Digital Commons Network^™

Popowski Papers, Bert, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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Bert John Popowski (1904–1982) was a nationally recognized outdoor writer, photographer, and authority on hunting and wildlife whose career spanned more than fifty years. A graduate of South Dakota State College, he authored over 2,300 articles and numerous books that influenced mid-twentieth-century hunting practices, firearms knowledge, and conservation awareness. His writings appeared widely in leading American sporting publications and were also translated for international audiences. This collection reflects Popowski’s sustained impact on outdoor literature and hunting culture, documenting his role in popularizing varmint hunting, advancing hunting techniques and safety, and contributing to broader discussions of wildlife management and conservation during …

South Dakota Association Of Family And Consumer Sciences Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The South Dakota Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Records document the history and development of home economics and family and consumer sciences in South Dakota from 1913 to 2008. The collection includes administrative records, correspondence, conference materials, publications, photographs, and scrapbooks that reflect organizational activities, professional standards, educational initiatives, and advocacy. Together, the records illustrate the evolution of the discipline and the role of professional associations in advancing family and consumer sciences at the state and national levels.

Reifel Papers, Ben, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The Ben Reifel Papers document the professional and public life of Ben Reifel, the first Lakota Sioux elected to the United States Congress, with particular emphasis on his service in federal Indian affairs, his congressional career, and his continued public service after leaving elected office. The collection includes correspondence, photographs, audiovisual recordings, memorabilia, scrapbooks, speeches, and writings that trace his work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, his legislative activities in the U.S. House of Representatives, and his involvement with national, state, and tribal organizations. Materials also reflect his military service, educational background, campaign activities, and long-standing engagement with civic …

Johnson Papers, Donald D., Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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Donald Dale Johnson (1925– ) of Brookings, South Dakota, contributed family and local history materials to South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections. The Donald D. Johnson Papers include a translated narrative recounting the experiences of his grandfather, Johan Peter Johnson, a Swedish immigrant in South Dakota during the 1870s, and The Quill, a Marion High School publication issued in memory of Johnson’s parents. The collection highlights Swedish immigration to South Dakota and the preservation of family history through translation.

Grewing "In The Blizzard" Manuscript, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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This collection centers on Im Schneesturm (In the Blizzard), an undated manuscript originally written in 1882 by Louis Grewing (1843–1908) and later copied by his son, Frederick Grewing (1867–1937), whose editorial role shaped the document’s preservation and later dissemination. Although the original manuscript is now lost, Frederick’s copy survived and became the basis for multiple published translations beginning in 1949. The materials document the manuscript’s transmission, translation, and publication history, including efforts by South Dakota State University faculty to translate the handwritten German text into English with institutional research support. Supplementary newspaper accounts, photographs, and background materials illuminate …

Pyle, Gladys - The Inceredible Gladys Pyle Collection, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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Gladys Pyle (1890–1989) was a pioneering South Dakota politician and the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate without prior appointment. A graduate of Huron College, she taught high school before becoming the first woman elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives (1923–1927) and later serving as Secretary of State (1927–1931). She was also active in the women’s suffrage movement. In 1938, Pyle won a special election to the U.S. Senate, serving briefly from November 9, 1938, to January 3, 1939. Researchers Jeanette Kinyon and Jean Walz, known for their historical and biographical work, began compiling materials for a …

Schultz Papers, Theodore W., Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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Theodore W. Schultz (1902–1998) was a Nobel Prize–winning economist whose work reshaped understanding of agricultural economics, economic development, and human capital. Raised on a South Dakota farm, Schultz’s early experiences with agricultural hardship influenced his lifelong focus on the economic conditions of farmers and the role of education and skills in productivity. After earning advanced degrees from the University of Wisconsin, he held influential academic positions at Iowa State University and the University of Chicago, where he helped establish the university as a leading center of economic thought. Awarded the 1979 Nobel Prize in Economics, Schultz authored numerous foundational works …

Women Artists In Collaboration Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The Women Artists in Collaboration Records document the formation and activities of a dynamic group of women artists in Brookings, South Dakota. Established in 1985 following a presentation sponsored by the Brookings Women’s Center, the group fostered a collaborative artistic environment, with membership evolving annually based on participation. Financial support from Friends of the Arts and the Brookings Women’s Center helped sustain their projects and performances.

