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Robert F. Karolevitz Papers
SDSU-Archives MA 039 · · 1833-2011

The Robert F. Karolevitz Papers document the life and work of a prolific South Dakota journalist, author, public speaker, and historian. Spanning the years 1833 to 2005, with the bulk of the material dating from 1910 to 1999, the collection offers comprehensive insight into Karolevitz’s personal life, professional writing career, civic activities, and historical research.

The collection includes personal files such as education records, family correspondence, financial and legal documents, memorabilia, and ephemera. These materials trace Karolevitz’s academic path through Yankton High School, South Dakota State College, and the University of Oregon, as well as his later roles as a public speaker and educator. Family records highlight several generations of the Karolevitz family, with photographs, commemorative materials, and genealogical documentation reflecting his strong ties to Yankton and Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Professional files encompass manuscripts, published and unpublished writings, newspaper columns, speeches, advertising and political ghostwriting, and correspondence with publishers. Among the most notable works documented are Flight of Eagles, This Was Trucking, With a Shirt Tail Full of Type, and The Prairie is My Garden. Supplementary materials include book layouts, catalogs, and awards from institutions such as South Dakota State University, the South Dakota Newspaper Association, and Toastmasters International.

Karolevitz’s extensive research files span a wide range of historical subjects, including South Dakota and regional history, Catholic institutions, journalism, automotive culture, and American military history. These files contain clippings, correspondence, notes, pamphlets, and illustrations gathered in support of his writing and historical interests.

A major strength of the collection is its substantial photographic holdings, comprising thousands of prints, negatives, slides, and postcards. Subjects include early automobiles, farm equipment, American Indian communities, historic newspaper offices, Catholic parishes, World War I, and South Dakota towns and landscapes. These visual materials significantly enrich the documentation of regional culture and 20th-century American life.

Collectively, the Robert F. Karolevitz Papers form a rich resource for scholars of American regional history, journalism, Catholic heritage, and South Dakota’s cultural identity. The collection offers a deeply personal and professionally expansive view of one of the state’s most dedicated chroniclers.

 Karolevitz, Robert F.