J.P. Hendrickson Papers

John P. Hendrickson was born February 17, 1923 in Valley City, North Dakota to Rev. Alfred and Karen (Skorpen) Hendrickson. He graduated from Bismarck High School in 1940. He served in the U.S. Army from 1943-1946 in the United States and Europe. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in 1947, his master's degree in international relations from the University of Minnesota in 1949, and his doctorate in political science from the University of Iowa in 1952. IN 1951, he married Arlene "Susie" Brogla in Iowa City, Iowa. Before coming to South Dakota State University in 1954, he taught at the University of Iowa and the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. He also performed post-doctoral study at the University of Nebraska and the University of Manitoba. His work at the University of Manitoba resulted in the development of courses on Canadian politics and government at South Dakota State University.

Dr. Hendrickson was noted for a long and distinguished career as a professor of political science at SDSU (1954-1988) and head of the political science department (1967-1988). He also worked with the South Dakota Constitutional Revision Commission (1969-1975), the Local Government Study Commission, and the State Supreme Court Blue Ribbon Committee. In 1967, he was selected to confer an Honorary Doctor of Science on Vice President Hubert Humphrey. In 1969, he was selected as the Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the SDSU students, faculty, and alumnae. In 1986, he was recognized by the South Dakota Supreme Court for his service on the Blue Ribbon Citizen Committee, he received the SDSU Alumni Association's non-alumnus award in 1988 for service to South Dakota and was named Professor Emeritus. He received the Liberty Bell Award from the Brookings County Bar Association in 1989. Dr. Hendrickson was also featured in South Dakota 99, a collection of profiles of 99 distinguished people who were influential in the first 99 years of South Dakota's history.

Following his retirement from SDSU, Dr. Hendrickson was involved in local government. He wrote the Home Rule Charter for Brookings in 1996 and was a member of the Argus Leader Editorial Board. He was also a member of Golden K and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.