The South Dakota Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family, and Community Records document the history and recognition of individuals honored as Eminent Farmers and Homemakers in South Dakota from 1927 through the early 2000s. The collection comprises photographs, citations, scrapbooks, banquet and planning materials, and other administrative documents, reflecting the significance of these awards and their institutional history, particularly at South Dakota State University.

The honoree photographs span 1927–1991 and were formerly displayed on the Wall of Fame in Agricultural Hall at SDSU. These portraits, largely measuring 14.5 x 18 inches, include names, years honored, locations, and occasionally occupation or area of interest for farmers. Homemaker identifications typically follow the convention “Mrs. [Husband's Name],” with given names rarely appearing until the late 1980s. Due to light exposure, many photographs were damaged and later removed for preservation. Accompanying negatives (mostly 4x5") created between 1960–1991 document the original captions.

Citations provide biographical information, household or farm management practices, and details on public service and community leadership. Early entries frequently include homesteading stories and narratives of frontier life. Some citations contain transcripts of banquet acceptance speeches. These are arranged alphabetically by honoree.

Three scrapbooks document different time ranges. Scrapbook I (1928–1969) contains business meeting reports, newsletters, correspondence, and obituary clippings. Scrapbook II, titled Sands of Time, spans 1952–1982 and features photographs, minutes (1965–1982), and necrology reports. Scrapbook III, titled History, 1972–1988, includes honoree biographies, event programs, a mailing list of Master Farm Homemakers, and death listings.

Additional materials include banquet and award planning files, correspondence, application forms, minutes, obituaries, draft programs, event themes, and donation and endowment records. Recognition programs, trees planted in honor of recipients, and a map of honorees' geographic distribution further contextualize the impact of the awards. Printers' blocks of honoree portraits and documentation on portrait frames are also present.

This collection offers a unique lens into South Dakota’s agricultural heritage, community values, and gender norms over much of the 20th century. It preserves the legacy of individuals recognized for their contributions to rural leadership, family life, and agricultural advancement, and reflects the ceremonial and institutional practices surrounding their recognition. As a record of statewide honorific traditions and their evolution, the collection is significant to researchers of agricultural history, gender roles in rural communities, South Dakota social history, and commemorative culture.

Photographs

Photographs

Photographs

Photographs

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.

The John E. Miller Papers document the academic, professional, and scholarly contributions of Dr. John E. Miller, longtime faculty member in the Department of History at South Dakota State University. The collection includes course materials, oral history interviews, public talks and presentations, manuscripts, published works, and extensive research files. The bulk of the collection centers on Miller’s nationally recognized work on Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane, but also reflects his broader research interests in American history, democracy, political culture, and Midwestern small-town life.

The general material series includes correspondence, photographs, awards, articles about Miller, and records of his involvement with organizations such as the South Dakota Humanities Council, South Dakota State Historical Society, Phi Kappa Phi, and the Midwestern History Association. Course materials reflect Miller’s teaching of U.S. history, South Dakota history, American political thought, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute courses following his retirement. Talks and presentations span decades of academic conferences, workshops, and public panels, including participation in the Dakota History Conference and Laurapalooza.

The interviews series includes oral histories with figures such as George McGovern and John Wooden, as well as SDSU faculty and administrators. Early recordings were created on audiocassette and later on digital media; some are accompanied by transcripts and release forms. The writings series includes manuscripts, book proposals, article drafts, encyclopedia entries, and collaborative works. Sixteen boxes are devoted to Miller’s research and writing on Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family, comprising handwritten notes, research from archival sources, critiques of other Wilder scholars, and drafts of his own publications.

Miller’s research files cover a wide range of historical figures and topics such as democracy, elections, U.S. and South Dakota history, creativity, and popular culture. Subject files include material on Johnny Carson, Walt Disney, Sam Walton, and Lawrence Welk, as well as materials related to his books Looking for History on Highway 14 and South Dakota State University: A Pictorial History, 1881–2006. Also included are Brookings County historical research drawn from the Donald D. Parker Collection; materials related to the Brookings County Democratic Party donated by Ruby Mershon; and artwork and records concerning Hubert B. Mathews and Hubert Jean Mathieu.

