Skip to main content

Personal Papers

Anderson, Sigurd Papers

Sigurd Anderson was the 19th Governor of South Dakota. Anderson, a Republican from Webster, South Dakota, served in that office from 1951 to 1955. This small collection is composed of addresses given by Sigurd Anderson while he served as Federal Trade Commissioner. Collected addresses cover topics of interest to Anderson while he was governor of South Dakota.

Bates, Ward B. Scrapbook

Ward Bradley Bates was a second lieutenant of field artillery in the army during World War I, serving from 1915 to 1917. The collection consists of Lt. Bates’ World War I scrapbook, which includes his orders transferring him from camp to camp as well as numerous photographs and maps depicting his travels and time in theatre.

Biggar, George C. Papers

George C. Biggar, a South Dakota State University alumni (1921-22), was a program director and created programs for radio stations in Chicago, IL (WLS) and Cincinnati, OH (WLW). He helped to plan the Barn Dance and the Dinnerbell Program. This is a collection of papers relates to Biggar's career in radio. Included are radio scripts, interviews, photographs and other material collected throughout his career. Material from a trip to Great Britain in 1943-1944 makes up a large portion of the collection and includes material related to agriculture during wartime.

Cook-Lynn, Elizabeth Papers

Elizabeth Cook-Lynn is an editor, essayist, poet, novelist, and academic, and member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. She has been a voice within the discipline of Native American Studies, Native Studies, Indigenous Studies, Native American politics, particularly in regards to tribal sovereignty. Biographical material, poetry, book reviews; material related to her teaching career, research projects & other activities; material related to the Wicazo Sa Review: a Journal of Native Studies; material related to Native American issues & topics.

Corothers, Lonita Gustad Papers

Lonita Gustad Corothers was a student in the Division of Pharmacy at South Dakota State College starting in September of 1946 and graduating in the spring of 1950. Her graduating class was comprised of eight women and 56 men. Her minor was in chemistry. She began keeping a diary in 1945 when she was 17 years old and realized that she was "living in momentous times." The collection is composed of her diaries from 1946 through 2010, excerpts from and a timeline index of the diaries, correspondence with Tom Corothers written primarily during their courtship, a grief notebook written after her husband died, and her original writings and poetry.

Daschle, Thomas A. Papers

The South Dakota State University Archives acquired the papers of former Congressman and Senator Thomas A. Daschle in 2005. Senator Daschle graduated from SDSU in 1969 with a degree in political science. This growing collection includes photographs and documents from his distinguished twenty-six year public career in the U.S. House and Senate.

Denholm, Frank E. Papers

Frank E. Denholm was born on his parents’ homestead in Scotland Township in Day County, South Dakota on November 29, 1923. During his life, he held several positions such as farmer, auctioneer, F.B.I. agent, lawyer, and United States Congressman from South Dakota’s First Congressional District from 1971 to 1975. The papers consist mostly of materials created during the time he served in Congress. These items document his campaigns for Congress, and his work for rural America, particularly his effort to reinstate the Rural Electrification Act and numerous legislation regarding agriculture, rural water, and rural development. Information regarding Denholm’s wife, Mildred Niehaus Denholm, is included in the collection. The Frank E. Denholm Papers contain press releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs, audio and video recordings, and campaign artifacts.

Driving Hawk Sneve, Virginia Papers

Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve is an American writer of Children's literature. She studied journalism at the South Dakota State University. She was an English language teacher in several public schools, editor at the Brevet Press in Sioux Fall, S.D. This collection is composed of manuscripts of books and articles written by Sneve, as well as research materials from the books and correspondence from both publishers and fans. General items related to Sneve's career and hard cover copies of many of her books are also included.

Dwyer, David Papers

David Dwyer was a poet and husband of Kathleen Norris. This collection is composed of Dwyer's works as a poet. Included are published works of poetry as well as other writings.

Garnos, Gordon Papers

Gordon Richard Garnos was born April 6, 1935, in Presho, South Dakota. He received a B.S. from the University of South Dakota and was in the United States Air Force (1954-1958). He worked for the Watertown [South Dakota] Public Opinion (1964-1966; 1968-2002) and retired in 2002 as its editor. After retirement, Garnos continued to write editorials and his column, “Seeing South Dakota,” was printed in over a dozen newspapers in South Dakota. The collection consists of editorials written by Gordon Garnos between 1998 and 2016, including those printed in the Watertown [South Dakota] Public Opinion and his column, “Seeing South Dakota.”

Graber, Edwin C. Poetry Collection

Edwin C. Graber is from Freeman, Hutchinson County, South Dakota. The collection is composed of chapbooks of his poetry.

Hart, Reed G., Jr. Scrapbooks

Reed “Rocky” G. Hart, Jr. was born to Reed Sr. and Marie (Johannsen) Hart on August 4, 1926, in Pipestone, Minnesota. We fought in both World War II and the Korean War. Hart received a B.S. from the University of Minnesota in 1955. He spent his career as a government contractor working in places such as Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While he was there, he established jogging clubs. The collection consists of five scrapbooks, each full of photographs, news clippings, and scorecards of the jogging clubs.

