On Feb. 21, 1881, the University of South Dakota was founded as the land-grant college by the Dakota Territorial Legislature in Vermillion, making it the oldest university in South Dakota. The first building, Central Hall, was constructed in 1883.

The 1881 Act required that 80 acres of land near Brookings be obtained for the agricultural college within a year. The citizens of Brookings raised over $600 and purchased land that had belonged to Randi Petersen on October 10, 1881. The purchased land was located at N1/2 of SW1/4 of S24, T110, R50W, on the north side of Brookings.

Brookings County Delegate, John O’Brien Scobey, brought the idea for an agricultural college to the Dakota Territory Legislature and lobbied for its approval. The 1881 Act also established a Board of Trustees to oversee the operations of the college. However, it did not provide any funding for the building of the college. That did not come until the 1883 Legislative System.

Today, the public university enrolls over 8,000 students and is home to the state’s only medical school. The university also operates several research centers and institutes including the Cardivascular Research Institute, the Center for Rural Health Improvement, and the Disaster Mental Health Institute.