South Dakota Chapter

In 1951 Dr Earl Pittenger, FACS, a general surgeon from Aberdeen, South Dakota, returned from the ACS annual meeting convinced that a South Dakota Chapter should be formed. In March 1952, an informal meeting of the South Dakota fellows was held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and the Chapter was incorporated. The first annual Chapter meeting was held in Huron, South Dakota on January 17, 1953. Huron was chosen because of its “central location, good roads and hotel accommodations”. The early meetings were held in the winter; although the College felt spring meetings were more favorable to attend. Even with this change, an occasional late spring snowstorm has led to some disruption in our annual meeting.

To give the South Dakota Chapter a historical perspective, we came into existence the same year Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the English throne on the death of her father King George VI, also the first Corvette rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan!

In 2000, the South Dakota and North Dakota Chapters combined forces and have hosted a joint meeting annually ever since. The joint venture has enhanced the quality of presentations each year along with great camaraderie between the two states! The Chapters take turns every other year serving as the host state which has turned into some border competitions between the two states!

One of the unique features of our chapter is the number of children who have returned to the state and followed in their father’s footsteps both as surgeons and Fellows in the College and Chapter.