided intellectual cohesion to the series, linking films by genre, director, cultural region, historical period, or social issue. This thematic structure reflects the university’s broader academic mission by encouraging critical engagement, interdisciplinary discussion, and exposure to diverse artistic perspectives.

Screenings are open not only to the university community but also to residents of Brookings and the surrounding region, reinforcing the land-grant commitment to public cultural enrichment. By consistently featuring films that challenge, inform, and broaden aesthetic experience, the Reel Images Film Society has contributed to the cultural life of South Dakota State University and strengthened connections between campus and community through shared cinematic exploration.

Joseph “George” Norby was born on February 24, 1924, in Paulina, Iowa, to Joe and Amy (Shook) Norby. He began his career as a typesetter for advertisements at the Ireton Ledger in Iowa and later worked for the Hawarden Independent in Iowa and the Wishek Star in North Dakota. Prior to moving to Brookings, South Dakota, in 1952, Norby was employed at a commercial printing shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

After relocating to Brookings, Norby worked at Harold’s Printing and Advertiser and at Hauff Printing. He began employment with the Brookings Register in September 1970, where he served as a pressman, cameraman, and news compositor until his retirement in February 1986. He continued to work part time at the Register for an additional five years.

On May 29, 1953, Norby married Evelyn Marie Pederson in Sinai, South Dakota. They had two children, Diana Norby Munger and David Norby. Evelyn Norby was born on August 6, 1932, in Sinai, South Dakota, to John and Emma (Thompson) Pederson. She graduated from Sinai High School in 1950 and worked for many years at the Brookings Laundry and as a motel housekeeper from 1955 to 1982. From 1982 to 1986, she was employed as a custodian at the Brookings Register.

Beginning around 1965, when the old Brookings Register building was demolished, George and Evelyn Norby began collecting photographs and newspapers, some dating back to 1890. Over time, the collection expanded significantly and became widely known within the community.

Both George and Evelyn Norby were active members of numerous Brookings area organizations and clubs. George was a member of the Odd Fellows and served on the County Museum Board of Directors. Evelyn was actively involved with First Lutheran Church, including the First Lutheran Church Women, the Church Library Committee, and the quilting group. She was also a member of the Brookings Genealogical Society and volunteered at the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum at South Dakota State University. Together, the Norbys participated in the Rebekah Lodge, the Brookings Area CB Club, the Brookings County Historical Society, and First Lutheran Church. In 1998, they were jointly awarded the South Dakota Preservationist of the Year.

Evelyn Norby died on May 8, 2002, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. George Norby died on September 11, 2003, at the age of seventy-nine.

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.

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