Dakota Wesleyan University
Encyclopedia
Dakota Wesleyan University (DWU) is a four-year university
located in Mitchell, South Dakota
, founded in 1885, that is affiliated with the United Methodist Church
. The student body averages slightly less than 800 students. The campus of the university is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
secured a charter to found the college as Dakota University. These pioneers were driven to "build a college of stone while living in houses of sod," and had deep religious convictions about the education and future of their children. They envisioned an institution that epitomized the highest in Christian thought and deed, and so adopted the motto, “Sacrifice or Service”. This is symbolized in the collegiate seal of the altar, the ox, and the plow.
On October 14, 1904, the institution assumed its present name of Dakota Wesleyan University.
By 1920, Dakota Wesleyan University was the largest independent college in the state, with an enrollment of more than 300. The Great Depression
, which hit the prairie earlier, harder and longer than any region in the nation, evoked another regionally sensitive response from Dakota Wesleyan. The university accepted many students with few or no resources. Lacking adequate tuition revenues, the university and its personnel sacrificed their development and economic well-being in order to provide educational opportunities for students who had no other options. Farm produce was accepted for tuition. As part of their pay, teachers received housing in Graham Hall and coupons to purchase merchandise in town. As in earlier days, the faculty, townspeople and parishioners of the Methodist church sustained the university.
Since the 1930s the university has remained responsive to the special needs of its region. Strong programs in teacher education have provided new teachers for school districts. Nursing and allied health programs address the continuing need for health care professionals in rural South Dakota. In recognition of diverse cultures and traditions in a changing prairie environment, Wesleyan has undertaken a unique and substantial commitment to special programs focusing on Native American culture
. Additionally, the university has developed programs to assist students whose previous educational experiences have inadequately prepared them for the demands of a rapidly changing region and future.
The campus was listed on the National Register in 1976.
honor former Senator George McGovern
and his wife Eleanor McGovern
for their decades of public service and leadership. Other dignitaries who spoke at the dedication include former Senator Tom Daschle
, Senator Tim Johnson, Senator John Thune
, Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Governor Mike Rounds
, and Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today
.
The McGovern Center seeks to prepare Dakota Wesleyan's best students for future leadership and careers in public service through classes, seminars, research, and internships. It also includes the annual McGovern Center Conference, the McGovern Library, and the McGovern Legacy Museum, which gives visitors a look at the lives of the couple. It is also associated with the DWU Tiger Poll which does public opinion polling.
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in Mitchell, South Dakota
Mitchell, South Dakota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 14,558 people, 6,121 households, and 3,599 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,475.7 people per square mile . There were 6,555 housing units at an average density of 664.4 per square mile...
, founded in 1885, that is affiliated with the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
. The student body averages slightly less than 800 students. The campus of the university is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
In 1883, a small band of Methodist settlers meeting in the Dakota TerritoryDakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
secured a charter to found the college as Dakota University. These pioneers were driven to "build a college of stone while living in houses of sod," and had deep religious convictions about the education and future of their children. They envisioned an institution that epitomized the highest in Christian thought and deed, and so adopted the motto, “Sacrifice or Service”. This is symbolized in the collegiate seal of the altar, the ox, and the plow.
On October 14, 1904, the institution assumed its present name of Dakota Wesleyan University.
By 1920, Dakota Wesleyan University was the largest independent college in the state, with an enrollment of more than 300. The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, which hit the prairie earlier, harder and longer than any region in the nation, evoked another regionally sensitive response from Dakota Wesleyan. The university accepted many students with few or no resources. Lacking adequate tuition revenues, the university and its personnel sacrificed their development and economic well-being in order to provide educational opportunities for students who had no other options. Farm produce was accepted for tuition. As part of their pay, teachers received housing in Graham Hall and coupons to purchase merchandise in town. As in earlier days, the faculty, townspeople and parishioners of the Methodist church sustained the university.
Since the 1930s the university has remained responsive to the special needs of its region. Strong programs in teacher education have provided new teachers for school districts. Nursing and allied health programs address the continuing need for health care professionals in rural South Dakota. In recognition of diverse cultures and traditions in a changing prairie environment, Wesleyan has undertaken a unique and substantial commitment to special programs focusing on Native American culture
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. Additionally, the university has developed programs to assist students whose previous educational experiences have inadequately prepared them for the demands of a rapidly changing region and future.
The campus was listed on the National Register in 1976.
