Identifier

MA 80

Dates

1968-1982

Extent

1 linear foot (1 records center box)

Abstract

Reed “Rocky” G. Hart, Jr. was born to Reed Sr. and Marie (Johannsen) Hart on August 4, 1926, in Pipestone, Minnesota. We fought in both World War II and the Korean War. Hart received a B.S. from the University of Minnesota in 1955. He spent his career as a government contractor working in places such as Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While he was there, he established jogging clubs. The collection consists of five scrapbooks, each full of photographs, news clippings, and scorecards of the jogging clubs.

Historical Note

Reed “Rocky” G. Hart, Jr. was born to Reed Sr. and Marie (Johannsen) Hart on August 4, 1926, in Pipestone, Minnesota. He grew up in Pipestone and graduated from high school in 1944. After graduating from high school, he entered the United States Army and served until the end of World War II. Hart started at the University of Minnesota in 1947, where he was part of the freshman football team. He was recalled into the service of the United States Army during the Korean conflict. He returned to the University of Minnesota and graduated with a B.S. in 1955.

Hart worked on government contracts around the world, including Greenland, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He also lived in Washington, D.C.; San Diego, California; and New Orleans, Louisiana.

While employed in Kwajalein (part of the Marshall Islands) and again in Saudi Arabia, he established jogging leagues. The scrapbook “1975 Kwajalein Jogging Program” states, “October 8 [1975] Kwajalein loses …Rocky Hart, bachelor status with Global Associates, [who] will be leaving for South Dakota. Rocky has been a Kwaj resident for 8½ years and during that time….organized the [jogging] club in 1968 and in the last five years has organized jogs, special events for the club and he even makes all the awards and trophies himself at the Special Services Hobby Shop.”

Once he retired, Hart returned to Pipestone, Minnesota, to be near his family and later moved Egan, Minnesota. While retired, he formed the All-Star Jogging League for runners in southwestern Minnesota and southeastern South Dakota. At its peak, the club had nearly 150 joggers; it has since been disbanded.

Reed Hart died July 14, 2014, at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls SD.

Content Notes

The collection is comprised of five scrapbooks, each pasted full with black-and-white and color photographs, news clippings, and scorecards of the jogging clubs Reed Hart started in Kwajalein (part of the Pacific Marshall Islands Republic) and in Saudi Arabia. These clubs included all ethnicities, genders, and ages.

The first scrapbook, entitled “Kwajalein Jogging Program, 1968, 1969, 1970,” includes photographs and news clippings of individual members and racing events for the seven Kwajalein Jogging League teams (Cardinals, Hawks, Falcons, Roadrunners, Gooney Birds, and Eagles).

The second scrapbook, “Kwajalein Jogging Program, 1971 and 1972,” includes photographs and news clippings of individual members and racing events for the Kwajalein (also called Kwaj) Jogging League. Events such as the 6-mile and 1,000 mile competitions are documented. The scrapbook also contains a few autographed cards and letters.

The third scrapbook (its cover and title are missing) covers the 1973 and 1974 participants and activities of the Kwajalein Jogging Program, including photographs and news clippings of individual members and racing events. It also describes the world record for 12-year-old girls set at the Nike Oregon Track Club Marathon by Lili Ledbetter, who started running in 1970 with the Kwaj Running Club.

The fourth scrapbook, entitled “1975 Kwajalein Jogging Program,” includes photographs and news clippings of individual members and racing events for the Kwajalein Jogging Program, including its 10-mile runners, 1-mile champions, and Biathlon, which was a 3-mile run and half-mile swim.

The fifth scrapbook, entitled, “Saudi Arabian Joggers,” covers the 1982 and 1983 participants and activities of Saudi Arabian Jogging Association and Road Runners of Saudi Arabia, including photographs and news clippings of individual members and racing events, including marathons. Unlike the Kwaj clubs, it included few, if any, children. The scrapbook also has approximately 10 non-running color photos of Saudi interiors and exteriors.

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Language

English

Publisher

South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library, Brookings, South Dakota.

Rights

Copyright restrictions apply in different ways to different materials. Many of the documents and other historical materials in the Archives are in the public domain and may be reproduced and used in any way. There are other materials in the Archive carrying a copyright interest and must be used according to the provisions of Title 17 of the U.S. Code. The Archive issues a warning concerning copyright restrictions to every researcher who requests copies of documents. Although the copyright law is under constant redefinition in the courts, it is ultimately the responsibility of the researcher to properly use copyrighted material.

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