2025 Hall of Fame Inductees

Class of 2025 Hall of Fame Inductees

Lewis Akeley

Lewis Akeley joined USD in 1887 as a professor of physics and chemistry and served for 74 years, including 25 years as dean of engineering. Recognized by President Dwight E. Eisenhower for his early exploration of atomic forces, Akeley was an early thinker on atomic energy who influenced students such as Nobel laureate E.O. Lawrence. He retired in 1933 but continued lecturing and remained active on campus until his death in 1961. Akeley was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1978.

Loren Amundson

A graduate of USD and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Loren Amundson began his 37-year medical career in Webster, South Dakota, where he also served as Day County health officer. He later practiced in Sioux Falls and held roles including penitentiary physician and school team doctor. In 1974, he became the founding chair of USD's Department of Family Medicine, launching a 22-year academic career. He championed underserved populations, directed the South Dakota Office of Rural Health and influenced national health policy. Inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1997, he received numerous awards, including South Dakota Academy of Family Physicians. Amundson also authored six genealogy books and remained deeply engaged with family and community.

Grace Beede

Born in Meckling, South Dakota, Grace Beede earned her bachelor's degree from USD and completed jher doctorate at the University of Chicago. She joined the USD faculty in 1928 and taught for more than four decades, serving as chair of the Department of Classics. Beede's academic focus included Latin, Greek and classical art. Her interest in classics led to her service as secretary for the Shrine to Music Museum in Vermillion, which houses Arne B. Larson's collection of rare instruments. Her dedication to her students' success earned her a place in the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1978. At USD, a dormitory and a gallery at the National Music Museum are named in her honor.

Marjorie Beaty

Marjorie Beaty was a dedicated mathematician and educator whose long career was closely tied to USD. Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1906, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics from the University of Rochester before beginning doctoral studies at Brown University. In 1931, she joined USD's mathematics department, later earning her doctorate from the University of Colorado in 1939. Beaty briefly served as dean of women in 1941 and taught mathematics until 1943, returning in 1956 and continuing until her retirement in 1976 with emeritus status. Her legacy reflects a lifelong commitment to education and academic excellence.

Old engineering building on USD's campus.

Norma Brown

Norma Lewis Brown graduated from Alcester High School in 1933 and enrolled at USD to study journalism working as a reporter and feature writer for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader and Sioux City Journal. In 1942, she moved to Chicago to join the staff of the American College of Hospital Administrators and married Daniel H. Brown, a native of Lead, South Dakota. Brown is remembered for her contributions to the USD community through teaching, mentorship and administrative service. She established the Norma Lewis Brown Scholarship Endowment in the Department of Media and Journalism is help promising young female journalism students pursue their dreams through scholarships at USD.

William Farber

William "Doc" Farber was a USD professor whose influence shaped generations of students, state government and global public service. Farber taught political science at USD for 38 years, beginning in 1935, and chaired the Department of Government until his retirement in 1976. He helped shape state governance by establishing the South Dakota Legislative Reserach Council and driving the 1972 constitutional revision that streamlined South Dakota's executive branch and unified its court sytem. His global vision led him to help create a school of public administration in South Korea and an international training program in Belgium. Farber Hall in Old Main honors his legacy, and the Farber Fund continues to enrich USD students' academic experiences.

Tim Johnson

Born in Canton, South Dakota, in 1946, Tim Johnson earned his bachelor's, master's and law degrees from USD. He began his political career in 1979 in the South Dakota House of Representatives, later serving in the state Senate and then as the state's sole representative in the U.S. House. Johnson was a strong advocate for Native Americans, securing funds for housing, health care, clean water, schools, infrastructure and education. Known for his tenacity and work ethic, he was a steadfast leader who dedicated his life to serving the people of South Dakota with integrity and compassion.

Ernest Lawrence

Born in Canton, South Dakota, Ernest Lawrence graduated from USD in 1922 with a degree in chemistry. A Nobel Prize-winning physicist, he invested the cyclotron, revolutionizing nuclear physics and enabling the development of the atomic bomb. Lawrence directed the Radiation Laboratory at Berkeley and contributed to nuclear weapons research during World War II. The 103rd element, lawrencium, was named in his honor.

