Is it time to update our representation in Statuary Hall in our Nation’s Capital?

@SoDakCampaigns

Over on twitter, SoDak Governors blog author and District 13 State Rep Candidate Tony Venhuizen is noting some of the new entries from states in the rotunda of the US Capital:

.. based on a law that allows states to swap out statues. As a result of that law, national figures such as Amelia Earhart and Johnny Cash are going to be recognized for their contributions. Which got me wondering, is it time for South Dakota to consider swapping out our figures?

South Dakota is represented by William Henry Harrison Beadle, whom many politically aware South Dakotans know for his work on preserving school lands provision at the South Dakota constitutional convention of 1885.  We are also represented by Joseph Ward, and most everyone has to look him up. Ward was the founder of Yankton College, which ceased operation in 1984, drafted much of the state constitution, composed the state motto and wrote the description for the state seal.

According to the law passed which created the hall in 1864, the purpose of the hall is to commemorate “deceased persons who have been citizens thereof, and illustrious for their historic renown or for distinguished civic or military services such as each State may deem to be worthy of this national commemoration.”

As other states have updated their representation in statuary hall, the question begs itself whether South Dakota should consider updating our figures there as well, possibly to South Dakotans who might be better recognized in contemporary society, versus those who would be recognized a century ago?

Former Governor and Medal of Honor recipient Joe Foss might be towards the front of the line for consideration for his military career, as well as his national prominence with the AFL, the National Aviation Hall of Fame, a decade on television, and his leadership of the National Rifle Association.

I would also suggest South Dakota artist Oscar Howe, who created his own style of abstractionist Native American art, earning him accolades. As an educator, Howe served South Dakota in many capacities as varied from teaching at the Pierre High School to serving as a professor of art for over 25 years at the University of South Dakota.

What say you readers?

If South Dakota was to update our representation in statuary at the US Capital rotunda, which two South Dakotans would you pick for their distinguished civic or military services worthy of national commemoration?

– Just an extra note – Here are the guidelines for the replacement of statues. Which would provide that the statues would go back to the ownership of the state, where South Dakota could display them as appropriate.

32 thoughts on “Is it time to update our representation in Statuary Hall in our Nation’s Capital?”

  1. Foss and Ernest E. Lawrence. Lawrence invented the cyclotron, making the atom bomb in WW2 possible.

  3. I concur with General Foss. He served our country when we really needed men like him and the South Dakota community. Most people do one or the other, but having done both is a true view of a person’s commitment to his or her fellow man…and I’m not rewording “man” to make everyone happy! You know the thing!!!

    1. Who is recommending that anything be torn down? The law provides that we can swap them out, and they would come back to the state where we could display them as appropriate.

      Our state has a rich history, and we have the opportunity to expose the country to more of our people and it’s culture.

  5. Yes, agree! Howe and Foss would be great! Or Foss and Woodrow Keeble. That would be two MOH military service folks, but Foss also has the political angle.

      1. I understand that. It’ll take the legislature years to figure out who they want and by that time…

      2. Does brain dead count? We have many current elected officials who would then qualify from both parties

  8. Someone asked me about this a few weeks ago, and I’ll admit I had to look up the names of both of our statues. Granted, we should be slow to replace statues of another era, especially if glorious South Dakota were home to an Abraham Lincoln or Ronald Reagan. But it isn’t, and I think it would be wonderful to honor Joe Foss, a truly great American and South Dakotan.

  9. Joseph Ward was one of the founding fathers of South Dakota, along with being a great humanitarian. https://sdexcellence.org/Joseph_Ward_1978. He was not one who sought fame and fortune for doing the right thing for his neighbors. This State didn’t recognize his great contributions to it by naming any county or city after him. He didn’t even get a chance to serve as an official or Legislator, having passed right after Statehood. The Capitol doesn’t even honor him in any memorial or a copy of the statue in Congress. Foss had an Airfield named after him. Howe has buildings named after him. How will South Dakotans remember Joseph Ward’s contributions?

    1. A lot of times when a state removes a statue, it is placed somewhere back in the state. So if SD removed Ward from the US Capitol, that statue could be brought to Pierre and placed in the State Capitol, in Yankton, or in another appropriate location.

  12. Foss makes total sense.

    I’m sympathetic to Anonymous @2:14’s comments about the lack of recognition for Ward. I would argue though that going through process of replacing his statue in DC with Foss, and subsequently finding a fitting place to put his statue in South Dakota would probably bring more attention to his contributions than there has been in years. Like Pat noted, most have to look him up. Win-Win in my book!

  13. While I understand the concern about statues hindering the remembrance of individuals, the statues of Ward & Bradley could be brought back to SD and actually give them more recognition from within the state.

  16. Joe Foss is a good choice. The second most influential person was McGovern, the South Dakotans that ran for the highest office. Also provides balance.

    1. McGovern is an embarrassment

      Liberal as he’ll, ineffective , against our boys in Vietnam and couldn’t even carry South Dakota when he ran for President with that psychotic VP pick….come on

  17. My Goodness! We have astute political observers on this site who were obviously napping in eighth grade during their South Dakota History class. I took the class from the Nuns in a Catholic School, and while they were heavy on Father DeSmet and Bishop Marty, we spent a lot of time on William Henry Harrison Beadle not only for his leadership in saving our school lands but for his work on the Constitution of the Territory and State, for his long service as State Superintendent, his promotion of state colleges and universities, and his insistence that teachers be licensed. Early in life, he had been a leading attorney before the Territorial Supreme Court. He and Ward were notable for being highly literate members of our Founding Fathers who were too often brigands on the take and drunken brawlers.

    Ward came to the Territory in 1868 and immediately raised the IQ and political discourse of the frontier.His wife Sarah found Yankton a wild and wicked place where “murders were not infrequent, and now and then a lynching made things lively.” Ward was the Episcopal Pastor and he immediately set to work to promote responsible citizenship. He had the largest library in the Territory, built a large house (it still stands) to host symposiums on citizenship and good government, promoted and established schools, wrote portions of the Territorial and State Constitution, refereed political disputes between the two competing Yankton “rings”, not Republican and Democrat, but both Republican cliques known as the Capital Street gang and the Broadway Street crowd. He also founded Yankton College, the first functioning higher ed facility, and is responsible, due to his advocacy and ability to write an objective, reasonable argument, for the territory being divided eat-west rather than north-south.

    Beadle and Ward were both highly intelligent, moral, and sober men (a rarity among our founders) who, despite the “bad blood and worse whiskey” governing politics at the time, brought the Territory to Statehood. They should be revered and memorialized.

    1. Not all of us grew up in South Dakota and had South Dakota history in the 8th grade with Catholic Nuns.

      When I was in 8th grade, my Christian school had Iowa history as I lived in Iowa.

  18. Several deserving names listed by others for sure. But Beadle should be more well known than he is. A Civil War combat vet of a unit that saw a lot of action. Before the war it is likely he worked the Underground Railroad. While in Dakota Territory he first served as the federal surveyor of the Territory, then was the equivalent of the Territory Gov’s chief of staff, then Territorial Superintendent of Public Instruction, and crafted elements of our 1883 state constitution that made it into the final 1889 versions that provided funds to support public education. After statehood he was essential in setting up USD and later served as Pres of what today is DSU. I Like Foss, Howe, Lawrence, McGovern, etc. all good ideas but none hold can really compare to how he left his mark on the state.

  19. Sitting Bull should be there. Really. He had the right idea about the federal government

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