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The Academic Women's Equity Coalition Collection is composed of administrative and organizational records documenting the activities and advocacy efforts of the coalition at South Dakota State University. Materials include clippings, correspondence, meeting agendas, programs, committee and dues-paying member lists, and financial records. A brief historical summary outlines the group's founding and development. Notably, the collection contains a draft complaint filed with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs regarding alleged discrimination at the university, along with the results of the subsequent investigation.

This collection provides valuable insight into grassroots advocacy for gender equity within a university setting during a period of evolving institutional accountability. It reflects the organizational structure, strategic concerns, and policy engagement of the coalition as it sought to address systemic discrimination and support academic women. The inclusion of a formal discrimination complaint and the investigation's outcome highlights the collection’s importance in documenting civil rights and equity enforcement efforts at SDSU.

This collection documents the history, administration, and activities of the Faculty Women’s Club at South Dakota State University from its founding in 1917 through its evolution into the SDSU Club in the late 1990s. The records provide comprehensive insight into the organization’s efforts to foster community among faculty women, support students through scholarships and loans, and contribute to both campus and civic life.

Materials in the collection include constitutions (and proposed revisions), minutes, president’s reports, newsletters (The Grapevine), directories, clippings, financial records—including a loan fund ledger—programs, photographs, and scholarship information. These documents reflect the club’s governance structure, its broad range of social and educational programming, and its fundraising efforts for student support. The collection also includes flyers, calendars of events, and publicity materials for faculty receptions, teas, luncheons, and scholarship benefit events such as style shows. Records of interest groups (e.g., antique group, horticulture, gourmet cooking) and projects such as the Campanile restoration and support for the Memorial Art Center are also present.

The collection holds several club histories and includes documentation of the auxiliary Newcomers Club, which welcomed new faculty families. This includes a separate history, meeting minutes, and materials such as newsletters and artifacts (e.g., rubber stamps and a gavel). Artifacts from the Faculty Women’s Club itself include a gavel and official stamps used for communication.

Of particular note is material from the club’s 75th anniversary in 1993, which included a style show highlighting the club’s history. A script and video recording of the event are included.

The collection also contains records from the SDSU Club beginning in 1998, including brochures, posters, and invitations that document its continuation of social and academic support programming with expanded, coeducational membership.

These records are a resource for understanding the changing role of women in higher education, the development of faculty social networks, and student support services at South Dakota State University throughout the 20th century.

The President’s Office Records document the administrative, academic, and strategic functions of South Dakota State University from the early 20th century through the early 21st century. The records include correspondence, reports, committee minutes, planning documents, speeches, memoranda, and audiovisual materials produced by or related to university presidents and their offices. Topics covered include accreditation, budget planning, academic programs, institutional governance, state and federal relations, student life, campus facilities, faculty affairs, strategic planning initiatives, and major university events. The collection also contains materials related to presidential inaugurations, annual reports, and university outreach, including relationships with the Board of Regents and external stakeholders.

This collection offers comprehensive insight into the leadership and institutional development of South Dakota State University across decades. It reflects evolving administrative structures, academic priorities, and university responses to local, state, and national challenges. The records are valuable for understanding higher education governance, policy formation, and SDSU’s role as a land-grant institution. The inclusion of strategic initiatives such as the “Lead Forward Land Grant” and “Impact 2018” planning frameworks highlights long-term visioning and institutional advancement.

The Vivian Volstorff Papers span from 1904 to 2002 and document the personal life, professional career, scholarly output, and civic contributions of Dr. Vivian Virginia Volstorff, who served as Dean of Women, Director of Student Activities, and professor of history at South Dakota State University. The collection reflects her influential leadership on campus and her broader involvement in academic, civic, and professional organizations.

Materials include extensive documentation from her tenure as Dean of Women, such as reports, staff meeting notes, housing committee records, and correspondence related to student affairs and women’s organizations. Personal items include biographical records, letters, greeting cards, photographs, and memorabilia. Numerous folders contain speeches and public addresses, delivered across decades on themes ranging from international relations to higher education for women, student ethics, and civic values.

The collection also includes manuscripts and published writings, notably drafts and materials related to her historical monograph Winds of Change. Additional writings include her dissertations and theses on William Charles Cole Claiborne, James Wilkinson, and Pliny the Younger. A substantial portion of the material documents her affiliations with local and national organizations such as the American Association of University Women, Mortar Board, Delta Zeta, and others.

Collected material and subject files compiled by Volstorff provide insight into her research interests in education, morality, manners, youth culture, Soviet relations, and American identity. Her research on SDSU is especially comprehensive, including histories of campus buildings, student traditions, presidential administrations, and faculty organizations, as well as early publications such as Industrial Collegian and the Alumni Association Bulletin.

This collection offers documentation of mid-20th century women’s leadership in higher education, student life and governance, and South Dakota State University history. It will be particularly useful for researchers studying women in academic administration, 20th-century higher education reform, student housing and campus activism, and the cultural history of SDSU.