Alumni Events Highlight Weekend Homecoming Festivities

Trojan Days Homecoming culminates this weekend with a full schedule of alumni events. The Alumni Association Annual Meeting and Awards begins at 7:30am in the Trojan Center Marketplace. At the meeting, alumnus Dwayne Pecks, Class of 1956, will be honored, along with retiring DSU President Dr. Jerald Tunheim. Also recognized will be Trojan Days Parade Marshal Rose Pulford, Class of 1972.

The parade begins at 10am on Egan Avenue. Alumni are invited to tailgate in the parking lot of Trojan Field prior to the 1:30 kickoff of the football game when the DSU Trojans take on Minot.

The evening will end with an alumni gathering at Nicky’s on west Highway 34. This will be an informal gathering and all are welcome.

Each year at Homecoming the DSU Alumni Association honors alumni and friends who have had a special impact on the university and the community at large. This year, Dwayne Pecks, Dr. Tunheim and Rose Pulford will be honored.

Receiving the Distinguished Educator Award from the Dakota State University Alumni Association for 2003 is Dwayne Pecks, Class of 1956. Dwayne Pecks has been an active supporter and friend to Dakota State, and to education as a whole, since his graduation from General Beadle State Teachers College. Dwayne retired (for the first time) in 1989 after 31 years in the Minnesota Educational System. In 1990 he served as the volunteer Acting Director of Student Teachers at DSU and he was in this position until 1992. In 1993 he became the part-time Superintendent of Schools of the Tri-Valley School District and continued to supervise student teachers for DSU. In 1997 he retired for the second time after 39 years in education; 34 of these years were in administration.

He has served on the Alumni Board of Directors for DSU and is currently on the DSU Foundation Board of Directors. He continues to serve on various boards and committees at DSU and remains a strong supporter of his alma mater.

Upon graduation from General Beadle, Dwayne served in the U.S. Army and in 1958 he began his
career as a teacher and coach in Minnesota at a system now called RTR (RussellTyler-Ruthton). He completed his career in Minnesota at a system now called Lincoln High ( Hendricks-Ivanhoe-Lake Benton). While in Minnesota he chaired and served on many local, regional, and state committees. He initiated cooperation between area schools and was one of the first shared administrators in Minnesota. He was a charter director of the South Western Minnesota Educational Service Unit for Special Education, Media Service, Central Purchasing, and Equipment Repair which served a group of schools in a 19 county area. Pecks also helped establish a uniform financial accounting system for schools in Minnesota. Dwayne was one of the Minnesota representatives for dealing with the national education report, "A Nation At Risk". He promoted equal opportunity for women in sports; and served on the Minnesota State High School League which governed high school activities.

Dwayne and his wife of 43 years, Edith, have two daughters and live on the family farm near Canova, South Dakota and during the winter at their home in Mission, Texas. They demonstrate their continuing commitment to DSU with an endowed athletic scholarship to DSU in memory of their son, John.

Dr. Jerald Tunheim will receive the Distinguished Service Award from the Alumni Association. Dr.Tunheim has served as President of Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota, since 1987. He has been active and held offices in several national and state organizations. On the local level, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Madison Area Chamber of Commerce, the Lake Area Improvement Corporation, and the MAP (Madison Area Planning) 2004 Committee, as well as Madison Rotary and Trinity Lutheran Church.

Dr. Tunheim received his Ph.D. in Physics from Oklahoma State University, and his M.S. in Physics and B.S. in Engineering Physics from South Dakota State University. He served as a faculty member in the Physics Department at SDSU from 1968 to 1980, and served as Professor and Head of the Physics Department from 1980-85. From 1985-87, he served as Dean of the School of Mathematical Sciences and Technology at Eastern Washington University.

Dr. Tunheim has authored two textbooks and has published or presented numerous articles dealing with physics and science education. He has served as the director or co-director for 16 successful grants totaling nearly $1 million, and has assisted on numerous others.

His professional and personal achievements have been well recognized. In 1992 he was the recipient of the “Friend of Education” award from the Madison Education Association. In 1994 he received the “Distinguished Engineer” award from the SDSU College of Engineering and was chosen as one of the “100 Influential South Dakotans for 1994” by Eyes on You Magazine of Sioux Falls. More recently, the Madison Chamber Education Committee honored him as the first recipient of their “Outstanding Educator” award.

Serving as Parade Marshal this year is Rose Pulford. Rose has the distinction of
graduating from Dakota State three times. The first time was in 1934 when she was just 17 years old. She earned a teaching certificate from what was then Eastern State Teacher’s College, but was unable to put her certificate to use since she was not yet 18. Following her 18th birthday, Rose began a long teaching career in a rural school near Madison. She taught at two rural schools near Madison until she returned to General Beadle State Teacher’s College, graduating in 1960 with a two year teaching certificate. She continued to teach in rural schools in the Madison area, until again returning to General Beadle, earning her bachelors degree in 1972. She then taught at the school in Junius before taking a position in Ramona as a primary grade teacher and finally as the Elementary Principal. When asked why she stayed in teaching for so long Rose replied, “I just like kids, I guess.” Rose retired from Ramona after teaching a total of 40 years.

Retirement has done little to slow Rose Pulford. She served for years on a committee of retirees for the South Dakota Education Association. In her role as a board member she traveled to national meetings throughout the country. She is a member of the Hamoniktz band, a harmonica playing group of friends who entertain at area venues with such old favorites such as You Are My Sunshine and the Missouri Waltz. Rose endured two back surgeries last year but again, did not let that slow her down. Rose says, “I stayed home for about two weeks because I didn’t want to walk with help [from a cane], but thought ‘enough of that’ and got out there again.”

Community involvement is a large part of Rose’s life. She is a member of many clubs and organizations, including Kiwanis, America Association of University Women, Business and Professional Women, Aging Alliance, VFW Auxiliary and the Red Hat Society.

Rose has been a good friend to her alma mater over the years. She supports the music program through the Kingsmen Club which provides scholarships to students who play in the band or sing in the chorus at Dakota State. Rose has rarely missed the DSU Gala, which is another scholarship fund raising event. She also supports the annual phonathon effort by donating money to the university’s other scholarship funds. Rose is also involved in the annual Women’s Day Conference at DSU.

Apart from being a friend to Dakota State, Rose cherishes her personal friendship with DSU President Dr. Jerald Tunheim. She met Tunheim shortly after he became President in 1987. She considers herself the President’s biggest cheerleader, and never misses an opportunity to tell someone about the virtues of Dakota State. “I should be a recruiter,” Rose said. “I’m always looking for someone to go to DSU.” She has been known to carry recruiting brochures with her to hand out if she has an opportunity to tell someone about her alma mater.

Rose has three children and six grandchildren. Her three sons each graduated from Dakota State: Bob in 1968, Bill in 1973 and Greg in 1974. Each of her sons married fellow Dakota State alumni.


Parade marshals are traditionally chosen for their dedication and commitment to the university. In commenting on Rose Pulford’s selection as Marshal for the 2003 Trojan Days Homecoming Parade, DSU President Dr. Jerald Tunheim said “Rose Pulford is one of the most loyal alumni and DSU supporters I have known. I believe all of the faculty and staff at DSU who know Rose would say the same.” Tunheim went on to say, “I consider Rose one of my very good friends and she is well deserving of this honor.”

The public is invited to attend all alumni events at Homecoming. A complete schedule is posted at www.departments.dsu.edu/student_services/sa/Homecoming_03/default.htm.