Audiovisual and digital content includes 231 audiocassettes, 10 digital recorders, 17 CDs, 1 DVD, 18 USB flash drives, 24 SD cards, and born-digital materials. These recordings document interviews, lectures, and research materials gathered over the course of his career.

This collection is especially valuable for its preservation of the scholarly legacy of one of South Dakota’s foremost historians. Miller’s research on Laura Ingalls Wilder contributed significantly to American literary and cultural history, and his oral histories and writings provide rich documentation of South Dakota’s political, educational, and social landscape. The materials reflect the intellectual and civic life of the region, while also offering insight into the historian’s role as teacher, writer, and public scholar. The breadth and depth of this collection make it an essential resource for the study of Midwestern identity, public history, American democracy, and the institutional history of South Dakota State University.

Leslie Zeller from Vermillion, South Dakota was honored in 1979 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

W.F. (Will) Wyatt from Hot Springs, South Dakota was honored in 1941 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Warren L Wright from Rowena, South Dakota was honored in 1971 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Selma Woods, wife of Monroe Woods from Aurora County, South Dakota, was honored in 1973 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Harry Witt from Butler, South Dakota was honored in 1972 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Andrew J. Wimple from Beresford, South Dakota was honored in 1927 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Mrs. Allan E. Wilson from Mansfield, South Dakota was honored in 1964 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Ethel Wieting, wife of Charles Wieting from Tulare, South Dakota, was honored in 1956 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Niesje Wiersma, wife of John Wiersma from Volga, South Dakota, was honored in 1955 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Titus C. Wentz from Bath, South Dakota was honored in 1933 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Percy J. Wallace from Britton, South Dakota was honored in 1962 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Lena Van Metre, wife of John E. Van Metre from Unityville, South Dakota, was honored in 1936 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Ella Vallery, wife of Peter P. Vallery from Nisland, South Dakota, was honored in 1940 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Mrs. Bert Tupper from Junius, South Dakota was honored in 1956 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Marie L. Torvik, wife of W.O. Torvik from Sisseton, South Dakota, was honored in 1938 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Delila Tompkins, wife of Elden Tompkins from Highmore, South Dakota, was honored in 1977 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Annie Thoreson from Dell Rapids, South Dakota was honored in 1937 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Olynphious S. Thompson from Baltic, South Dakota was honored in 1937 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Sampson C. Thomas from Bon Homme County, South Dakota was honored in 1952 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Lawrence D. Test from Davison County, South Dakota was honored in 1939 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Walter C. Taylor from Rapid City, South Dakota was honored in 1954 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Wilbert I. Symens from Britton, South Dakota was honored in 1973 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Frank Swope from Orient, South Dakota was honored in 1960 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

John E. Sutton from Onida, South Dakota was honored in 1972 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

John E. "Matt" Sutton from Onida, South Dakota was honored in 1986 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Marie Sutera, wife of Joseph Sutera from Tabor, South Dakota, was honored in 1952 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Oriska Stroschein, wife of Leon Stroschein from Deuel County, South Dakota, was honored in 1982 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Mrs. Henry J. Strand from Brown County, South Dakota was honored in 1933 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Eugene Strain from White River, South Dakota was honored in 1978 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Carrie R. Stitt, wife of Ed. Stitt from Hitchcock, South Dakota, was honored in 1936 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Allen Sperry from Bath, South Dakota was honored in 1966 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

David Sour from Hayti, South Dakota was honored in 1928 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Mrs. Martin Sorenson from Tabor, South Dakota was honored in 1928 a Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Janice Snyder from Meade County, South Dakota was honored in 1984 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

