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Capital: Pierre

State Nickname: Coyete State

State Bird: Pheasant

State Flower: Pasque Flower

Admitted to the Union: November 2, 1889

 
Governors

November 8, 1889 to January, 1893:

Arthur C. Melette

January, 1893 to January 1, 1897:

Charles H. Sheldon

January 1, 1897 to January 8, 1901:

Andrew E. Lee

January 8, 1901 to January 3, 1905:

Charles N. Herreid

January 3, 1905 to January 8, 1907:

Samuel H. Elrod

January 8, 1907 to January 5, 1909:

Coe I. Crawford

January 5, 1909 to January 7, 1913:

Robert S. Vessey

January 7, 1913 to January 2, 1917:

Frank M. Byrne

January 2, 1917 to January 4, 1921:

Peter Norbeck

January 4, 1921 to January 6, 1925:

William H. McMaster

January 6, 1925 to January 4, 1927:

Carl Gunderson

January 4, 1927 to January 6, 1931:

William J. Bulow

January 6, 1931 to January 3, 1933:

Warren E. Green

January 3, 1933 to January 5, 1937:

Tom Berry

January 5, 1937 to January 3, 1939:

Leslie Jensen

January 3, 1939 to January 5, 1943:

Harlan J. Bushfield

January 5, 1943 to January 7, 1947:

Merrell Q. Sharpe

January 7, 1947 to January 2, 1951:

George T. Mickelson

January 2, 1951 to January 4, 1955:

Sigurd Anderson

January 4, 1955 to January 6, 1959:

Joe Foss

January 6, 1959 to January 3, 1961:

Ralph E. Herseth

January 3, 1961 to January 5, 1965:

Archie M. Gubbrud

January 5, 1965 to January 7, 1969:

Nils A. Boe

January 7, 1969 to January 5, 1971:

Frank L. Farrar

January 5, 1971 to July 24, 1978:

Richard F. Kneip*

* Resigned from office

July 24, 1978 to January 1, 1979:

Harvey L. Wollman

January 1, 1979 to January 6, 1987:

William J. Janklow

January 6, 1987 to April 19, 1993:

George S. Mickelson*

* Died in office

April 19, 1993 to January 7, 1995:

Walter Dale Miller

January 5, 1995 to January 7, 2003:

William John Janklow

January 7, 2003 –

Marion Michael Rounds

 
Senators - Class II

November 2, 1889 – March 4, 1901

Richard Franklin Pettigrew

March 4, 1901 – March 4, 1913

Robert Jackson Gamble

March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1925

Thomas Sterling

March 4, 1925 – March 4, 1931

William Henry McMaster

March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1943

William John Bulow

January 3, 1943 – September 27, 1948

Harlan J. Bushfield * Died in office

October 6, 1948 – December 26, 1948

Vera Cahalan Bushfield

December 31, 1948 – January 3, 1973

Karl Earl Mundt

January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979

James Abourezk

January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1997

Larry Pressler

January 3, 1997 –

Tim Johnson

 
Senators - Class III

November 2, 1889 – March 4, 1891

Gideon Curtis Moody

March 4, 1891 – July 1, 1901

James Henderson Kyle

July 11, 1901 – March 4, 1909

Alfred Beard Kittredge

March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1915

Coe Isaac Crawford

March 4, 1915 – March 4, 1921

Edwin Stockton Johnson

March 4, 1921 – December 20, 1936

Peter Norbeck * Died in office

December 29, 1936 – November 8, 1938

Herbert Emery Hitchcock

November 9, 1938 – January 3, 1939

Gladys Pyle

January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1951

John Chandler Gurney

January 3, 1951 – June 22, 1962

Francis Higbee Case * Died in office

July 9, 1962 – January 3, 1963

Joseph H. Bottum

January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1981

George Stanley McGovern

January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1987

James Abdnor

January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2005

Tom Daschle

January 3, 2005 –

John Thune

 
State Song
Hail! South Dakota!
Lyrics and Music by DeeCort Hammitt

Hail! South Dakota, A great state of the land,
Health, wealth and beauty, That's what makes her grand;
She has her Black Hills, And mines with gold so rare,
And with her scenery, No other state can compare.

Come where the sun shines, And where life's worth your while,
You won't be here long, 'Till you'll wear a smile;
No state's so healthy, And no folk quite so true,
To South Dakota. We welcome you.

Hail! South Dakota, The state we love the best,
Land of our fathers, Builders of the west;
Home of the Badlands, and Rushmore's ageless shrine,
Black Hills and prairies, Farmland and Sunshine.
Hills, farms and prairies, Blessed with bright Sunshine.


Click Left Triangle to Play Melody
State Population

1890: 328,808

1900: 401,570

1910: 583,888

1920: 636,547

1930: 692,849

1940: 642,961

1950: 652,740

1960: 680,514

1970: 666,257

1980: 690,769

1990: 696,004

2000: 754,844


State Capitol Building 1907