This blogger is always looking for ways to save time, so I thought the time might be right to turn authorship of blogposts over to artificial intelligence.
With that in mind, I asked ChatGPT the following: “Please write a blog post discussing South Dakota’s oldest and youngest governors.” Here is what it wrote:
South Dakota has a rich history of political leaders who have left their mark on the state, from its earliest days as a territory to the present day. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the state’s oldest and youngest governors, and explore the impact they had on South Dakota during their tenure in office.
Oldest Governor: Nils A. Boe
Nils A. Boe served as the 18th governor of South Dakota, from 1965 to 1969. Boe was born on May 10, 1909, in Hayti, South Dakota, and he grew up on a farm near Watertown. Boe attended South Dakota State College (now South Dakota State University), where he earned a degree in agricultural economics.
Boe began his political career in the South Dakota House of Representatives, where he served from 1939 to 1943. He then served in the U.S. Army during World War II, before returning to South Dakota to serve in the state senate. In 1964, Boe was elected governor of South Dakota, defeating incumbent Archie Gubbrud.
During his time as governor, Boe focused on economic development and modernizing state government. He helped bring new industries to the state, such as the electronics manufacturer Raytheon, and he oversaw the construction of new highways and other infrastructure projects. Boe was also a strong advocate for education, and he signed legislation that increased funding for public schools and higher education.
After leaving office, Boe remained active in public life, serving on various boards and commissions. He died on March 20, 1990, at the age of 80.
Youngest Governor: Crawford H. “Chet” Taylor
Crawford H. “Chet” Taylor served as the 14th governor of South Dakota, from 1949 to 1951. Taylor was born on July 23, 1915, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and he grew up in nearby Flandreau. Taylor attended the University of South Dakota, where he earned a law degree.
Taylor began his political career as a state legislator, representing Moody County in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1939 to 1943. He then served in the U.S. Army during World War II, before returning to South Dakota to run for governor in 1948. Taylor was just 33 years old at the time, making him the youngest person ever elected governor of South Dakota.
During his time as governor, Taylor focused on improving the state’s infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and public utilities. He also worked to increase funding for education and healthcare, and he signed legislation that created the South Dakota Board of Regents.
After leaving office, Taylor remained active in public life, serving as a judge and a member of the South Dakota Board of Regents. He died on December 14, 1987, at the age of 72.
Impact on South Dakota
Both Nils A. Boe and Crawford H. “Chet” Taylor left their mark on South Dakota during their tenure as governor. Boe helped modernize the state and bring new industries to South Dakota, while Taylor focused on improving infrastructure and increasing funding for education and healthcare. Both men demonstrated a commitment to public service and a dedication to improving the lives of South Dakotans.
Today, South Dakota continues to be led by a diverse group of leaders, each of whom brings their own unique perspective and vision to the state. Whether old or young, Republican or Democrat, South Dakota’s governors have always played a crucial role in shaping the state’s history and culture.
Not a bad effort, although almost entirely wrong. Most notably, Crawford H. “Chet” Taylor was never Governor of South Dakota and, in fact, I can find no evidence of such a person, at all. I will credit ChatGPT, though, that Governor Taylor is a plausible-sounding fictional governor.
The 14th Governor of South Dakota was not Chet Taylor (who again, doesn’t exist) but Tom Berry. Taylor is said to have served from 1949 to 1951; in fact, that would coincide with the second gubernatorial term of George T. Mickelson. Taylor also shares his birthday of July 23 with Mickelson, although Taylor’s birth year of 1915 and place of birth in Sioux Falls are shared with Joe Foss. Taylor’s childhood in Flandreau and graduation from USD could be borrowed from Bill Janklow, although numerous other governors are also USD alums.
Had Chet Taylor been a real person, and had he been elected in 1948 at the age of 33, he would in fact have been South Dakota’s youngest-ever governor; in fact, that distinction is held by Richard F. Kneip, who took office in 1971 at the age of 37. Governor Taylor’s accomplishments while in office would be very typical for governor of the post-WWII era, although the Board of Regents could not have been created during his administration as it was created decades earlier.
Taylor’s post-gubernatorial tenure is also plausible. He is said to have served as a judge, which he would have in common with real governors Nils Boe and Sigurd Anderson. His service on the Board of Regents would also seem a fitting role for a former governor, although in fact, no South Dakota governor has gone on to serve on that board.
Chet Taylor’s death also seems to be a combination of other real governors. He died on December 14, the same date as Leslie Jensen, but in the year 1987, the same year as Kneip and Archie Gubbrud.
As for the biography of Nils Boe, it has the significant advantage of describing a real person who actually served as Governor of South Dakota, and it correctly states that Boe served from 1965 to 1969. Numerous other details are wrong, though.
Most notably, Boe was not South Dakota’s oldest governor, or even particularly close. Taking office at the age of 51, Boe is the 12th oldest new governor. The post misstates Boe’s birthdate also. He was born on September 10, 1913. The post’s birthdate of May 10, 1909 is a combination of William McMaster’s birthday of May 10 and Ralph Herseth’s birth in 1909. No governor has been born in Hayti; that detail, along with a childhood on a farm near Watertown, seem to most resemble Kristi Noem. Boe actually was born in Baltic and grew up in Sioux Falls. And he didn’t attend South Dakota State College, but rather the University of Wisconsin.
The post is correct that Boe served during World War II, although he was in the Navy, not the Army. He did not serve in the legislature prior to his war service, however, but rather served in the State House after the war from 1951-59. And, although Boe succeeded Governor Archie Gubbrud, he did not defeat Gubbrud for reelection. Gubbrud was term-limited and Boe won an open seat.
Boe was the 23rd governor, not the 18th. The post’s description of his time in office is fairly accurate, although I am not aware that electronics manufacturer Raytheon ever had a major presence in South Dakota. (The post could instead refer to the founding of electronics manufacturer Daktronics in 1968.)
And, although Boe did remain active in public service after leaving office, it was not “serving on various boards and commissions.” Rather, he served in the Nixon White House and then as a judge of the U.S. Customs Court.
Finally, Boe’s actual date of death was July 30, 1992. The purported date of March 20, 1990 is closest to the date of death of Sigurd Anderson, who died on December 21, 1990. (And, for the record, South Dakota’s oldest governor was Walter Dale Miller, who was 67 years old when he succeeded to office upon the death of Governor George S. Mickelson.)
So in summary, ChatGPT does a remarkable job of writing a plausible-sounding blogpost, and I have to give particular credit for the creation of an entirely new figure in South Dakota history, Governor Crawford H. “Chet” Taylor. For now, though, this blogger will need to continue to draft these blogposts himself.
Update: Given ChatGPT’s failure, I did in fact write short blog post on the oldest and youngest governors, here. ChatGPT did a better job, albeit not perfect, on a follow-up prompt to write a post about Peter Norbeck.
SoDak Governors 