John W. Smith from McCook County, South Dakota, was honored in 1984 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Edward C. Slocum, from Mound City, South Dakota was honored in 1948 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Addie Sloat from Gettysburg, South Dakota was honored in 1935 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Myrtle Sisson, wife of George Sisson from Belle Fourche, South Dakota, was honored in 1951 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Albina Shindelbower, wife of Moses Shindelbower from Tripp, South Dakota, was honored in 1981 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Mrs. Arthur Sherburne from Gary, South Dakota was honored in 1954 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Robert W. Sharp from Bath, South Dakota was honored in 1989 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Jacob R. Severson from Valley Springs, South Dakota was honored in 1933 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Charlotte Seas, wife of Dallas Seas from Brookings, South Dakota, was honored in 1985 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Walter H. Schwanke from Codington County, South Dakota was honored in 1982 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

John J. Schwab from Andover, South Dakota was honored in 1990 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Viola Schuh from Corson County, South Dakota was honored in 1980 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

William Schuette from Highmore, South Dakota was honored in 1991 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Mrs. Arthur J. Schuelke from Groton, South Dakota was honored in 1953 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Carol Schubeck from Beresford, South Dakota was honored in 1990 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Hannah Schlomer, wife of John C. Schlomer from Glenham, South Dakota, was honored in 1949 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Orpha Schenk, wife of Joseph K Schenk from Spearfish, South Dakota, was honored in 1954 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

E.G. Sanderson from Aurora, South Dakota was honored in 1955 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Clifford R. Rush from St. Lawrence, South Dakota was honored in 1959 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Mrs. William A. Ruppel from Alpena, South Dakota was honored in 1935 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Redella Runner from Martin, South Dakota was honored in 1987 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Mrs. H.M. Rogers from Codington County, South Dakota was honored in 1946 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

John S. Robertson from Hot Springs, South Dakota was honored in 1928 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Smith Robbins from Florence, South Dakota was honored in 1954 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Henry P. Ripp from Dimock, South Dakota was honored in 1965 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Mrs. Donald C. Rice from Tuthill, South Dakota was honored in 1964 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Joseph J. Rezac from Tabor, South Dakota was honored in 1937 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Adeline Reynolds, wife of Garret C. Reynolds from Blunt, South Dakota, was honored in 1961 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Mrs. George L. Renner from Sioux Falls, South Dakota was honored in 1930 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Mrs. Henry J. Rehorst from Belle Fourche, South Dakota was honored in 1939 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Louisa F. Rehfeld, wife of Christian F. Rehfeld from Warner, South Dakota, was honored in 1947 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Leona Rebbe, wife of Henry L. Rebbe from Spearfish, South Dakota, was honored in 1937 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Lorraine Reaves from Colman, South Dakota was honored in 1990 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

William P. Rausch from Hoven, South Dakota was honored in 1975 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Mrs. Charles A. Rasmussen from Putney, South Dakota was honored in 1932 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

William Rames from Menno, South Dakota was honored in 1953 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Erna Putnam from Armour, South Dakota was honored in 1988 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Henry Preheim from Turner County, South Dakota was honored in 1958 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Evelyn Petik, wife of Joseph Petik from rural Keldron, South Dakota, was honored in 1971 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Orville K. Peterson from Holabird, South Dakota, was honored in 1984 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Agnes Panek from Spearfish, South Dakota was honored in 1988 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Harold N. Opdahl from Hayti, South Dakota was honored in 1949 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Lillian Olson, wife of O.V. Olson from Huron, South Dakota, was honored in 1957 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Ernest C. Olson from Lake Norden, South Dakota was honored in 1987 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Mrs. W.J. O'Banion from Canton, South Dakota was honored in 1928 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Roy Norman from Pierre, South Dakota was honored in 1970 as Eminent Farmer by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Mary Elizabeth Nold, wife of George Nold from Turner County, South Dakota, was honored in 1946 as Eminent Homemaker by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Ruth E. Nelson from Roberts County, South Dakota, was honored in 1984 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Elizabeth D. Naughton from Hyde County, South Dakota was honored in 1980 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

William M. Naessig from Webster, South Dakota was honored in 1940 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Paul C. Murphy from Rapid City, South Dakota was honored in 1936 as Eminent Farmer by the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker Club at South Dakota State College.

Mary Ellen Murphy from Rapid City, South Dakota was honored in 1986 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Fayola Muchow, wife of Martin Muchow from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was honored in 1976 as Eminent Homemaker by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Board of Regents.