CWS Hosts Plains Politics Symposium and Book Launch

Ticket Info: Free and open to the public.

The Center for Western Studies invites you to join us Saturday, Sept. 8, for the launch of volume three of "The Plains Political Tradition: Essays on South Dakota Political Culture," one of the newest titles from the South Dakota Historical Society Press.

Continuing their in-depth analysis of the wide-ranging political culture of South Dakota, editors Jon K. Lauck, John E. Miller, and Paula E. Nelson have assembled incisive essays, which articulate the often-complex nature of politics in the Mount Rushmore State.

This one-of-a-kind symposium will feature three panels of historians, journalists, and political junkies followed by a book signing. Copies of the new book will be available for sale at the event.

Full Schedule

7:30 – 7:40 a.m. 

• Welcome | Harry Thompson, Executive Director, Center for Western Studies 
• Greeting | Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, President, Augustana University
• Introduction | Nancy Koupal, Director, South Dakota Historical Society Press

7:40 – 8:00 a.m.

• “Sources for South Dakota Political History” | Michele Christian, Archivist, South Dakota State University, and Dan Daily, Dean of Libraries, University of South Dakota

8:00 – 9:30 a.m. PANEL 1: The Deep History of South Dakota Politics

• “The Civil War and South Dakota Political Development” | Kurt Hackemer, University of South Dakota
• “American Indian Politics in Early South Dakota” | Linda Clemmons, Illinois State University
• “South Dakota Populism” | Jeff Wells, University of Nebraska-Kearney
• “South Dakota Progressivism” | Kenneth Smith, North Dakota State University
• Chair | David Earnest, University of South Dakota

9:45 – 11:15 a.m. PANEL 2: The Politics of the Recent Past in South Dakota

• “Gender Politics in 1970s South Dakota” | Matthew Pehl, Augustana University
• “The Politics of the 1980s in South Dakota” | Cory Haala, Marquette University
• “Bill Janklow, Stan Adelstein, and Jewish Political Participation in South Dakota” | Art Marmorstein, Northern State University, and Eric Zimmer, Vantage Point Research
• Chair | Joel Johnson, Augustana University 

11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PANEL 3: The South Dakota Political Tradition and the Contemporary Political Scene

• Jonathan Ellis
• John Miller
• Bob Mercer
• Paula Nelson
• Seth Tupper
• Chair | Jon Lauck

12:30 – 1:00 p.m.

• Informal Book Signing