Hawley-Lothrop Families Collection

Collection consists of historical documents relating to the Hawley-Lothrop Families and William Walters.

Hepper, Carol Collection

Carol Hepper is a New York based and nationally recognized artist, she is widely known for her use of non-traditional materials to produce sinuous sculpture and drawings. This collection is composed mainly of gallery invitations, exhibition catalogs, reviews and some press material related to the career of Carol Hepper.

Jacobsen, Emil, My Life from 1903

Emil Jacobsen was a South Dakota State Agricultural College student from 1922-1923.  The collection consists of a photocopy of a handwritten account of Emil Jacobsen’s life.

Johnson, Dan W. Papers

Johnson (June 2, 1917 – December 17, 2001), spent his entire professional career in the newspaper business. During the 1960, he was News Editor at South Dakota State University and Information Officer for the South Dakota Board of Regents. He then accepted a position as the Director for News and Publications at Southwest State University and remained there until his retirement in 1981. This collection is composed of material relating mainly Dan W. Johnson and to the city of Marshall in Lyon County, Minn. Included are files relating his military and professional career, his family, collected research and files dealing with Jeanne Johnson & Antiques Ltd., Marshall, Minn., Lyon County, Minn., Southwest State University, and Schwan's Home Service, Inc.

Johnson, Donald D. Papers

Donald D. Johnson was a resident of Brookings, S.D. in 1992. Composed of a narrative relating the experience of Swedish immigrant, John P. Johnson during 1871-1879 and the publication The Quill published by the student of Marion High School, Marion, South Dakota.

Johnson, Henry and Inez Journals

Henry and Inez Johnson lived and farmed on the farm of Henry' parents until they retired and moved into the town of Baltic in 1987. The collection is composed of 71 journals kept by Henry and Inez Johnson that document rural life near Baltic, S.D.

Johnston, Blanche Avery Class of 1916 Collection

Blanche Avery Johnston was a member of the South Dakota State College class of 1916. The collection contains materials Johnston collected during her time at South Dakota State College, including 103 photographs and a booklet about campus life.

Jones, Susan A. dairy transcription

Jones (January 11, 1844 – June 23, 1925), came to South Dakota and homesteaded in Hughes County in 1905. While her daughter was proving her claim, she taught school in Wisconsin and South Dakota. The collection is composed of a photocopy of transcriptions of dairies kept by Susan A. Jones while she resided in Massachusetts and Wisconsin.

Karolevitz, Robert F. Papers

Freelance author and humorist. Articles, manuscripts, columns, commercial writing, political ghostwriting, speeches, clippings, photographs, professional and personal correspondence, and research files relating either directly to books or material of interest.

Kuehn, F. C.W. Papers

F.C.W. Kuehn, a leading Midwestern architect, is known primarily for the 175 public schools he designed for the South Dakota Department of Public Instruction between 1912 and 1953. Composed of architectural drawings created for various projects including rural school plans and county highway maps, and bids and plans for projects.

Loucks, H.L. Correspondence with R.F. Pettigrew

R. F. Pettigrew was a lawyer, surveyor, and land developer. He represented the Dakota Territory in the U.S. Congress and, after the Dakotas were admitted as States, he was a U.S. Senator from South Dakota of South Dakota. H.L. Loucks was an economist and Populist candidate for Governor of South Dakota, 1890. The collection is mainly political in nature, dealing with issues of the progressive movement in the United States in the early 1900s.

Marghab, Vera Way Papers

Vera Way and Emile Marghab founded Marghab Linens, Ltd., on the Portuguese Island of Madeira in 1933. Together, they established one of the finest embroidery houses in Madeira. This collection encompasses the entire life of Vera Way Marghab. It documents her life before meeting Emile Marghab, including her childhood in South Dakota and her life as a piano student in New York City. Correspondence with her suitors, including her eventual husband Emile, is also included. While the bulk of the collection is related to her personal life, Vera's work at the helm of the Marghab companies is also represented, as are the official records of the businesses.

Norris, Kathleen Papers

Kathleen Norris is a best-selling poet and essayist. She became known for her writings about Christian spirituality, especially after she became a Benedictine oblate and spent two extended periods at Saint John's Abbey in Minnesota. The collection is composed of manuscripts, correspondence, galley proofs, research, books and publications related to her published works of fiction and nonfiction.

Opdahl, W. Sigurd and Goldie Family Papers

Correspondence between W. Sigurd Opdahl and his wife, Goldie Opdahl while W. Sigurd worked at an airplane factory in California during World War II.

Popowski, Bert Papers

Bert Popowski is noted as an outdoor writer. He wrote books concerning various aspects of outdoor sports such as hunting and fishing. His writings emphasized the important of habitat management. This collection is composed of articles, manuscripts, and materials related to Popowski's career as author and hunter.

