60 Years Later: Reflections on South Dakota State's Transition from State College to University

 

The Brookings Register posted a series of interesting articles reflecting on changes at South Dakota State University as the institution transitioned from a state college to a regional university. 

The first, "From college to State: 60 years later: New name at South Dakota State was harbinger of 60 years of change," was published on June 11, 2024.

Then, "From college to State: 60 years on: Challenges during name-change phase successfully overcome," followed on June 18, 2024.

Mount Marty College Adopts New Name

Mount Marty College was founded in 1936 as Mount Marty Junior College by the Sisters of St. Benedict of Sacred Heart in Yankton, SD. The name changed to Mount Marty College in 1948 and it will become Mount Marty University in 2020.

You can read more about the name change in reporting by John Nguyen for South Dakota Public Broadcasting, "Mount Marty College Announces Name Change To A University," or Rob Nielsen for the Yankton Daily Press & Democrat, "A New U: MMC To Rename Itself Mount Marty University July 1."

You can learn more about Mount Marty's history and traditions by visiting the institutional web site.

Yankton College "...no longer exists. But it's not fully dead either."

Alia Wong, staff writer for The Atlantic covering education and families authored an interesting article posted June 12, 2019, "The College That Became a Prison: Yankton College no longer exists. But it’s not fully dead either." 

Yankton College closed in 1984 and the campus has since been acquired by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The Yankton College alumni and friends have been active over the years and it is nice to see Wong provide them with recognition through her article for maintaining the legacy of the institution. 

If you are interested in learning more, you can visit their website at https://www.yanktoncollege.org/ or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Yankton.College/.

You can also find links to articles on the alumni efforts in earlier College History Garden posts from December 13, 2009, Yankton College (South Dakota) #1, and June 6, 2011, Yankton College (South Dakota) #2.

AIB College of Business and Kilian Community College hold final Commencements

Kilian Community College in Sioux Falls, SD and AIB College of Business in Des Moines, IA held their last commencements this past week.  Kilian had previously announced its closure in November, 2015.  

AIB's closure was announced in January 2015.  AIB's campus will become a shared higher education center serving students in Iowa's capital city.

Kilian Community College in Sioux Falls Announces that it will Close

Kilian Community College, a non-profit institution in Sioux Falls, SD, announced that it will be closing at the end of the spring semester in 2016.  

Kilian Community College has an interesting history.  It was opened in 1977 and was established by the North Central University Board of Directors as the Community College of the North Central University Center.  Dr. Thomas Kilian served as the first president. Ownership of the College resided in a federation of three private Sioux Falls institutions of higher education: Augustana College, the University of Sioux Falls (formerly known as Sioux Falls College), and the Sioux Falls Seminary (formerly known as North American Baptist Seminary). In 1985, ownership was assumed by the Kilian Community College Association as a non-profit institution.

For many years, the College housed its administrative offices and some classrooms on the University of Sioux Falls campus. Kilian purchased the historic Van Brunt building in downtown Sioux Falls in 1993 and then in 2003 moved to a location on the Big Sioux River.

Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD will become Augustana University

Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD announced on August 21, 2015 that it will become Augustana University on September 1, 2015.  Augustana is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America [ELCA]. The institution has a fascinating history that dates from 1835 and the founding of Hillsboro Academy in Hillsboro, IL.  

Christy Olsen Field of the Norwegian American Weekly offered a brief historical sketch noting that Augustana College, "...traces its roots to the Hillsboro Academy in Hillsboro, Ill. in 1835. A Scandinavian Lutheran group changed the name in 1846 to “The Literary and Theological Institute of the Lutheran Church of the Far West.” The school later moved to Springfield, Ill., where it became known as Illinois State University...Due to doctrinal differences, Professor Lars Paul Esbjorn and a group of followers moved to Chicago in 1860 to establish the Augustana College and Seminary. In the 1860s, the fledgling college was caught up in the westward movement of pioneers, moving its location to Paxton, Ill. in 1863; Marshall, Wis. in 1869; Beloit, Iowa in 1881; and to Canton, S.D. in 1884...Meanwhile, the Lutheran Normal School for educating teachers opened in Sioux Falls, S.D., in 1889. In 1918, synod officials felt that two institutions so close together —approximately 20 miles— was not cost-effective, and therefore merged Augustana College in Canton with the Lutheran Normal School in Sioux Falls under the name Augustana College. After the merger, the school site in Canton became the Augustana Academy (no affiliation with the college), and closed in 1971. Augustana College identifies 1860 as its founding date along with its sister-school, Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. Those familiar with the two institutions, often refer to Augustana, Rock Island as the Swedish Lutheran school while Augustana in Sioux Falls is known as the Norwegian Lutheran school." 