The collection, compiled by co-founder Marilyn Richardson, primarily consists of correspondence (1986-1990), financial records (1987-1990), and project materials (1985-1989), which provide insight into the group's creative process and organizational efforts. Notably, the project records …

Marghab Papers, Vera Way, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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Vera Way Marghab (1900–1995) was a pioneering entrepreneur in the luxury textile industry. Born in South Dakota, she studied piano in New York before co-founding Marghab, Ltd. on the Portuguese island of Madeira in 1933 with her husband, Emile Marghab. Together, they built one of the most esteemed embroidery houses, producing linens celebrated for their craftsmanship, exclusivity, and innovative design. Following Emile’s death in 1947, Vera led the company for nearly four decades, navigating shifts in global markets and political changes in Portugal before closing the business in 1984. Today, Marghab linens remain a benchmark of excellence, with a complete …

Cuneiform Tablet Collection, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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This collection consists of five Cuneiform Tablets, one Egyptian Tablet, and research and manuscript material created by Crystal J. Gamradt.

Chicago, Milwaukee, And St. Paul Railway Company Collection, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, widely known as the Milwaukee Road, was a major Midwestern rail carrier whose operations spanned from 1847 until its merger with the Soo Line Railroad in 1985–1986. Established originally as the Milwaukee and Waukesha Railroad, the company evolved through successive name changes and expansions to become a vital transportation network linking the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest. By the late nineteenth century, its lines stretched across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and beyond, shaping patterns of commerce and settlement. Although the corporation no longer exists as an independent entity, …

Dakota Territory Living History Museum, Inc. Collection, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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This collection highlights the Dakota Living History Museum concept, created by Mel Thorne, to interpret the lives of American Natives and Dakota Frontier settlers from 1600 to 1890. It includes resources on living history presentations, pioneer life, and historical activities like oxen-drawn wagon trains, alongside modern data on Brookings County traffic patterns. Together, it offers a comprehensive look at Dakota Territory's history and culture.

Academic Affairs Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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Prior to 1960, the administration of academic programs at South Dakota State College was managed independently by departments and offices. As administrative responsibilities expanded, the position of Dean of Academic Affairs was established in 1960 to centralize oversight, later becoming the Vice President for Academic Affairs in 1973. This role, reporting directly to the university president, oversees college deans and plays a key role in curriculum development, faculty governance, accreditation, and institutional planning. The office has been instrumental in shaping academic policies, managing faculty development, and ensuring compliance with higher education standards.

The Academic Affairs Records Collection (1902–2018) documents the …

Administration Office Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The Vice President for Administration oversees campus support, service, and administrative units, ensuring efficient operations and strategic direction. Responsibilities include financial management, personnel services, facilities maintenance, student services, legal affairs, public relations, policy development, campus planning, and alumni and foundation support. This role is vital to the university’s stability, growth, and ability to serve students and faculty effectively.

This collection includes a file on South Dakota State University’s 1987-1989 strategic plan, offering insights into institutional priorities and administrative decisions during that period. It serves as a resource for understanding past strategies and their long-term impact. Additionally, the collection contains an …

Administrative Council Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The Administrative Council, established in 1942, succeeded the Council of Deans, which had been in place since 1923. The Council of Deans consisted of college deans and was responsible for overseeing campus regulations, course approvals, student absences, disciplinary actions, and other administrative matters. In the mid-1950s, faculty representatives joined the council, and by 1955, it met weekly with the university president to discuss administrative and policy issues. The council remained in place until 1970, when the Academic Senate assumed its decision-making and policymaking roles.

This collection contains meeting minutes and limited correspondence from both the Administrative Council and the Council …

Hansen, N. E., Papers, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The N.E. Hansen papers represent a comprehensive archive chronicling the career of Niels Ebbesen Hansen. The collection encompasses a diverse range of materials, including authored articles, bulletins, and circulars from Hansen's tenure at the South Dakota Experiment Station, as well as field notebooks, and ledgers from the South Dakota Horticultural Society.