George and Eleanor McGovern Library and Center
Dakota Wesleyan University dedicated the new George and Eleanor McGovern Library and Center for Leadership and Public Service on October 7, 2006. Nearly five thousand people were on hand to hear former President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
honor former Senator George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
and his wife Eleanor McGovern
Eleanor McGovern
Eleanor Stegeberg McGovern, born Eleanor Fay Stegeberg , was the wife of George McGovern, a prominent United States politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from South Dakota and as the defeated Democratic presidential nominee in 1972.Born in Woonsocket, South Dakota, she grew up on her family's...
for their decades of public service and leadership. Other dignitaries who spoke at the dedication include former Senator Tom Daschle
Tom Daschle
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Daschle is a former U.S. Senator from South Dakota and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, Senator Tim Johnson, Senator John Thune
John Thune
John Randolph Thune is the junior U.S. Senator from South Dakota and a member of the Republican Party. He previously served as a U.S. Representative for .-Early Life, Education:...
, Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Governor Mike Rounds
Mike Rounds
Marion Michael "Mike" Rounds is an American politician. Rounds served as the 31st Governor of South Dakota. Rounds was first inaugurated on January 7, 2003, having been elected on November 5, 2002, and was re-elected on November 7, 2006...
, and Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
.
The McGovern Center seeks to prepare Dakota Wesleyan's best students for future leadership and careers in public service through classes, seminars, research, and internships. It also includes the annual McGovern Center Conference, the McGovern Library, and the McGovern Legacy Museum, which gives visitors a look at the lives of the couple. It is also associated with the DWU Tiger Poll which does public opinion polling.
Notable alumni
- Harlan J. BushfieldHarlan J. BushfieldHarlan John Bushfield was a politician from South Dakota. He was born in Atlantic, Iowa in 1882. He moved with his family to South Dakota in 1883, and attended the public schools in Miller, South Dakota. He graduated from Dakota Wesleyan University in 1901, and from the University of Minnesota Law...
, former Governor of South DakotaGovernor of South DakotaThe Governor of South Dakota is the head of the executive branch of the government of South Dakota. They are elected to a four year term on even years when there is no Presidential election. The current governor is Dennis Daugaard, a Republican elected in 2010.... - George Theodore Mickelson, former Governor of South DakotaGovernor of South DakotaThe Governor of South Dakota is the head of the executive branch of the government of South Dakota. They are elected to a four year term on even years when there is no Presidential election. The current governor is Dennis Daugaard, a Republican elected in 2010....
- George McGovernGeorge McGovernGeorge Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
, former U.S. Congressman, U.S. SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, and Democratic Party presidential candidateUnited States presidential election, 1972The United States presidential election of 1972 was the 47th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on November 7, 1972. The Democratic Party's nomination was eventually won by Senator George McGovern, who ran an anti-war campaign against incumbent Republican President Richard... - Francis Case, former U.S. Congressman from South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. - Clinton Presba AndersonClinton Presba AndersonClinton Presba Anderson was an American Democratic Party politician who served as a U.S. Congressman from New Mexico , as the United States Secretary of Agriculture , and as a U.S. Senator from New Mexico .-Early life and career:Anderson was born in Centerville, South Dakota, on October 23, 1895...
, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, former U.S. Senator and U.S. Congressman from New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... - Stanley HallettStanley HallettStanley James Hallett was an American urban planner and specialist in urban community development who helped seed numerous innovative initiatives and organizations throughout his career...
, American urban planner and neighborhood advocate - Kevin A. CaseyKevin A. CaseyKevin A. Casey is an American author.Nebraska author Kevin A. Casey was born in 1955. During his formative years he wrote several award-winning essays and was editor of his high school newspaper. In college, Casey was heavily involved in writing and editing for college newspapers, and wrote for...
, writer, musician, and humorist - Ed MeierkortEd MeierkortEd Meierkort is an American football coach in the United States. He was head football coach at the University of South Dakota, a position he held since the 2004 season...
, head coach of the South Dakota CoyotesSouth Dakota CoyotesThe South Dakota Coyotes, also known as the USD Coyotes , are the athletic teams for the University of South Dakota. Their team colors are vermilion and white. They have been members of The Summit League of the NCAA's Division I since the 2011-12 season...
football team - Brett Abbotts, professional golfer, Dakotas Tour
- Benjamin Daniel Jukich, professional baseball player, LG TwinsLG TwinsLG Twins Baseball Club is a Korea Professional Baseball team based in Seoul, South Korea. The club was known as the MBC Blue Dragons owned by the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation until , when they were taken over by the LG Group...
of Korea Professional Baseball