University of South Dakota

History

The University of South Dakota was founded in 1862 by the Dakota Territorial Legislature which authorized the establishment of the University at Vermillion. The authorization was unfunded, however, and classes did not begin until 20 years later under the auspices of the privately incorporated University of Dakota, created with support from the citizens of Clay County. Ephraim Epstein served as the first president and primary faculty member in the institution that opened in loaned space in downtown Vermillion. Before 1883 ended, the university had moved into Old Main, and the first public board was appointed to govern the institution.

Enrollment increased to 69 students by the end of 1883, and, by the time South Dakota became the 40th state in 1889, the university boasted an enrollment of 500 students. The school's name was updated in 1891 to reflect the division of the Dakota Territory, becoming the University of South Dakota. USD's first academic unit, the College of Arts and Sciences, was established in 1883. The School of Law began offering classes in 1901; the School of Medicine in 1907; Continuing Education in 1916; the Graduate School in 1927; and the College of Fine Arts in 1931. The School of Business began offering classes in 1927 and has been continuously accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) since 1949.

It is the state's oldest public university and is one of six universities governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents. USD has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1913 and is a member of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. The school houses the state's only law and medical schools and the lone College of Fine Arts.

Campus

The University of South Dakota is based on a 216 acre campus along the bluffs near the Missouri River in the southeast corner of the state. The most prominent academic facility on campus, one of the school's symbols, is Old Main. It was built in 1883, burned down in 1893, and was fully restored in 1997. Along with several classrooms, it houses the Oscar Howe Gallery and the University Honors Program. Farber Hall, a 190-seat theater used mainly for speaking engagements, is also in Old Main.

Campus and academic buildings

USD opened the newly constructed Theodore R. and Karen K. Muenster University Center (MUC) for student use on February 17, 2009. The MUC houses the Student Activities Center, a campus dining facility, coffee shop, bookstore, convenience store and a number of lounge and TV areas. It was expanded on January 13, 2014, to include more food and entertainment options.

One of the newest additions to the campus is the Al Neuharth Media Center, named for the founder of USA Today. Dedicated in September 2003, the Neuharth Center houses the news and media organizations on campus, including the Freedom Forum’s South Dakota operations, South Dakota Public Broadcasting, the Department of Contemporary Media and Journalism, the campus newspaper The Volante, campus radio station KAOR, and television station KYOT. Formerly an armory and athletic field house, the building was converted into a media center through donations made by Al Neuharth, a 1950 USD graduate.

Galleries

The University of South Dakota has two main galleries: The John A. Day Gallery located in the Fine Arts building and the Oscar Howe Gallery located in Old Main. There are several other locations across campus that are designated gallery space, such as the hallway on the second floor of the Muenster University Center.[[File:USDWellnessCenter.png|right|thumb|200px|Student Wellness Center]]

Wellness Center & Dakota Dome

A $15 million, 61000 sqft wellness center opened in the spring of 2011. Located just north of the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts, the center includes state-of-the-art workout equipment, a multi-story climbing wall, multiple courts for basketball and volleyball, racquetball courts, and a three-lane walking/jogging track.

The DakotaDome serves not only as the home venue for the school's football, softball, swimming, basketball, volleyball, and track and field teams, but also as a recreational center for the student body. It is South Dakota's only domed football stadium, hosting the state's high school football championships in November.

Academics

The University of South Dakota has the state's only law and medical schools. , the university has seven colleges and universities offering 205 undergraduate and 75 graduate programs, including:

• College of Arts and Sciences
• Beacom School of Business
• School of Education
• College of Fine Arts
• School of Health Sciences
• School of Law
• School of Medicine

Student life

The University of South Dakota has over 170 student organizations.

Greek life

There are several fraternities and sororities on campus.

Homecoming – Dakota Days

The homecoming tradition of Dakota Days started in 1914 under President Robert L. Slagle. In 2014, USD celebrated its 100th Dakota Days.

Media

''Coyote News''

In fall 2005, USD's Media & Journalism Department revived its weekly live 30-minute television newscast, Coyote News. It is entirely produced, directed & reported by USD students.

Coyote Radio

In 2011 KAOR FM was renamed Coyote Radio, following the University of South Dakota's decision to end the U. Campaign. The central on-campus headquarters for KAOR Radio is the Al Neuharth Media Center while the transmitter lies atop Slagle Hall on USD's campus.

The Volante

The Volante (Spanish for "steering wheel") has served as the campus newspaper since 1887. Managed entirely by a staff of about 20 students in 2025, The Volante prides itself on its editorial independence. The paper has won numerous awards, including a number of Best of Show and Pacemakers. In October 2011 it was awarded its 8th Pacemaker Award, sometimes called the Pulitzer Prize of college journalism, by the Associated Collegiate Press.

Department media

The Vermillion Literary Project Magazine is a literary journal published by the English Department of the University of South Dakota. It is staffed by undergraduate and graduate students.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting

The university is home to South Dakota Public Broadcasting. It is a network of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) television and NPR radio stations serving the state of South Dakota.

