Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family and Community
Sponsored by the colleges of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and Education and Human Sciences, the Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family and Community program honors leaders who have influenced their communities, the state and the nation. These people, their homes, families, farms or ranches are an integral part of the state of South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã.
The next award celebration is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 18, 2026 at McCrory Gardens in Brookings. Please direct questions to Angela Loftesness.
Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family and Community are nominated by people in their community and have not applied for this honor. The honorees have gone the extra mile and given unselfishly of their time, talent and leadership to enhance their homes, churches, community organizations, schools and agriculture, resulting in a betterment of family, communities, the state and the nation.
Nominations are accepted throughout the year, with an annual cutoff date of May 1 for the September recognition event. Instructions are included on the nomination form. Nominations remain in the selection pool for five years and may be updated by the nominator at any time.
Eminent Leader in Agriculture, Family and Community Honorees
| Year | Name | à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| June L. James | Eminent Homemaker | Codington | |
| Tom Varilek | Eminent Farmer/Rancher | Charles Mix | |
| Gwenn Vallery | Eminent Homemaker | Butte | |
| Rose Stee | Eminent Homemaker | Brookings | |
| Al Miron | Eminent Farmer/Rancher | Minnehaha | |
| Hugh Ingalls | Eminent Farmer/Rancher | Meade | |
| Janet Hurlbert | Eminent Homemaker | Clark | |
| Helen Sweeter | Eminent Homemaker | Lincoln | |
| Ida Slocum | Eminent Homemaker | Brookings | |
| Rebecca "Becky" Walth | Eminent Farmer/Rancher | Walworth | |
| Gary Duffy | Eminent Farmer/Rancher | Kingsbury | |
| Clarice Megard | Eminent Homemaker | Minnehaha | |
| Arlene Wessel | Eminent Homemaker | Beadle | |
| Gary Sharp | Eminent Farmer/Rancher | Brown | |
| Michael Randall | Eminent Farmer/Rancher | Minnehaha | |
| Marlys Vander Wal | Eminent Homemaker | Brookings | |
| Marvin Post | Eminent Farmer/Rancher | Brookings | |
| Michael Jandreau | Eminent Farmer/Rancher | Lyman | |
| Marjorie Kleinjan | Eminent Homemaker | Kingsbury | |
| Jim Burg | Eminent Farmer/Rancher | Jerauld | |
| Gail Brock | Eminent Homemaker | Beadle | |
| Lewis Bainbridge | Eminent Farmer/Rancher | Davison | |
| Phyllis Niemann | Eminent Homemaker | Deuel | |
| Arnold Wienk | Eminent Farmer/Rancher | Kingsbury | |
| Becky Converse | Eminent Homemaker | Kingsbury |
The Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family and Community program began in 1927 with the recognition of two Eminent Farmers by South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State College, now South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University. The following year, the program was expanded with the addition of two Eminent Homemaker honorees. In the early years, the Eminent Farmer and Homemaker awards were much like honorary degrees. In the 1950s, the purpose of the program was clarified and the awards were designated as a very high honor, uniquely different from honorary degrees.
This program has been continuous since 1927 with the exception of 1942, 1943, 1945 and 2020. In 2011, the name was changed to Eminent Farmer/Rancher and Homemaker. In 2018, the full name of the award program was changed to Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family and Community.
Dig deeper into the history of this program by checking out these materials.