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The Ed Hogan Papers span from 1960 to 2014 and document the career, scholarship, and public service of Edward P. Hogan, geographer, faculty member, and academic administrator at South Dakota State University. The collection offers comprehensive insight into Hogan’s leadership in building South Dakota’s only geography program and advancing public understanding of the state’s demographic, educational, and regional development challenges. It includes appointment books, correspondence, clippings, certificates, photographs, academic writings, public testimony, and conference presentations, as well as research materials gathered during Hogan’s studies on out-migration, urban planning, geography education, aging populations, and political and cultural identity in South Dakota.

The papers contain personal and professional correspondence (1966–2003), academic and administrative files related to Hogan’s tenure in the Department of Geography and in central administration, and extensive documentation of the Center for Public Higher Education, particularly its efforts to expand university access in Sioux Falls. Drafts, reports, grant proposals, articles, and manuscripts authored or co-authored by Hogan are present throughout, reflecting his long-standing interests in house typology, rural development, internal migration, and geography curricula. Materials also include course files, lecture notes, and notebooks from his studies at Saint Louis University, along with SDSU governance records such as restructuring proposals, diversity council materials, and long-range planning documents. Additional content includes retirement tributes, family history files, and writings related to Hogan’s Irish heritage and public outreach.

This collection is a resource for understanding the development of geography as a discipline at SDSU and within South Dakota’s public higher education system. Hogan’s scholarship on population trends, particularly youth out-migration and community planning, informed both policy and pedagogy across academic and civic contexts. His administrative leadership, especially through the Center for Public Higher Education, provides documentation of institutional responses to changing educational access and demographic needs. The collection supports research in geography education, rural sociology, state policy, migration studies, and the political culture of twentieth-century South Dakota.

The Faculty Association Records document the organizational, administrative, and advocacy activities of the South Dakota State College (later South Dakota State University) Faculty Association from its founding in 1946 until its dissolution in 1972. The collection includes constitutions and by-laws, minutes, correspondence (primarily from or to the association's acting head), and committee records.

The records reflect the association’s advisory role and its efforts to address faculty-related concerns including appointment, rank and promotion, tenure, salary studies, insurance, retirement, sabbatical leave, travel expenses, outside activities, and faculty honors. Committees played a central role in the association’s work, and while their names evolved over time, they consistently focused on faculty welfare and institutional policy input. Also included are materials related to the selection of a college president, evaluation of public higher education in South Dakota, and membership and financial records. The bulk of the collection spans the years 1952 to 1960, with some earlier and later documents included for continuity.

This collection is significant for understanding faculty governance, institutional change, and the professional concerns of academic staff during the mid-20th century at South Dakota State.

The Faculty Round Table Records consist of foundational administrative documents related to the formation and governance of the Faculty Round Table at South Dakota State University. The collection includes a handwritten ledger containing the group’s original by-laws and minutes from its first meeting. These by-laws outline the organization's name, mission, membership requirements, officer roles, and procedures for conducting meetings. A typewritten version titled "Tentative Rules Governing Faculty Round Table" presents similar content, providing a clearer reference for organizational structure and protocol.

This collection offers insight into the early governance and self-organization of faculty at SDSU, reflecting the values, administrative priorities, and participatory culture of the academic community during the group’s inception. The documents serve as valuable primary sources for understanding faculty governance practices, professional engagement, and institutional development.

The J. Howard Kramer Papers are composed of an unedited manuscript draft for Kramer's book A History of South Dakota State University, 1884 to 1975. The manuscript is divided into two segments: the first includes the introduction through Chapter 10, and the second includes Chapters 11 through 13. This version of the manuscript contains material that was later reduced or omitted during the editing process prior to publication. In addition to the manuscript, the collection includes biographical summaries compiled by Kramer of South Dakota State University presidents from George Lilley through Hilton M. Briggs, covering the years 1884 to 1975.

This collection provides insight into the institutional development of South Dakota State University and preserves contextual material not present in the published version of Kramer's history. The president biographies offer additional perspectives on administrative leadership and university governance during key periods of transformation and growth.

The Joye Ann Billow Papers document the professional career, family history, and personal interests of Dr. Billow, a longtime faculty member of the South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy. The collection includes awards, honors, correspondence, curricula vitae, and publications reflecting her academic contributions. Materials also document her role in organizing the South Dakota Tours for new faculty in 2000 and 2001, including packets, correspondence, and photographs.

Personal and family materials form a substantial portion of the papers. These include biographical portraits, school photographs, yearbooks, baby books, and family correspondence. Genealogical documents from the Billow, Pierce, Herb, and Lux families are present, along with memorial books and condolence materials. A large scrapbook contains family genealogical records such as birth, confirmation, and marriage certificates, as well as collected correspondence and memorabilia.

The collection is especially rich in photographs, encompassing portraits, family groups, travels, and collected images, as well as images related to ceramics, clocks, and other objects. In addition, the papers contain Dr. Billow’s original artwork, including watercolors, ink drawings, and sketches, which reflect her artistic pursuits after retirement.

This collection is a resource for documentation of Dr. Billow’s three decades of service to pharmacy education at SDSU and her broader contributions to campus governance and community organizations. It preserves the history of faculty professional service at a land-grant university and highlights the integration of academic work with community engagement. The extensive genealogical and family materials provide insight into the Billow and Pierce families of Pennsylvania and South Dakota connections, while the inclusion of original art illustrates Dr. Billow’s creative endeavors following her academic career. Together, the papers present a multifaceted record of professional achievement, family heritage, and personal expression.

