The South Dakota Hall of Fame Honors the Legacy of Former Gov. Harvey Wollman
Former South Dakota Gov. Harvey Wollman, 87, passed away from natural causes on Tuesday, October 18, 2022. His family announced his passing in a statement, and funeral services will be announced at a later time. Governor Wollman was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2017.
Harvey Wollman was born May 14, 1935, in the house where he continued to live for the majority of his life with his wife Anne who he was married to for over 60 years. As a child, Governor Wollman attended a one-room school for his first eight years and had only one classmate. He then attended Doland High School, graduating in 1953. Harvey was elected senior class president, was a high school debater, and won First Superior as a baritone soloist at the state music contest. After graduating high school, he helped his father on their farm for one year, attended Bethel College in St. Paul for one year, and returned to the farm to work while attending Huron College. Here he earned a degree in business administration. Governor Wollman met his wife Anne Geigel while both were members of the Huron College Choir.
Governor Wollman entered the US Army and served two years with the Third Armored Division assigned to division headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. After his time in the Army, Governor Wollman accepted a teaching position at Doland High School, teaching US History and US Government and coaching the debate team to three state championships.
He ran successfully for the state senate in 1968, was elected to three consecutive terms, and was chosen by his peers as senate minority leader, and then majority leader. He joined the ticket as Governor Richard Kneip’s Lt. Governor in 1974. He was the first Lt. Governor of South Dakota to succeed in the governorship in 1978.
His legislative accomplishments include creating the South Dakota Investment Council, prime sponsor of the bill, creating a four-year MD degree, and the Housing Authority Bill among others. He was a member of the State Constitutional Revision Commission and enjoyed leading in the establishment of a cabinet system in the executive article as well as creating a unified state judicial system.
His service after his defeat as a candidate for Governor included being appointed by President Carter as a civilian aide to the secretary of the Army. He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Huron College, Chairman of the Board at Huron Regional Medical Center, Township Board Chairman, a member of his church Board of Mission and Services, as well as a member of the Seminary Graduate School of Fresno Pacific College. Governor Wollman even earned a commercial pilot’s license and flew single-engine airplanes for 50 years.
Governor Wollman and Anne have three children, Kristine, Michael, and Daniel all in professional positions with ELCA Lutheran Ministries, seven grandchildren, four of whom have graduated from college or university, and three preparing for college. Harvey and Anne continued to sing in church choirs together into their 80s, the way they met over 60 years ago. They traveled annually in the US and abroad, and enjoyed country life on the Wollman homestead where they actively farmed for over 50 years in Spink County.
At the South Dakota Hall of Fame, we are honored to share Governor Wollman’s legacy and to help inspire future generations of South Dakotans with his life’s work. Our hearts go out to the Wollman family at this time.