South Dakota Colleges that have Closed, Merged, or Changed Names

This table below includes institutions that have closed, merged, or changed their names.  If you note a need for changing or updating information, please notify ray01brown@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

An index with links to separate pages for other states and countries is available.

There is a College History Garden Facebook group or you can view and follow multiple College History Garden boards on Pinterest or there is a board specifically devoted to South Dakota colleges.

Thanks for your interest and suggestions!

Columbus College (SD)

Columbus College was initially founded in Chamberlain, SD in 1909 as a Catholic boarding school and college.  The institution moved to Sioux Falls in 1921 and then closed in 1929.  The campus was purchased by the U.S. Government in 1946 to become a veterans hospital.  The page at Greetings from Sioux Falls includes other images.

Yankton College (South Dakota) #2

The Sioux City Journal posted an article by John Quinlan on June 5, 2011 that describes current activity on the former campus of Yankton College.

Yankton College was founded by Dr. Joseph Ward, a Congregational minister in 1872. The institution initially operated as an academy and in 1881 became the first institution of higher learning in the Dakota Territory which then included North and South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. Yankton College closed Dec. 17, 1984 due to financial difficulties. Four years later it became the site of the Yankton Federal Prison Camp.

A previous post links to a December 2009 article in the Yankton Press & Dakotan highlighting activities of Yankton College alumni.

Dakota Bible College, South Dakota

Roger Kasa's article from June 2010 includes a brief historical sketch for Dakota Bible College. The institution opened in Huron, South Dakota in 1942 and the last class graduated in 1985.

A 1943 brochure for the institution is available.

Link for 1972 Commencement Program.

Yankton College (South Dakota) #1

Randy Dockendorf's article, "Yankton College's Spirit Lives On," was published in the December 12, 2009 issue of the Yankton Press & Dakotan. The college, affiliated with the United Church of Christ, closed in 1984. Alumni and friends of the institution are still active in the community and a licensed ministry program was started in 1997.

Impact of Three South Dakota Colleges

An article on the PrairieBusiness website covers the lingering impact of three institutions that have closed in the state: Wessington Springs College, Freeman Junior College, and the University of South Dakota at Springfield. Austin Kause is the author and the original article appeared in the Mitchell (SD) Daily Republic.

Augustana College, South Dakota

Christy Olsen Field of the Norwegian American Weekly offers a brief historical sketch for Augustana College for Norwegian American Weekly.

"...Augustana College traces its roots to the Hillsboro Academy in Hillsboro, Ill. in 1835. A Scandinavian Lutheran group changed the name in 1846 to “The Literary and Theological Institute of the Lutheran Church of the Far West.” The school later moved to Springfield, Ill., where it became known as Illinois State University...Due to doctrinal differences, Professor Lars Paul Esbjorn and a group of followers moved to Chicago in 1860 to establish the Augustana College and Seminary. In the 1860s, the fledgling college was caught up in the westward movement of pioneers, moving its location to Paxton, Ill. in 1863; Marshall, Wis. in 1869; Beloit, Iowa in 1881; and to Canton, S.D. in 1884...Meanwhile, the Lutheran Normal School for educating teachers opened in Sioux Falls, S.D., in 1889. In 1918, synod officials felt that two institutions so close together —approximately 20 miles— was not cost-effective, and therefore merged Augustana College in Canton with the Lutheran Normal School in Sioux Falls under the name Augustana College. After the merger, the school site in Canton became the Augustana Academy (no affiliation with the college), and closed in 1971. Augustana College identifies 1860 as its founding date along with its sister-school, Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. Those familiar with the two institutions, often refer to Augustana, Rock Island as the Swedish Lutheran school while Augustana in Sioux Falls is known as the Norwegian Lutheran school."

Blogger Posts Comment on Periodic Attempts to Close an Institution

The author of the Northern Valley Beacon offers commentary on a proposal by South Dakota state representative, Mark Kirkeby, R-Rapid City, to close a public institution of higher education. This type of effort to close an institution wastes a lot of energy that could be much better used in other ways. It also reflects a commonly held belief in the upper midwest that there are too many institutions of higher education, just ask folks in North Dakota or Nebraska who have jumped through these hoops again and again... It would be a pleasant surprise if someone like Mr. Kirkeby would instead provide useful positive leadership for helping the institutions and the people of the state better prepare for the future. With all the challenges on our horizon, it is really hard to believe that there are not more than enough learning opportunities to engage creative people.