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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 The inclusion of unpublished research and working drafts enhances its importance as a record of historiographical methodology and university heritage documentation.

The South Dakota State University Ephemera Collection is an artificial collection composed of assorted ephemeral items related to the university’s history, student life, and promotional materials. These items do not fall under the defined scope of any other established collection and are instead gathered selectively based on their uniqueness, illustrative value, or historical interest. Material is added on an ad hoc basis as it is discovered.

The collection includes newspapers and clippings referencing the early State Agricultural College, athletic passes, decals, diplomas and diploma folders, invitations to student events, dance cards, letters, menus, name tags, examination materials, and souvenir paper items such as notebooks, postcards, and placemats. It also contains view books, student notes, receipts, greeting cards, banquet programs, university binders, metal seals, and tickets to various events. Several items reflect student and faculty experiences, while others highlight campus buildings, traditions, and academic milestones.

Together, these materials offer meaningful glimpses into campus customs, student experiences, university branding, and social life at SDSU. They document a variety of institutional and student activities including formal gatherings, alumni relations, promotional outreach, and campus health protocols.

The collection is valuable for illustrating lesser-documented aspects of SDSU’s institutional culture and student life through material culture and print ephemera. While not systematically gathered, these items provide researchers with visual and tactile evidence of SDSU traditions, commemorative events, and daily campus life. Materials such as early diplomas, souvenir decals, handwritten correspondence, and party memorabilia capture elements of the university’s past that are not always reflected in official records.