Contributions from Helen Hansen Loen, Hansen's granddaughter, further enrich the collection with addresses, correspondence, journals, and travel documents, offering a deeper understanding of his professional and personal life. Notable highlights include addresses delivered by Hansen at prestigious events like the International Congress of Genetics in Berlin, underscoring his scholarly …

Berg, Donald, Papers, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The papers of Professor Donald Berg document his career as a geographer and historian at South Dakota State University and his sustained engagement with American Indian history and regional issues. The collection primarily consists of records from the Conference on American Indian History and Culture, including materials from the first through eighteenth annual conferences held between 1993 and 2010.

Additional materials include Berg’s research files on the Dakota, Minnesota, and Eastern Railroad, focusing on railroad safety, environmental impact, and proposed expansion projects in South Dakota and the upper Midwest. Together, the papers reflect Berg’s application of historical and geographic research …

Harding, Neva Whaley Papers, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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Neva Marie Whaley Harding, born in 1872 in Illinois and later settling in South Dakota, lived a life marked by community engagement and cultural contribution. After she married Albert S. Harding, the couple became an integral part of Brookings, South Dakota, with Neva notably founding the Brookings Women's Club and contributing to St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

Jane Alexander was born in Brookings, South Dakota to Ruth Ann and William Alexander. She began her journey of community engagement during her high school years, forming a lasting friendship with Neva Harding. This connection inspired her to delve into Neva's life, eventually leading …

Brookings Reconciliation Council Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The Brookings Reconciliation Council Records document the work of a community-based organization in Brookings, South Dakota, dedicated to fostering reconciliation and improving relations between Native American and non-Native communities. Dating primarily from the early 1990s through the early 2000s, the collection includes correspondence, meeting minutes, conference materials, publications, and topical files addressing civil rights, education, land and sovereignty issues, cultural representation, and community dialogue. Together, the records illustrate local responses to broader reconciliation initiatives in South Dakota and provide insight into grassroots efforts to address historical injustice and promote cross-cultural understanding at the community level.

Gray's Watercolor Collection, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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Founded in 1965, the College Watercolor Group emerged from Paul McConaughy’s search for an economical way to produce limited-edition watercolor prints. Beginning with a popular series depicting Cornell University buildings, the group expanded nationwide, producing affordable watercolor images of college campuses across the United States. Using a process inspired by nineteenth-century Currier and Ives prints, each work began as a pen-and-ink drawing reproduced as a lithograph on watercolor paper and then hand-colored by artists. The business evolved into Gray’s Watercolors, a name derived from the shared artist surname “Gray,” adopted by multiple contributors as the studio grew in size and …

South Dakota Nurses' Association Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The South Dakota Nurses’ Association (SDNA), founded in 1916 as the South Dakota State Association of Graduate Nurses, has served as the leading professional organization for nurses in the state for more than eight decades. Established in Rapid City with seventeen members and Elizabeth Dryborough as its first president, the association became the 43rd constituent of the American Nurses Association and adopted its current name in 1929. From its earliest accomplishment, drafting and promoting the 1917 Nurse Practice Act that established licensing standards and led to the creation of the South Dakota Board of Nursing, SDNA has shaped nursing regulation, …

Hubbard, Evelyn T., Painting, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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Evelyn T. Hubbard was an artist known for her architectural painting depicting historic buildings at South Dakota State University. Working in oil on panel, her work documented campus landmarks such as Old Central and Old North, contributing to the visual record of buildings that have since been altered or removed. Hubbard’s paintings were valued not only as works of art but also as historical representations, and at least one of her campus scenes was intended by donors to be preserved in a public art setting, reflecting its significance as a cultural and institutional legacy.

Johnson: Henry And Inez Johnson Papers, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The Henry M. and Inez O. Johnson Diaries document more than seven decades of rural life in eastern South Dakota, spanning 1924 to 1998. The collection consists of seventy one handwritten journals maintained primarily by Henry M. Johnson, with contributions from Inez O. Johnson, chronicling daily activities on the Johnson family farm near Baltic, South Dakota. The diaries record agricultural work, livestock care, crop conditions, weather observations, farm management decisions, and the rhythms of planting and harvest that shaped the family’s livelihood.