The Robert F. Kerr Papers represent a compilation of Kerr’s personal and professional materials, primarily dating from the 1880s to the 1930s. The collection is composed predominantly of correspondence, both personal and related to Kerr’s role at South Dakota State University (then Dakota Agricultural College). Notable within this correspondence are letters documenting Kerr’s dismissal from the university, offering insight into early administrative and academic tensions at the institution.

In addition to correspondence, the collection includes class records (1885–1892), diaries (1886–1888), and writings by Kerr on a variety of topics including Brookings County history, college history, and Jewish advocacy. A unique item is Kerr’s contribution to the History of SDSC: 1881–1931, which includes marginalia in Chapter 1 authored by Kerr. Additional materials include a certificate of public instruction, scrapbook, notes, ledger, traveling papers, and maps/manuals of South Dakota. A Christmas greeting composed by Kerr and multiple drafts of personal reflections, including an autobiographical sketch, further illustrate his personal beliefs and public engagement.

The collection documents Kerr’s broad intellectual interests, educational work, and his role in shaping the early academic life at South Dakota State University. The presence of early class materials and student-related documents adds to the understanding of instructional methods during the foundational years of the institution.

Robert F. Kerr was a foundational figure in the academic development of Dakota Agricultural College. His personal files provide critical documentation of institutional history, early university governance, and student instruction practices. The correspondence surrounding his departure adds to the narrative of university leadership and faculty relations in the institution’s formative years. His historical writings on South Dakota and Brookings County contribute to regional history.

The Robert V. Burns Papers document his professional service, teaching, and involvement in state and national commissions between the late 1960s and early 2000s. The collection includes material from the 2000 NAFTA Conference on Canadian–United States agricultural trade issues organized by Burns, with correspondence, government official communications, publicity, talking points, publications, proceedings, and Governor William Janklow’s keynote speech.

Extensive records relate to the South Dakota Executive Branch Reorganization (1968–1973), including correspondence, staff documents, legislation, reports, research files, and recommendations from the Citizen’s Commission on Executive Reorganization. Burns’s work with the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) is represented through agenda books, publications, and policy studies.

Additional materials reflect his participation in the National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education, the Constitutional Revision Commission, and the Governor’s Task Forces on education and wages. Files also include material on judicial elections, Brookings railroad safety, higher education assessment, civic service, and Burns’s 1980 State Representative campaign. The papers preserve a record of Burns’s role in shaping higher education policy, state governance, and civic engagement in South Dakota and beyond.

This collection is a resource for understanding South Dakota’s political, educational, and policy development during the late 20th century. It provides insight into Burns’s leadership in higher education reform, state reorganization efforts, agricultural trade policy, and public service. His involvement with regional and national commissions underscores South Dakota’s participation in broader discussions on governance, education, and economic policy.

The Ruth Ann Alexander Papers document the professional career, research, and public service of Dr. Ruth Ann Alexander, professor of English at South Dakota State University and the first woman to chair its English Department. The collection contains correspondence, course materials, speeches, manuscripts, grant files, and research notes reflecting her work as a teacher, scholar, and advocate for women’s rights. Included are files related to her service on the Brookings School Board, her leadership in developing women’s studies at SDSU, and her involvement in Chautauqua programs where she portrayed Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

The papers also include Alexander’s writings and public lectures on South Dakota women writers, pioneer women, feminism, sexism, and the history of women in the Episcopal Church. Draft manuscripts and published articles illustrate her research on figures such as Elaine Goodale Eastman and Kate Boyles Bingham. Records of her participation in the South Dakota Humanities Council, the South Dakota History Conference, and the Speakers Bureau highlight her contributions to public humanities programming.

Her service on the South Dakota Commission on the Status of Women is well documented through correspondence, reports, task force materials, policy statements, and legislative files, including those related to the Equal Rights Amendment and displaced homemakers legislation. Additional materials reflect her Episcopal Church history work, her writings on parenting and education, and her role as a public intellectual in South Dakota.

This collection is a ressource for understanding the development of women’s studies and feminist scholarship at South Dakota State University, the history of women’s rights and activism in South Dakota, and the broader cultural role of women in education, literature, and the Episcopal Church. It provides researchers with insight into Alexander’s pioneering work in introducing courses on women writers and multicultural literature, her leadership in the women’s movement at both local and statewide levels, and her engagement with public scholarship through Chautauqua, the South Dakota Humanities Council, and community service organizations.

The A.S. Harding Papers consist of materials compiled by A.S. Harding during his research on the history of South Dakota State University. The collection spans the years 1893 to 1949, with undated material also present, and is composed of correspondence, letters, obituaries, newspaper notes, bibliographic references, and a wide array of thematic research notes and writings.

Content includes Harding’s Master’s thesis on “Contested Elections in Great Britain,” along with multiple drafts and writings on SDSC history, political science, party allegiance, and student life. Harding drew heavily on the research of Robert F. Kerr and William H. Powers, integrating their notes into his own documentation. His collection also reflects extensive use of newspaper clippings, especially in his historical chronologies and fact-gathering on the institutional development of SDSU.

Also included is correspondence from 1893 to 1949, materials related to the Forum (1906), various handwritten and compiled notes on SDSC facts, finances, student activities, and faculty lists. Box 2 includes general notes on history and newspapers, offering insights into the university's foundational era.

Together, these papers serve as a rich resource for understanding SDSU’s institutional memory, particularly through Harding’s synthesis of primary and secondary sources, preparatory research, and historical narrative development.

This collection provides documentation of the early institutional history of South Dakota State University, including rare internal notes, correspondence, and biographical data. It is particularly useful for researchers tracing the origins of campus governance, academic evolution, and student culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The inclusion of unpublished research and working drafts enhances its importance as a record of historiographical methodology and university heritage documentation.