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South Dakota Farmer's Alliance Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The South Dakota Farmers Alliance Records reflect the early organization of farmers in Dakota Territory during the 1880s in response to declining wheat prices and opposition to railroad monopolies. The collection includes an 1887 address by Alliance president H. L. Loucks, proceedings from an annual convention, and an undated agricultural advertisement, illustrating the Alliance’s advocacy for economic reform and practical agricultural education. Together, these materials provide insight into the leadership, priorities, and strategies of the Farmers’ Alliance during a formative period of agrarian activism in South Dakota.

Sexauer Papers, Elmer And Cecile, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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This collection documents the personal, educational, and professional lives of Elmer Sexauer and Cecile Welch Sexauer from the late nineteenth through the mid twentieth century. Materials include essays, family papers, scrapbooks, agricultural reports, photographs, and certificates, along with handwritten travel diaries and more than four hundred postcards. Together, the materials reflect family life, education, professional involvement with the Grain and Feed Dealers National Association, and extensive travel within the United States and abroad, including Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Japan.

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 …

South Dakota Humanities Council Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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This collection documents the history and activities of the South Dakota Humanities Council, founded in 1972 to support and deliver humanities programming across the state. The records span from the Council’s origins as the South Dakota Committee on the Humanities through the early twenty-first century and include administrative correspondence, meeting files, financial records, grant proposals, publications, program documentation, and audiovisual materials. The collection provides detailed evidence of governance, fiscal management, and grant administration, including partnerships with the National Endowment for the Humanities. Program and project files document statewide initiatives in literature, history, Native American language and cultural preservation, media, and …

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.

South Dakota Farmers Union Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The South Dakota Farmers Union traces its origins to the national Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union, founded in Texas in 1902 and introduced to South Dakota around 1914 by former Nebraska members. The organization was formally established as a state unit at its first convention in Mitchell on March 16, 1917, with 268 delegates representing 14 counties and more than 130 local chapters. Education, cooperative enterprise, and legislative advocacy quickly became central to its mission, including early collective purchasing efforts that supported family farmers.

The South Dakota Farmers Union Records document the organization’s activities from the early twentieth century through …

Loucks, H. L. Correspondence With R. F. Pettigrew, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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Henry Langford Loucks (1846–1928) and Richard F. Pettigrew (1848–1926) were prominent figures in the agrarian, populist, and progressive movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Loucks, a farmer, organizer, publisher, and political reformer, played a central role in the Farmers’ Alliance and the Populist Party, advocating cooperative economics, direct democracy, and farmer-led reform in South Dakota and nationally. Pettigrew, a lawyer, territorial legislator, and U.S. Senator from South Dakota, was instrumental in securing statehood and later emerged as a leading critic of corporate power and political conservatism within the Republican Party. The collection documents correspondence between Loucks and …

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 …

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.

Continuing And Extended Education Office Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The Office of Continuing and Distance Education offers undergraduate and graduate courses using various distance education technologies. This collection is composed of general office material conference and workshop materials, University Week for Women records, and distance education records.

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 …

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.

Harding, A. S., Papers, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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A.S. Harding was professor and head of the history and political sciences department at SDSC. He taught courses in history, political science, sociology, and economics. This collection consists mostly of material compiled by Harding while researching the history of South Dakota State University. Includes correspondence, research notes and finished writings.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

Graber Poetry Collection, Edwin C. Graber, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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Edwin C. Graber was a poet from Freeman, South Dakota, whose literary activity flourished primarily between the late 1930s and late 1940s. Through a series of limited-edition chapbooks, Graber developed a lyrical body of work grounded in the landscapes and contemplative spirit of the Great Plains. His poetry reflects recurring themes of nature, solitude, time, and spirituality, expressed through reflective and meditative language. Titles such as Stars Are My Parade, Nature the Peerless Colorist, and Zeniths as Yet But Dimly Seen illustrate his attentiveness to the natural world and metaphysical inquiry.

The Edwin C. Graber Poetry Collection consists …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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, …

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 …

South Dakota Crop Improvement Association Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The South Dakota Crop Improvement Association (SDCIA) emerged in 1906 from the South Dakota Corn Growers and Corn Breeders Association, an organization initially formed to strengthen corn production across the state. What began as a temporary effort quickly rooted itself in permanence after the success of its first crop show, with A. E. Chamberlain of Howard serving as its first president. By 1909, the association expanded beyond corn to include additional grains, and in 1924 it merged with the South Dakota Experimental Association, reflecting a growing emphasis on systematic crop testing and varietal development. The following year, the unified body …

South Dakota Resources Coalition Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

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The South Dakota Resources Coalition was established in the early 1970s amid expanding federal environmental regulation and growing grassroots activism. In 1972, Governor Richard Kneip encouraged coordination among citizen environmental groups, and Esther R. Edie helped connect organizations statewide. This effort culminated in a South Dakota Environmental Symposium on September 28, 1972, which brought together state officials, specialists, and community representatives to address issues including water management, forestry practices, air quality, recycling, and the creation of a formal statewide organization. The South Dakota Environmental Coalition emerged from this meeting and soon engaged in state and national issues such as the …