Beyond agricultural operations, the journals provide insight into family life, community relationships, church involvement, and local events in …

Larsen, Ronald, Papers, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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Ronald “Ron” Larsen (1946–2019) was a South Dakota resident, educator, agricultural advocate, and political candidate. A graduate of South Dakota State University, Larsen was active in civic and agricultural issues during the 1980s and later became the Democratic nominee for the South Dakota State Senate in District 6 in 2004.

This collection documents Larsen’s public activities from 1983 to 2004. Materials include correspondence, donation letters, newspaper clippings, legislative and campaign records, proclamations, and campaign ephemera. A significant portion relates to the “Give-A-Buck” initiative (1983–1991), as well as agricultural advocacy efforts such as “Faith in Farming” and participation in the 1985 …

Students' Association Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The South Dakota State University Students’ Association Records document the development and activities of the university’s student governing body from the early twentieth century through the early twenty-first century. The collection includes administrative files, constitutions and by-laws, minutes, reports, financial records, committee files, and subject files that reflect student participation in governance, policy formation, and campus life. Early materials relate to the Board of Control, which oversaw student activities, funding, and student enterprises, while later records document the transition to a Student Senate model and the expansion of advocacy, services, and shared governance.

These records provide insight into the evolving …

Brookings Rotary Club Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The Brookings Rotary Club was established in 1919 and chartered on February 1, 1920, through the efforts of local leaders Ivan Cobel and Clyde Hinkley, with sponsorship from the Watertown Rotary Club. Under its first president, Arthur Stoll, the club began with 21 members and quickly became an active force in civic development. Over the decades, Brookings Rotarians have supported youth programs, local health care, education, and community infrastructure, while also contributing to international efforts such as the Polio Plus campaign and global literacy initiatives. The club has maintained strong representation within Rotary leadership, sponsored educational scholarships and exchange programs, …

Anderson: Einar J. Anderson Photograph Collection, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The Einar J. Anderson Photograph Collection consists of black and white photographic prints dating from 1917 to 1922, with one item dated circa 1910s to 1920s. The collection documents student life, academic organizations, athletics, music groups, and theatrical productions associated primarily with Brookings, South Dakota, and surrounding communities.

Subjects include the Art Club (1922); Athenian Literary Society (1921); track athletics identifying Leonard Ladd as captain (1921); the Brookings, South Dakota High School senior play cast (1917); the Jack Rabbit Yearbook staff (1921); a Johnsonian Halloween costume party (1921); and a journalism class trip to Aberdeen, South Dakota (1920). One photograph …

Student Ledger, South Dakota State College, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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This collection consists of a student expense ledger created at South Dakota State College during World War II. The ledger was maintained by an unidentified student and contains detailed handwritten entries documenting personal expenditures. The entries provide insight into the daily costs and financial habits of a college student during the wartime period.

The ledger was discovered at a rummage sale in Mobridge, South Dakota, where it was purchased by a librarian from Northern State University. The item was subsequently given to Phil Mulvaney, Dean of Libraries at Northern State University, who forwarded it to Dean Marquardt at South Dakota …

General Federation Of Women’S Clubs Of South Dakota Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The General Federation of Women’s Clubs of South Dakota (GFWC of SD) traces its roots to the late nineteenth-century women’s club movement and formally organized in 1900, affiliating with the national federation founded by Jane Cunningham Croly. Emerging from a 1972 statewide symposium and earlier local federations led by Clara D. Coe, the organization united nonpartisan women’s clubs to promote intellectual, moral, and civic advancement. Structured into districts and guided by elected officers and departmental committees, the federation addressed issues ranging from conservation and education to public policy and international affairs.

The records document statewide administration and local club activity, …

Dakota Farmer Collection, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The Dakota Farmer Collection documents the history, production, and promotion of The Dakota Farmer, an agricultural periodical established in 1881 in Alexandria, Dakota Territory, by James Baynes. The publication relocated to Huron within its first year under Augustine Davis and later came under the leadership of William Bushnell, who became sole proprietor in 1885. Under Bushnell’s direction, the magazine expanded its influence and relocated to Aberdeen in 1893, where it advocated for agricultural development, improved livestock and crop production, and the growth of farm organizations throughout the northern Great Plains. Over time, The Dakota Farmer continued to serve as a …