Identity area
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Authorized form of name
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Description area
Dates of existence
History
Sigurd Anderson, the 19th governor of South Dakota, was born on January 22, 1904, on an island near Arendal, Norway. His parents, Karl and Bertha Anderson, immigrated to the United States in 1908, settling on a farm 10 miles southwest of Canton in Lincoln County, South Dakota. Anderson attended Pleasant Ridge School, District No. 11, and graduated from high school in 1925. That same year, his family relocated to a farm near Bancroft in Kingsbury County.
In the fall of 1925, Anderson enrolled at South Dakota State College, where he was active in public speaking, literary, and journalistic activities. However, after contracting scarlet fever, he was unable to return to college the following year. To finance his education, he worked as a farmhand and taught in rural schools in Kingsbury County. In 1928, he transferred to the University of South Dakota (USD), graduating cum laude in 1931.
After earning his degree, Anderson taught high school history in Rapid City and Webster, South Dakota. In 1935, he returned to USD to study law, graduating in 1937. Before completing his law degree, he married Vivian Walz of Vermillion, South Dakota. The couple had one daughter, Kristin, who later resided in Okemos, Michigan.
Anderson established a law practice in Webster, South Dakota, in 1937 and was twice elected Day County state’s attorney. In 1950, he won the Republican nomination for governor in a competitive five-way race and was elected to office. His re-election in 1952 set a historic record, as he became the only candidate for South Dakota governor to receive over 200,000 votes in a general election. During his administration, the Legislative Research Council was established, and for the first time in 40 years, the state achieved debt-free status.
After serving two terms, Anderson was appointed to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was reappointed in 1958 for a seven-year term but resigned in 1964 to return to Webster and resume his law practice. That same year, he ran again for governor but lost the Republican primary to Nils Boe, who later became governor. Boe later appointed Anderson as a circuit judge, a position he held until his retirement in 1975.
Throughout his career, Anderson received numerous professional and political honors and was actively involved in various organizations. He passed away on December 21, 1990.