Dallas Tonsager, ’76 ag, died May 21, 2019, at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia, following a brief battle with lymphoma.
Tonsager, 64, of McLean, Va., was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2012, and had been serving as chairman of the Farm Credit Administration in Washington, D.C., since Nov. 22, 2016, when he was appointed by President Barack Obama. He was appointed to the board March 13, 2015.
Throughout his career, Tonsager held four presidentially appointed positions from three different presidents of both political parties.
He was described as a nonpartisan champion for family farmers and rural Americans who had both a gentle nature and strong passion for improving life for rural America.
Tonsager grew up on a dairy farm near Oldham. For many years, he and his older brother, Doug, owned Plainview Farm in Oldham, raising corn, soybeans, wheat and hay.
Before joining the Farm Credit Administration board, Tonsager served as USDA undersecretary for rural development from 2009 to 2013.
From 2010 to 2013, Tonsager was a member of the Commodity Credit Corporation board of directors. From 2004 to 2009, he served as a member of the FCA board as well as the Farm Credit System Insurance Corp. board.
Tonsager also served for two years as executive director of the South Dakota Value-Added Agriculture Development Center. In 1993, he was selected by President Bill Clinton to serve as USDA’s state director for rural development in South Dakota. His term ended February 2001.
A longtime member of the South Dakota Farmers Union, Tonsager served two terms as the organization’s president from 1988 to 1993.
Survivors include his wife, Sharon, of McLean, Va.; two sons Keith (Lindsey), of San Francisco, and Josh, of Washington, D.C.; two brothers, Dennis (Sharon) of Denver and Doug (Sandy) of Oldham; and a sister Dianne (Jerry) Brei (Tonsager) of Hill City.
He was the son of the late Gerald and June Tonsager, also both of Oldham.