Athletics

Main article: South Dakota Coyotes

The University of South Dakota sponsors six sports for men (football, basketball, swimming & diving, cross country, track & field and golf) and nine sports for women (basketball, swimming & diving, cross country, track & field, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball). The school's athletic teams are called the "Coyotes" (pronounced Ki Yoat) and nicknamed the "Yotes" (Yoats). The school colors are red and white. USD competes at the NCAA Division I level (Football Championship Subdivision in football) and is a member of The Summit League for all sports except football. Its football team is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Athletic facilities include the DakotaDome, for football and indoor track, the Sanford Coyote Sports Center for volleyball and men's and women's basketball, First Bank & Trust Soccer Complex and Lillibridge Track Complex.

The long-time intrastate rivalry between the Coyotes and South Dakota State Jackrabbits ended in 2003 when SDSU moved to Division I athletics and the Coyotes remained in Division II. USD eventually moved up to Division I and in the 2011–2012 academic year, SDSU and USD resumed regularly scheduled contests in most sports when the Coyotes joined the athletics conferences in which SDSU was a member, the Summit League and the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

The University of South Dakota fight songs include South Dakota Victory, Hail South Dakota and Get Along Coyotes.

The University of South Dakota's mascot of Coyotes comes from a horse race in 1863 in which a Dakota horse outran a horse from Iowa, in which someone from Iowa stated, "look at the Kiote run."

Notable alumni and faculty

Main article: List of University of South Dakota people

- INSTRUCTIONS FOR NOTABLE PEOPLE ***

When adding a name to this list, PLEASE put it on the independent page, List of University of South Dakota people.

Among the thousands of graduates from the University of South Dakota, notable alumni in the field of journalism include Al Neuharth, founder of the USA Today B.A., 1946; Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools B.A., 1983; Tom Brokaw, American broadcaster and longtime NBC Nightly News anchor B.A., 1964.

The University is notable for its numerous alumni in the field of politics and government including former U.S. Senators James Abourezk, Tim Johnson, Larry Pressler; and current U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson as well current U.S. Senator John Thune. File:John H. Lawrence.jpg|John H. Lawrence American physicist and physician best known for pioneering the field of nuclear medicine. File:Tom Brokaw 2015.JPG|Tom Brokaw, B.A. 1964 American broadcaster and longtime NBC Nightly News anchor File:David Gilbertson.jpg|David Gilbertson, J.D. 1975, Former Chief Justice, South Dakota Supreme Court File:John Thune, official portrait, 111th Congress.jpg|John Thune, M.B.A. 1984 current Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate File:Greg Mortenson portrait.jpg|Greg Mortenson, B.A. 1983 Author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools File:Dusty Johnson, official portrait, 116th congress.jpg|Dusty Johnson, B.A. 1999 current U.S. Representative from South Dakota. File:Larry Pressler.jpg|Larry Pressler, Senator and first Vietnam Veteran in Congress File:Tim Johnson official portrait, 2009.jpg|Senator Tim Johnson File:Frank Pommersheim 2014 044.JPG|Frank Pommersheim, American-Indian law scholar File:Ernest Lawrence crop.jpg|Ernest Lawrence, Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1922 graduate, Inventor of the cyclotron.

Notes

References

References

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3. (February 12, 2025). "U.S. and Canadian 2024 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2024 Endowment Market Value, Change in Market Value from FY23 to FY24, and FY24 Endowment Market Values Per Full-time Equivalent Student". National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).
4. "University of South Dakota Graphic Standards and Editorial Guide".
5. "USD 150th Anniversary - University of South Dakota". usdalumni.com.
6. "USD 150th Anniversary - University of South Dakota".
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11. (1926). "The Institution of the Alpha Chapter of South Dakota". The Phi Beta Kappa Key.
12. (2013-04-04). "Our History and Traditions - USD". Usd.edu.
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14. (October 5, 2003). "USD dedicates Al Neuharth Media Center".
15. (2013-04-04). "Our Campus - USD". Usd.edu.
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18. "Beacom School of Business". usd.edu.
19. "School of Education". usd.edu.
20. "College of Fine Arts".
21. "School of Health Sciences".
22. "Sanford School of Medicine". usd.edu.
23. "College Scorecard: University of South Dakota". [[United States Department of Education]].
24. "Starting a Student Organization {{!}} USD".
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26. "Welcome to Pi Beta Phi!". Pibetaphi.org.
27. "Dakota Days History {{!}} USD".
28. (October 3, 2017). "The rich history of Dakota Days {{!}} The Volante".
29. Hedrick, Tess. "USD celebrates 100th Anniversary of Dakota Days".
30. "USD Gears Up For 100th Annual Dakota Days Celebration". Yankton Press & Dakotan.
31. The Volante was nominated and joined the Associate Collegiate Press Hall of Fame in October, 2019. Publications can qualify for the ACP Hall of Fame in three ways: if they have earned 10 All-American ratings from our publication critique service within an 11-year span, received a total of 10 national Pacemaker awards since 1970 or received a combination of 15 national Pacemaker and Pacemaker finalist awards since 1970. [http://www.usd.edu/alumni-association/upload/SouthDakotan_Spring09.pdf] {{webarchive. link. (September 10, 2009)
32. "History and Traditions {{!}} USD".
33. "University of South Dakota Fight Song & Alma Mater Lyrics".
34. (2012-07-31). "Meet the Mascots: South Dakota's Charlie the Coyote".