Pyle, Gladys - Incredible Gladys Pyle Collection

This collection is a small representation of the research that Jeanette Kinyon and Jean Walz gathered for biography of Gladys Pyle, titled "The Incredible Gladys Pyle." Pyle was a South Dakota politician and the first woman elected to the United States Senate without having previously been appointed to her position; she was also the first female senator to serve as a Republican and the first female senator from South Dakota.

Reifel, Benjamin Papers

Benjamin Reifel was a Lakota Sioux and a Republican United States Congressman from the First District of South Dakota. This collection of his papers is composed of memorabilia, scrapbooks, campaign items, and personal items related to Reifel's career as a public servant, especially his years in the United States Senate and his work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Richards, David Collection on N.E. Hansen

Richards was an admirer of Dr. Hansen and often stopped to visit him in his office. After Dr. Hansen's death in 1950, David asked for and received, permission to keep a few souvenirs and then dug through the trash filling several boxes with papers of historical value. This collection is composed South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station bulletins, circulars and reports, manuscripts, correspondence, catalog descriptions, transplanting cards, research projects, material related to the South Dakota Horticultural Society, collected Russian publications, seed catalogs, clippings and photographs.

Schultz, Theodore W. Collection

Theodore Schultz, 1927 graduate of South Dakota State College, was the 1979 winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. This collection is composed mainly of Schultz's personal collection of articles he authored. Most are offprints from the journal in which the article appeared and many bear Schultz's signature. Included are a few articles not authored by Schultz which are review articles or contain biographical material about Schultz.

Sexauer, Elmer and Cecile Papers

Elmer Sexauer was chairmen of the board for The Sexauer Company, a seed business based in Brookings, SD. He and his wife, Cecile, enjoyed travel and provided funds for Sexauer Field, a track on the campus of South Dakota State University. Composed of postcards and other items related to trips taken by Elmer and Cecile Sexauer. Also includes diaries, scrapbooks and family materials collected primarily by Cecile (Welch) Sexauer.

Shunk, Harold W. Papers

Harold Shunk worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as superintendent of the several Indian agencies in South Dakota. He was also active in many civic and fraternal organizations and served on the governing boards of several schools and universities. Shunk had a special interest in history, and in addition to his service to the South Dakota State Historical Society, he hosted radio and television programs in Rapid City. Composed of collected stories, publications, speeches and typewritten transcripts of Wahehe Heirship hearing.

Simonson, Oscar and Alice Papers

Oscar E. Simonson (1913-2014) and Alice Margaret Bakken (1918- ) were married on June 11, 1938. They made their home and farmed in the Bristol, South Dakota area for forty years, planting their first crops in the spring of 1939. The collection consists of “Farm Family Record Books” compiled by Alice and Simonson from June 1, 1941 through December 31, 1979 for their farm in Day County, SD. In these workbooks, issued by the US Department of Agriculture’s Farmers Home Administration, farmers recorded monthly all money taken in and paid out, as well as farm-furnished food, an annual summary, and a five year inventory. The workbooks provide details of a family farm during the mid-twentieth century. The collection also includes some images of the family and an oral history interview conducted with Alice Simonson in 2016.

Stewart, Beryl Papers

Rhea Beryl DeHaven Stewart was a teacher and a farm homemaker. She served on the South Dakota Board of Education from 1947 to 1959 and was a contributor of poetry and prose to many publications. This is a collection of manuscripts and published works of Beryl Stewart as well as material she collected and scrapbooks she created throughout her career.

Thomas, Clark S. Student Expense Notebook

Notebook of Clark S. Thomas documenting his personal expenses while attending South Dakota State College.

Thomson, Verl Collection

Verl Thomson was a South Dakota broadcaster who worked for the first broadcast radio station in Sioux Falls in 1924 and later went on to be an announcer and program director for KSOO, KELO, and an announcer for NBC in Chicago. The collection contains a copy of Virginia Thomson’s theses about Verl Thomson and memorials and tributes to Thomson.

Visser, Audrea Collection

Audrae Visser is an American educator and poet and was Poet Laureate of South Dakota from 1974-2001. The collection is composed primarily of correspondence with Dr. Charles Woodard, Visser’s poetry and prose writings, and photographs.

Young, Gertrude Stickney Papers

Gertrude Stickney Young was a professor of history at South Dakota State College from 1907 to 1942 and a writer of historical sketches of South Dakota. This collection of her papers is composed of manuscripts, correspondence and other personal material.

Zuber, Marcus S. Collection

Zuber (January 10, 1912 - ?) was well known for his contributions to corn breeding. His development of tools and techniques and genetically improved populations or inbreds resulting from his research was released to hybrid corn breeders for utilization and improvement of hybrids grown by farmers. The collection is composed of scrapbooks documenting Marcus S. Zuber's years of corn breeding research.