n YANKTON COLLEGE continued from page 11 YANKTON COLLEGE continued on page 22 C arpet L arse n 212 Walnut|605.665.2067 Historic Downtown Yankton LAMINATE |PORCELAIN |RESILIENT |HARDWOOD What would become of the 53-acre campus that was Yankton College? What were the possibilities of selling it intact and not all sliced up? The Yankton community and the trustees would dedicate themselves to turning a significant disaster into a future asset. Incidentally, other communities in the region were facing the same sudden closures, as Huron College, Springfield’s Southern State College and Westmar College were forced to close for similar reasons. The possibility of the YC campus being used as an educational facility was not ruled out, including the ideas of replacing the liberal arts school with a vocational one or the Christian school proposed by the Smyth-Rike Corporation; but nothing came to fruition. Numerous ideas to utilize the campus were wrestled with and rejected. As the disposal of YC real estate and personal property was underway in 1987, local businessman Don C. Peterson became the next YC president and remained tenacious to reviving the Yankton College campus, contacting numerous individuals, but with no success. His eventual call to U.S. Senator Larry Pressler initiated the connection with the Justice Department. Peterson did not want to depart from his objective to re-establish the college as it was or similarly so, but it became evident that the federal government could supply the necessary funds to keep the campus intact and maintained; as a prison site. The Federal Bureau of Prisons toured the campus and announced that with renovation, the campus could house Level 1 prisoners, only if the citizens of Yankton were happy with the prison situated in the middle of a residential district and close proximity to elementary schools. This idea brought instant reaction and a town feud ensued. The Citizens for a Better Alternative was formed forcing a vote calling for the city to buy the campus. The proposition was soundly defeated and the trustees authorized President Peterson and an oversight committee to pursue the possible sale to the federal government. On January 1988, the trustees accepted a letter of intent to buy the campus from the FBP and filed it with the reorganization plan. A check from the federal government arrived for $3,100,000 allowing the school to fulfill faculty and staff contract obligations, pay the creditors with allowable claims and the attorneys’ fees. When it was over, the trustees had almost a million dollars left. Yankton College had a chance for a new beginning (not without some divergent thoughts from alumni and trustees along the way). Yankton College would continue – with money – in a non-traditional way that was hardly imaginable in the dire days of 1984. In 1989, Yankton College moved heaping boxes of its student records and transcripts, archives and memorabilia to a basement in a downtown Yankton building. The student-less institution was kept alive by three paid individuals and many volunteers. Dr. Willis Stanage was appointed as the 14th president of his alma mater and led the charge. Emphasis was placed on alumni outreach. The Bulletin, an alumni publication, was resurrected. All-class reunions were scheduled in an effort to keep alumni involved. Fundraising began to fund operating the office and to create scholarship endowments. The College Without Walls concept was created and successfully MEET THE ULTIMATE COMFORT SYSTEMTM and save now with rebates up to $2300 plus ask about our Bonus Discount HEATING & COOLING 920 Broadway, Yankton, SD • 665-9461 • 1-800-491-9461 20 v HERVOICE MAY/JUNE 2014