Sherwood Olman Berg, 94, the first graduate of SDSU to serve as its president, died Feb. 16, 2014, at United Living Community in Brookings.
Sherwood Olman Berg, 94, the first graduate of SDSU to serve as its president, died Feb. 16, 2014, at United Living Community in Brookings.
Berg, a 1947 graduate in economics, was a member of the ’44 Kings, a group of 52 young men from the SDSU Class of 1944 who went from being ROTC cadets to Reserve Corps privates called to active duty and then back to campus in a span of 16 months before heading to Officer Candidate School.
In the Army, 2nd Lt. Berg was a platoon leader in the Battle of the Bulge and in December 1945 was selected as a pallbearer for Gen. George F. Patton, who was buried in Luxembourg.
Berg’s graduate education and much of his career was in agricultural economics and development.
He was leading a multi-university program in Indonesia when called to be the 14th president of South Dakota State in 1975. Among his impacts were the bolstering of research and international programs, support for graduate programs, especially in nursing and computer science, and advocacy for the Agricultural Experiment Station.
The crown jewel of his international work was a project in Botswana in which more than 50 SDSU faculty members were involved. Many Botswana scholars and students also came to Brookings, enriching the entire community.
An enduring outcome was establishment of a college in Botswana built on the land-grant model.
He retired July 31, 1984, completing a decade as the chief executive of the school of that launched the Hendrum, Minnesota, farm boy on a career that took him around the world in military and humanitarian ventures.
In retirement, “Woody†remained a respected and familiar figure on campus, establishing the Berg Young Faculty Award, chairing the Visions Performing Arts Center Fundraising Committee and attending campus events, especially football and basketball games.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Elizabeth (Hall) Berg; a daughter, Mary Elizabeth of St. Paul, Minnesota, a son, Bradley Joseph of Singapore; two grandchildren, a brother, Spencer (Phyllis) Berg, of Chevy Chase, Maryland; and 12 nieces and nephews.
Several members of the 44 Kings, a group of 52 young men from the SDSU Class of 1944, are pictured.