Old science building

John Lawrence

Known as the "father of nuclear medicine," Canton, South Dakota, native John Lawrence earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry from USD before completing his medical degree at Harvard Medical School. He conducted pioneering reserach using radioactive isotopes to treat diseases such as leukemia and polycythemia, marking the first use of cycltron-produced isotopes in human therapy. Lawrence received the Enrico Fermi Award in 1983 and honorary degrees from several institutions, including the University of South Dakota.

John Lohre

Born in Vermillion, South Dakota, John Lohre attended USD, where he pledged Beta Theta Pi fraternity and was active in student government. After graduation, he served in the Army Corps of Engineers before earning a master's degree in business administration from Harvard University in 1959. During his successful career in finance and real estate, Lohre remained a generous supporter of USD, establishing several endowments dedicated to student enrichment, scholarships and faculty excellence.

Keith Nolop

A 1975 USD graduate, Keith Nolop earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University, graduating first in his class. He began his career at the University of Louisville Hospital and went on to serve as chief medical officer for leading biotech firms including CoTherix, Plexxikon and Kite Pharma. His work contributed to the development of Nasonex, a billion-dollar allergy treatment, and groundbreaking therapies for melanoma and other cancers. After his death in 2016, his legacy continued through the Nolop Institute for Medical Biology at USD, which supports research, scholarships and innovation.

Arthur M. Pardee

During his 32-year tenure at USD, Arthur M. Pardee served as chair of the chemistry department, director of the graduate school and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. His leadership helped shape the university's academic structure and fostered a foundation for scientific research and graduate education. Pardee's legacy continues to be celebrated at USD, reflecting his dedication to academic excellence and institutional growth.

Old Photo of University Hall

Ronald R. Nelson

Born in Sioux Falls in 1941, Ronald R. Nelson graduated from USD in 1963 and earned a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to study history at Duke University, where he received his doctorate in 1967. Nelson served in Vietnam, was wounded and recovered, then worked as a foreign area officer in intelligence. He retired from the Army Reserve as a colonel in 1982 after 17 years and later joined Sen. Larry Pressler's staff. Nelson was involved with the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, participating in defense negotiations on chemical and nuclear weapons. His legacy at USD is honored through the Ronald R. Nelson Chair of Great Plains and South Dakota History, which supports research and teaching focused on regional identity and historical scholarship.

Al Neuharth

Born in Eureka, South Dakota, Allen "Al" Neuharth pursued a degree in journalism at USD after serving as an infantryman in World War II. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish USD Today, which redefined national journalism with its innovative approach. Neuharth also founded The Freedom Forum in 1991, a private charitable foundation dedicated to championing free press, free speech and free spirit. The Washington Journalism Review recognized him as the most influential person in print media for the 1980s.

Glenn and Barbara Ullyot

Glenn E. Ullyot, originally from South Dakota, was a distinguished chemist who earned degrees from the University of Minnesota and the University of Illinois. He had a long career at Smith, Kline & French Laboratories, contributing to several pharmaceutical innovations. Barbara Rieger Hodsdon managed the Meetings and Divisional Activities Department of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C., and married Glenn Ullyot in 1989. The Ullyots were active in philanthropy and public service. After Glenn's death in 2002, Barbara served as deputy chair for fundraising for the American Chemical Society's Project SEED Scholarships, benefiting students from economically disadvantaged communities. The Ullyots also established a scholarship at USD to assist incoming freshmen from federally recognized tribes, recognizing academic merit and encouraging full-time enrollment to foster educational opportunities for Native American students.

Anna Johnson Pell Wheeler

Born in 1883 in Calliope, Iowa, Anna Johnson Pell Wheeler was a mathematician known for her early work in linear algebra and infinite dimensions. Wheeler earned her bachelor's degree from USD and pursued advanced degrees at the University of Iowa, Radcliffe College and Göttingen University. Despite the challenges she faced as a woman in academia, she became a respected professor at Mount Holyoke and Bryn Mawr College, where she chaired the mathematics department and mentored doctoral students. She was the first woman to deliver the American Mathematical Society's Colloquium Lectures in 1927 and served as editor of the Annals of Mathematics for nearly two decades.