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South Dakota
The journey of South Dakota began Feb. 2, 1889 when the Dakota Territory was divided and SD was admitted to the Union as a result of the signing of the Enabling Act. Prior to this time SD was part of the Dakota Territory that was created in 1861. William Jayne was the first Territorial Governor, 1861-1863.

In 1880 the total population of the Dakota Territory was 135,177 or 1 person per 1.1 square miles. By 2004, 124 years later, the population in South Dakota reached 770,883 or 9.9 people per square mile.

2004 DATA
     77,123 square miles, 16th largest
     Number of Farms: 31,600
     Average Farm Size: 1,386 acres
     Average Value: $500/acre (land & buildings)
     Land in Farms: 43,800,000 acres
     Harvested Cropland: 17,135,000 acres

Tourism is one of South Dakota's largest industries, generating approximately $1.9 billion worth of economic activity each year. More than 2.7 million people visit Mount Rushmore, South Dakota’s top attraction, each year.

Highest Point: Harney Peak; (Black Hills) 7,242 feet
Only 1 state has a lower crime rate than South Dakota
The number of community hospitals per 100,000 people is 6.5, best in the nation
The student-to-computer ratio in SD is 1.7:1, the best in the nation

South Dakota State (College) University
Feb. 21, 1881 Territorial Governor Ordway signs the act of establishing a land-grant college in Brookings, SD. It wasn't until Feb. 27, 1883 that the territorial legislature approved the first financing for the College in the amount of $25,000.
Tuition in 1884 was $8.00 for non-residents while resident student tuition was $0.00
August 9, 1888 saw the first regular commencement with degrees awarded to 3 individuals. The first Masters degree was granted in 1891. The graduating class of 1892 had 17 degrees conferred to 11 male & 6 female.

1905 - the SDSU faculty passed an ordinance banning dancing on campus.

July 1, 1964 the college became a University.

Currently more than 200 majors are available in the 8 colleges that comprise
South Dakota State University (SDSU).

Of the 12 1862 Institutions in the North Central Region, SDSU has the lowest Resident and Non-Resident Tuition & Fees structure for under-graduate education according to NASULGC 2004-2005 tuition data.

Student Enrollment for fall 2005 is 11,021

For additional information regarding South Dakota State University
http://www3.sdstate.edu

College of Agriculture & Biological Sciences
The ABS College currently has 1650 undergraduate and 283 graduate students pursuing degrees.  BS degree educational offerings are available in 18 majors. Additionally five Pre-professional programs are also offered by the ABS College.

Twenty-nine academic specialization areas comprise the 5 majors offered to students seeking a Masters Degree.

Prairie Ph.D. – Funded by a $200,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to help students finish their degrees, the Prairie Ph.D. is a first of a kind program that provides a means for tribal college faculty and tribal professionals to earn graduate degrees in biological sciences. The first students completed their master's degrees in December 2004, and will complete doctorates in 2006. Eighteen graduate students participate in the Prairie Ph.D. program. This program offers distance-delivered MS and PhD programs in the Biological Sciences to a cohort of tribal college faculty and tribal agriculture/natural resource professionals who pursue collaborative research based on reservations across the region.

ABS offers 4 Ph.D. programs that encompass 23 areas of specialization.

The largest majors in the ABS College are Biology, Animal & Range Sciences and Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences.

The Dairy Science Department is one of only two1862 Land-grant Universities that offer both Dairy Production and Dairy Manufacturing programs. We are ONE of only three Universities in the entire nation that offer both of these programs. Employment rate of our graduates in these programs is 100%.

The ABS Departments of Biology/Microbiology, Veterinary Science and Animal and Range Sciences collaborate on The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Vaccinology. This is part of the 2010 initiative for South Dakota and is one of only two facilities of this type in the United States. Only three facilities of this type exist in the entire world.

For further information about The College of Agriculture & Biological Sciences http://agbio.sdstate.edu/