Dale Blegen

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

1979

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Journalism

First Advisor

Richard Lee

Abstract

The author has selected two major contributions by Sherwood for the focus of this paper--Sherwood 's roles in developing the Dunn interests and the Wilder interests. In order to put those efforts into perspective, the author will review the history of The News and provide a brief biography of Aubrey Sherwood, emphasizing the kind of editor and businessman he was. This will set the stage for the exploring of the relationship between Sherwood and Harvey Dunn and the years Sherwood spent promoting the works of Dunn. The paper also will record the manner in which Sherwood used The News to promote the works of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the tourist attractions in DeSmet that tie to the Little Town on the Prairie years. There is no chronicle of Aubrey Sherwood's life except for feature stories in the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader; Huron Daily Plainsman, Watertown Public Opinion, and Brookings Daily Register. Further, the only known biographical study of a South Dakota rural journalist is a 1969 master's thesi s done a t S outh Dakota State University by Kenneth Schaack, entitled George W. Hopp: Brookings County Press 1879-1890. Information for this paper was collected through recorded personal interviews with Sherwood on March 23, 1978, and February 3, 1979, and through numerous unrecorded conversations; interviews with John Sittner and Gerry Sturges, neighboring publishers at Lake Preston and Arlington on February 15-16, 1979: and conversations and interviews with other Sherwood associates. The file copies (bound volumes of The DeSmet News) were researched from 1900-1977. Other documents, such as unpublished speeches written by Aubrey Sherwood, were used as were the books; De Smet Yesterday and Today, edited by Caryl Lynn Poppen , and The Prairie Is My Garden, written by Robert Karolevitz. This thesis should give a better understanding of the contributions of Aubrey Sherwood, to De Smet and to the state of South Dakota, and call attention to the influence a country editor can have beyond his print shop. The paper serves the author, who is now editor of The De Smet News, by providing a deeper understanding of the history of his newspaper and its community.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Sherwood, Aubrey
De Smet News (S.D.)
Journalists -- South Dakota -- Biography
Wilder, Laura Ingalls, 1867-1957
Dunn, Harvey, 1884-1952

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

83

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Download

Share

COinS