Sigurd Anderson

Sigurd Anderson (1904-1990) was the nineteenth Governor of South Dakota. Anderson, a Republican from Webster, South Dakota, served from 1951 to 1955. The Sigurd Anderson airport in Webster, South Dakota is named in his honor.

He was born in Arendal, Norway and came to the United States at age of three with his family to settle in Lincoln County, South Dakota. He graduated from the Canton Lutheran Normal, Canton, South Dakota, and enrolled at South Dakota State College. [South Dakota Manual, 1951, p. 428] During this school year, he suffered from scarlet fever, which prevented his return to college the following fall. In order to secure funds to continue his education, he worked as a farm hand and taught rural school in Kingsbury County, South Dakota. In 1928, Anderson enrolled at the University of South Dakota , and graduated in 1931 with cum laude honors [ [http://lib.sdstate.edu/Archives/mss/ma13.html SDSU Archives & Special Collections: MA 13 Sigurd Anderson Papers ] ] and a B.A. degree and then with an LL.B degree. In 1937 he married Vivian Walz of Vermillion, South Dakota and began practicing law in Webster. He twice served as Day County, South Dakota states attorney and as an assistant attorney general in Pierre, South Dakota. Before he was elected governor he served two terms as South Dakota Attorney General, 1947-1951. [South Dakota Manual, 1951, p. 428] Their daughter, Kristin Karen, was born during Anderson's administration.

His re-election in 1952 marked the first time a candidate for South Dakota governor has received more that 200,000 votes in a general election. This was not accomplished again until Mike Rounds' reelection in 2006, over fifty years later. It was during Anderson's administration that the Legislative Research Council was established. It was also during this time that the state had a debt free status--the first time in 40 years. [ [http://lib.sdstate.edu/Archives/mss/ma13.html SDSU Archives & Special Collections: MA 13 Sigurd Anderson Papers ] ]

After his service as governor, he served as a commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission. [South Dakota Legislative Manual, 1973, p. 127.]

In 1964, Anderson once again announced his candidacy for governor, but lost the GOP gubernatorial primary to Nils Boe, who won the general election. Boe appointed Anderson to fill a vacancy as a circuit judge. Anderson retired as a circuit judge in 1975. Sigurd received dozens of professional and political honors and was a member of numerous organizations.Sigurd Anderson died December 21, 1990. [ [http://lib.sdstate.edu/Archives/mss/ma13.html SDSU Archives & Special Collections: MA 13 Sigurd Anderson Papers ] ]

He was a member of the Lutheran Church, Masonic Lodge and affiliated bodies, Phi Beta Kappa Fraternity, Delta Theta Phi Fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, Veterans of Foreign Wars and many others. [South Dakota Legislative Manual, 1973, p. 127-128.]

Notes