|
Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences History |
Synopsis (see end of page for full history document):
South Dakota State College (SDSC) was founded in 1881. In 1899 the “old” Agricultural Building was constructed. That building would serve as the home of the Department from 1963 to 1993.
In 1938 a course entitled Conservation of Natural Resources was first offered at SDSC. In 1939 Conservation and Management of Wildlife first appeared in the College catalog as a branch of study. The program was in the Department of Zoology and Entomology.
In 1940 the Wildlife Conservation club organized and elected its first officers. The Club is still active and is now also a student chapter of The Wildlife Society. Tuition in 1940 was $24 per quarter; room and board was $78. The year 1941 marked the first three graduates from SDSC with undergraduate degrees in Wildlife Conservation.
In 1942 the Wildlifer’s Log was first published. It originally had a holiday “Season’s Greetings” format. It has been published every year since then, except for the years of 1943 to 1946. In 1950 the first Annual Buffalo Banquet was held; it has been held every year since then.
The enrollment at SDSC was 2,099 in 1954. In 1957 graduate-level wildlife and fisheries courses were first offered. The first M.S. students from the program graduated in 1958.
The year 1963 was an important year for the program. The Department was formed when Wildlife Management split from Zoology and Entomology. The S.D. Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit was formed (the 18th in the U.S.). The Department moved into the “old” Agricultural Building on a “temporary” basis. South Dakota State College changed from a quarter to a semester system.
In 1965 the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences came into being. South Dakota State College became South Dakota State University (SDSU). In addition, the Cooperative Fishery Research Unit was formed. In 1966 the first M.S. student to begin and finish a program in the Department graduated. Previously graduate students received their degrees in Zoology and Entomology. The University also began charging by the semester hour ($9.50/hr) for tuition.
In 1969 the Department changed its name to Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. Military Science was no longer a required course for male students at the University.
In 1970 the 350th undergraduate student received a degree in wildlife and fisheries.
In 1974 the 500th undergraduate student graduated from the Department; the 75th M.S. student also completed the degree. In 1979 the first female Wildlife Conservation Club president was elected.
The National Wetland Inventory Team was established in 1980. SDSU had an enrollment of 6,848 students. The year 1981 marked the centennial year of the University.
In 1984 the initial Wilber Allen Scholarship Endowment was established. The Cooperative Units were combined into the S.D. Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. In that year tuition was $29/hr for residents and $65/hr for nonresidents.
In 1986 the 800th B.S. and 150th M.S. students graduated. Major curricular revisions were made to both the graduate and undergraduate programs. In 1988 the Department had a CSRS Review.
In 1989 the first money for a new building was provided and a proposal was prepared to initiate a Biological Sciences Ph.D. program. Building construction started in 1990, and the Biological Sciences Ph.D. program was started. SDSU had an enrollment of 7,642.
In 1991 the 50th volume of the Wildlifer’s Log was published. The Department moved into the new building in 1993 and the old building was demolished. In that year the first Biological Sciences Ph.D. student graduated. In 1994 the Department had a CSRS Review. Also in 1994 the McCook Lake Izaak Walton League Scholarship endowment was started.
In 1995 the first all-alumni reunion was held. The Department also had an all time high number of students (225 undergraduates and 35 graduates). In that year the 1000th B.S. and 250th M.S. degrees from the Department were granted.
In 1997 SDSU had an enrollment of 8,162. The 50th Annual Buffalo Banquet was held in 1998. Tuition was $56/hr for resident undergraduates, $178/hr for nonresident undergraduates, $82/hr for resident graduate students, and $251/hr for nonresident graduate students.
In 1999 the 10th Ph.D. student graduated from the Department. In 2000 the 1,150th B.S. and 300th M.S. students graduated. The second annual All-Alumni Reunion took place in 2001, as was a Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) program review (these are done every seven years).
In 2002 the 1,200th undergraduate degree was awarded in the major and SDSU had an all-time enrollment high of 9,952 students.
In 2003 the 350th Allen Scholarship was awarded and the Wildlife Conservation Club became the Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Club. The Department celebrated its 40th birthday. The Norgren Scholarship endowment was initiated in 2003 and the 305th M.S. student graduated from the Department, along with the 1,250th undergraduate. SDSU had an all time enrollment high by 10,561 students.
In 2004 the 20th Ph.D. student graduated from the Department.
In 2005 the Department exceeded $40,000 in scholarships specifically for majors. The University exceeded 11,000 students for the first time. The undergraduate major had its highest undergraduate enrollment in its 67 year history (238).
In 2006 the Department received permission to offer a Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Ph.D. Before that we were a part of the Biological Sciences Ph.D. program.
Click here to view the PDF file and click here to view the WORD file of the full Department history document. To view and print the PDF version you need Acrobat® Reader, which is available at no charge from Adobe Systems.