A Look Back on A Year of Excellence at the South Dakota Hall of Fame
The South Dakota Hall of Fame (SDHoF) had an inspiring 2024, championing a culture of excellence and honoring individuals whose legacies shape our great state. In addition to welcoming 10 new inductees, we celebrated our 50th year as an organization and advanced our programming towards greater excellence. It is humbling to see from where we have come, and it fuels our passion for where we will go in the future.
Over the last 50 years, we have seen the induction of 792 champions of excellence, the establishment of the Visitor & Education Center in Chamberlain, and the creation of diverse programs, including Legacies of Achievement (LOA), Legends & Learning (L&L), and Acts of Excellence (AOE).
This Year
The Legends & Learning Program underwent an exciting revision in 2023 and 2024, and we are working now with teachers and school administrators to use the content across South Dakota’s schools. New detailed content was created for each Legend, and teacher resources that can be easily embedded into curriculum were developed. The content meets select state learning standards for students. To equip teachers to integrate the educational program effectively, we hosted a Legends & Learning graduate class this summer in tandem with Black Hills State University. The class content empowered enrolled educators to bring Legends & Learning motivational impacts to students.
Learn more about the Legends & Learning Program by selecting the button below
We awarded Acts of Excellence Awards to dedicated individuals and organizations–like Anthem Oats and The CASA Program in Mitchell–who are actively improving the human condition through their everyday acts of excellence. The Acts of Excellence program is proudly sponsored by Sanford Health, and we have officially opened up recommendation applications for our 2025 awards. South Dakota is a rural state and these Acts of Excellence improve the human condition. By highlighting these stories of excellence, we not only pay tribute to exceptional contributions but also ignite a passion in our youth to pursue their dreams and aspirations. We also believe that there is no age limit to excellence, and we encourage South Dakotans to nominate the youth of our great state.
Learn more about the Acts of Excellence Program by selecting the button below.
In September, we proudly inducted 10 remarkable individuals into the South Dakota Hall of Fame, celebrating their enduring impact on our state and the inspiration their legacies will provide for generations to come. The Class of 2024 Honors Ceremony was an unforgettable celebration, marking both the induction of 10 remarkable individuals and the 50th Anniversary of our organization. This milestone weekend was filled with pride, inspiration, and moments that exemplified what it means to champion excellence in South Dakota.
Pictured here, the Class of 2024 as follows: Back row, left to right: Bryan Akipa, Dean Sorenson, Peggy Gordon Miller, Sheila Hazard representing Jeff Hazard (1955-2019), Judith Knittel Meierhenry, Jim Entenman, and Greg Sands. Front row, left to right: Arlouine Gay Kingman, Hugh Ingalls, and Jan Manolis.
Take a look back at the 2024 Honors Ceremony by selecting the button below.
Looking to the Future
As we close this remarkable year, we are reminded of the incredible legacy of excellence, leadership, and service that our SD Hall of Fame Inductees have contributed to South Dakota. We have bold plans for our future, including revolutionizing our exhibits at the SDHoF Visitor and Education Center.
As we move forward into a new year, we hope to bring state-of-the-art enhancements in the form of holograms to our exhibits, ensuring these powerful stories are shared like never before. Imagine interacting with a legend of South Dakota as if they are right there with you! Together, we’ll create a space that engages, enlightens, and uplifts everyone who walks through our doors.
Learn more about our exciting plans for the future, and how you can be a part of the excellence by selecting the button below.
From all of us at the South Dakota Hall of Fame,
we wish you a peaceful end to your year, and we can’t wait to see what 2025 holds as we continue to champion a culture of excellence in South Dakota.