State University Presidents

These are the presidents of each of South Dakota’s six state universities. In some cases these lists include short-term interim presidents.

South Dakota State University

George Lilly1884-1886
Lewis McLouth1887-1896
John W. Heston1896-1903
John Chalmers1903-1906
Robert L. Slagle1906-1914
Ellwood C. Perisho1914-1918
Willis E. Johnson1919-1923
Charles W. Pugsley1923-1940
George Lincoln Brown1940-1940
Lyman Edson Jackson1940-1946
Harold M. Crothers1946-1946
Fred H. Leinbach1947-1951
Harold M. Crothers1951-1951
John W. Headley1952-1957
Harold M. Crothers1957-1958
Hilton M. Briggs1958-1975
Sherwood O. Berg1975-1984
H. Ray Hoops1984-1985
Robert T. Wagner1985-1997
Peggy Gordon Miller1998-2006
David L. Chicoine2007-2016
Barry Dunn2016-
Known as Dakota Agricultural College 1881-1904 and South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts 1904-64.

University of South Dakota

Ephraim M. Epstein1862-1863
John Simonds1883-1885
John R. Herrick1885-1887
Edward Olson1887-1889
Howard B. Grose1890-1891
Joseph W. Mauck1891-1897
Garrett Droppers1899-1905
Franklin B. Gault1906-1913
Robert L. Slagle1914-1928
Herman G. James1929-1935
I. D. Weeks1935-1966
Edwad G. Moulton1966-1968
Richard L. Bowen1968-1976
Charles D. Lein1977-1982
Joseph McFadden1982-1988
Betty Turner Asher1989-1996
James W. Abbott1997-2018
Sheila Gestring2018-
Known as the University of Dakota 1862-91.

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Franklin R. Carpenter1886-1889
George F. Duck1889-1890
Samuel Cushman1890-1891
William P. Headden1891-1893
Walter P. Jenney1893-1893
Valentine T. McGillycuddy1894-1897
Robert L. Slagle1898-1906
Charles H. Fulton1906-1911
Cleophas C. O’Harra1911-1935
Joseph P. Connoly1935-1947
Earl D. Dake1947-1948
Warren E. Wilson1948-1953
Earl D. Dake1953-1954
Fay L. Partlo1954-1966
Harvey R. Fraser1966-1975
Richard A. Schleusener1975-1986
Richard J. Gowen1987-2003
Charles P. Ruch2003-2008
Robert A. Wharton2008-2012
Duane C. Hrncir2012-2013
Heather A. Wilson2013-2017
Jan Purszynski2017-2018
James Ranklin2018-
Known as Dakota School of Mines 1885-89 and South Dakota School of Mines 1889-1943.

Dakota State University

Charles S. Richardson1883-1887
William F. Gorrie1887-1889
W. H. H. Beadle1889-1905
John W. Heston1905-1920
Bela M. Lawrence1920-1920
Edgard C. Higbie1920-1931
E. A. Bixler1931-1933
Vayne A. Lowry1933-1962
Laurence S. Flaum1962-1967
Harry P. Bowes1967-1971
Allen Miller1972-1972
Francis Gordon Foster1972-1974
Richard L. Bowen1974-1976
Charles D. Lein1977-1978
Carleton M. Opgaard1978-1983
Charles Luke1983-1984
Richard J. Gowen1984-1987
Jerald A. Tunheim1987-2004
Douglas D. Knowlton2004-2012
David B. Borofsky2012-2014
Marysz Rames2014-2015
José-Marie Griffiths2015-
Known as Madison Normal School 1881-1902, Madison State Normal School 1902-21, Eastern State Normal School 1921-27, Eastern State Teachers College 1927-47, General Beadle State Teaches College 1947-64, General Beadle State College 1964-69, and Dakota State College 1969-89.

Black Hills State University

Van Buren Baker1883-1885
Fayette L. Cook1885-1918
Ethelburt C. Woodburn1918-1942
Russell E. Jonas1942-1967
Meredith N. Freeman1967-1976
Maurice R. Fitzgerald1976-1977
J. Gilbert Hause1977-1985
Clifford M. Trump1985-1994
Thomas Flickema1994-2006
Kay Schallenkamp2006-2015
Thomas Jackson2015-2019
Laurie Stenberg Nichols2019-2023
Steven Elliott2023-
Known as Dakota Territorial Normal 1883-1941, Black Hills Teachers College 1941-64, and Black Hills State College 1964-89.

Northern State University

Charles F. Koehler1902-1905
George Nash1905-1914
Willis E. Johnson1914-1919
Harold Foght1919-1927
David A. Anderson1928-1933
Carl G. Lawrence1933-1939
N. E. Steele1939-1951
Warren C. Lovinger1951-1956
J. Howard Kramer1956-1968
Norbert Baumgart1968-1976
Joseph McFadden1977-1982
Terry Brown1982-1993
John Hutchinson1994-1998
John Hilpert1998-2003
Patrick Schloss2004-2008
Laurie Stenberg Nichols2008-2009
James Smith2009-2016
Timothy Downs2016-2021
Neal Schnoor2021-
Known as Northern Normal and Industrial School 1901-39, Northern State Teachers College 1939-64, and Northern State College 1964-89.

South Dakota Board of Regents Executive Directors

Elgie Coacher1958-1968
Richard Gibb1968-1974
Robert H. DeZonia1974-1976
Richard L. Bowen1976-1980
Francis Gordon Foster1981-1986
Roger T. Schinness1986-1988
Ernest Buckley1988-1989
Howell Todd1989-1994
Robert T. Tad Perry1994-2009
Jack Warner2009-2015
Michael Rush2015-2018
Paul Beran2018-2020
Brian Maher2020-2023
Nathan Lukkes2023-