Former Governor Biographies

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Biographies of Governors with Statues

Governor Arthur Calvin Mellette

Governor Arthur Calvin Mellette

1st Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1889 – 1893
Birth: June 23, 1842, Henry County, Indiana
Death: May 25, 1896, Pittsburg, Kansas

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Charles H. Sheldon

Charles H. Sheldon

2nd Governor of South Dakota

Years in office: 1893 – 1897
Birth: September 12, 1840, Lamoille County, Vermont
Death: October 20, 1898, Deadwood, South Dakota

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Andrew E. Lee

Andrew E. Lee

3rd Governor of South Dakota

Years in office: 1897 – 1901
Birth: March 18, 1847, Bergen, Norway
Death: March 19, 1934, Vermillion, South Dakota

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Governor Charles Nelson Herreid

Governor Charles Nelson Herreid

4th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1901 – 1905
Birth: October 20, 1857, Madison, Wisconsin
Death: July 6, 1928, Aberdeen, South Dakota

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Governor Samuel H. Elrod

Governor Samuel H. Elrod

5th Governor of South Dakota

Time in office: 1905 – 1907
Birth: May 1, 1856, near Coatesville, Indiana
Death: July 13, 1935, Clark, South Dakota

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Governor Coe I. Crawford

Governor Coe I. Crawford

6th Governor of South Dakota

Time in office: 1907 – 1909
Birth: January 14, 1858, near Volney, Iowa
Death: April 25, 1944, Yankton, South Dakota

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Governor Robert Scadden Vessey

Governor Robert Scadden Vessey

7th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1909 – 1913
Birth: May 16, 1858, Winnebago County, Wisconsin
Death: October 18, 1929, Pasadena, California

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Governor Frank M. Byrne

Governor Frank M. Byrne

8th Governor of South Dakota

Time in office: 1913 – 1917
Birth: October 23, 1858, near Volney, Iowa
Death: December 24, 1927, San Francisco, California

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Governor Peter Norbeck

Governor Peter Norbeck

9th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1917 – 1921
Birth: August 27, 1870, Clay County, South Dakota
Death: December 20, 1936, Redfield, South Dakota

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Governor William H. McMaster

Governor William H. McMaster

10th Governor of South Dakota

Time in office: 1921 – 1925
Birth: May 10, 1877, Ticonic, Iowa
Death: September 14, 1868, Dixon, Illinois

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Governor Carl Gunderson

Governor Carl Gunderson

11th Governor of South Dakota

Time in office: 1925 – 1927
Birth: June 20, 1864, near Vermillion, South Dakota
Death: February 16, 1933, Mitchell, South Dakota

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Governor William J. Bulow

Governor William J. Bulow

12th Governor of South Dakota

Time in office: 1927 – 1931
Birth: January 13, 1869, near Moscow, Ohio
Death: February 26, 1960, Washington, D.C.

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Governor Warren Everett Green

Governor Warren Everett Green

13th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1931 – 1933
Birth: March 10, 1869, Jackson County, Wisconsin
Death: April 27, 1945, Watertown, South Dakota

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Governor Tom Berry

Governor Tom Berry

14th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1933 – 1937
Birth: April 23, 1879, Paddock, Nebraska
Death: October 30, 1951, Rapid City, South Dakota

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Governor Leslie Jensen

Governor Leslie Jensen

15th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1937 – 1939
Birth: September 15, 1892, Hot Springs, South Dakota
Death: December 14, 1964, Rapid City, South Dakota

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Governor Harlan John Bushfield

Governor Harlan John Bushfield

16th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1939 – 1943
Birth: August 6, 1882, Atlantic, Iowa
Death: September 27, 1948, Miller, South Dakota

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Governor Merrell Q. Sharpe

Governor Merrell Q. Sharpe

17th Governor of South Dakota

Time in office: 1943 – 1947
Birth: January 11, 1888, Marysville, Kansas
Death: January 22, 1962, Kennebec, South Dakota

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Governor George Theodore Mickelson

Governor George Theodore Mickelson

18th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1947 – 1951
Birth: July 23, 1903, Selby, South Dakota
Death: February 28, 1965, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

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Governor Sigurd Anderson

Governor Sigurd Anderson

19th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1951 – 1955
Birth: January 22, 1904, Arendel, Norway
Death: December 21, 1990, Webster, South Dakota

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Governor Joe Foss

Governor Joe Foss

20th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1955 – 1959
Birth: April 17, 1915, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Death: January 1, 2003, Scottsdale, Arizona

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Governor Ralph E. Herseth

Governor Ralph E. Herseth

21st Governor of South Dakota

Time in office: 1959 – 1961
Birth: July 2, 1909, near Houghton, South Dakota
Death: January 24, 1969, Aberdeen, South Dakota

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Governor Archie Gubbrud

Governor Archie Gubbrud

22nd Governor of South Dakota

Time in office: 1961 – 1965
Birth: December 31, 1910, Lincoln County, South Dakota
Death: April 26, 1987, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

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Governor Nils Andreas Boe

Governor Nils Andreas Boe

23rd Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1965 – 1969
Birth: September 10, 1913, Baltic, South Dakota
Death: July 30, 1992, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

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Governor Frank Leroy Farrar

Governor Frank Leroy Farrar

24th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1969 – 1971
Birth: April 2, 1929, Britton, South Dakota

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Governor Richard Francis Kneip

Governor Richard Francis Kneip

25th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1971 – 1978
Birth: January 7, 1933, Tyler, Minnesota
Death: March 9, 1987, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

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Governor Harvey Lowell Wollman

Governor Harvey Lowell Wollman

26th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1978 – 1979
Birth: May 14, 1935, Frankfort, South Dakota

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Governor William John “Bill” Janklow

Governor William John “Bill” Janklow

27th and 30th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1979 – 1987 and 1995 – 2003
Birth: September 13, 1939, Chicago, Illinois
Death: January 12, 2012, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

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Governor George Speaker Mickelson

Governor George Speaker Mickelson

28th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1987 – 1993
Birth: January 31, 1941 – Mobridge, South Dakota
Death: April 19, 1993 – near Dubuque, Iowa

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Governor Walter Dale Miller

Governor Walter Dale Miller

29th Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 1993 – 1995
Birth: October 5, 1925, Viewfield, South Dakota
Death: September 28, 2015, Dallas, Texas

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Governor Marion Michael “Mike” Rounds

Governor Marion Michael “Mike” Rounds

31st Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 2003 – 2011
Birth: October 24, 1954, Huron, South Dakota

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Governor Dennis Daugaard

Governor Dennis Daugaard

32nd Governor of South Dakota

Years in Office: 2011 – 2019
Birth: June 11, 1953, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

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Former Governor Biographies

Guide to the Governors Papers at the South Dakota State Archives

Guide to the Governors Papers at the South Dakota State Archives

Territorial Governors Papers, 1861-1889

Guide to the Governors Papers at the South Dakota State Archives

Guide to the Governors Papers at the South Dakota State Archives

South Dakota State Governors, 1889-1925

Guide to the Governors Papers at the South Dakota State Archives

Guide to the Governors Papers at the South Dakota State Archives

South Dakota State Governors, 1925-1959

Guide to the Governors Papers at the South Dakota State Archives

Guide to the Governors Papers at the South Dakota State Archives

South Dakota State Governors, 1959-Present

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