Harvey Lowell Wollman (May 14, 1935 – October 18, 2022) was an American politician who served as the 26th

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

from 1978 to 1979. He was the first

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

in the history of South Dakota to succeed to the governorship. To date, he is also the most recent

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to have held the office of South Dakota's governor.

Early life

Wollman was born on May 14, 1935, in

Frankfort, South Dakota Frankfort is a city in Spink County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 134 at the 2020 census. History Frankfort was platted in 1882. Some say it was named after Frankfurt, in Germany, while others believe the town has the name of ...

. His parents were Edwin J. Wollman (1907–1981) and Katherine (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Kleinsasser) Wollman (1905–2002). He graduated from Doland High School in 1953. From 1954 to 1955, he attended Bethel College at

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

. From 1956 to 1957, he attended Huron College before serving in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1960. In 1961, he completed a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

from Huron College. From 1961 to 1965, he served as a teacher at Doland High School. In 1965, he completed graduate work at the University of South Dakota before becoming a farmer.

Career

Wollman was the chairman of the

Spink County Spink County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,361. Its county seat is Redfield. The county was created in 1873, and was organized in 1879 within Dakota Territory. Geography The terrain ...

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. He ran for the

South Dakota State Senate The Senate is the upper house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 35 members, one representing each legislative district; it meets at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. Composition :''92nd Legislature (2019)'' Officers Li ...

in 1966, but lost to Herb Heidepreim. Wollman ran again in 1968 and won a rematch against Heidepreim. He was re-elected in 1970. After the 1970 election, he was elected as minority leader. He was first elected

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

in 1974, on a ticket with

Richard F. Kneip Richard Francis Kneip (January 7, 1933March 9, 1987) was an American diplomat and politician who served as the 25th governor of South Dakota from 1971 until 1978 and the 6th United States Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore. He was a member ...

. In 1978, Wollman ran for the Democratic nomination for governor. He lost the primary election to State Senator Roger D. McKellips on June 8. Governor Kneip resigned to accept an appointment as United States Ambassador to Singapore, and Wollman succeeded him as governor on July 24, 1978. Wollman was sworn in as governor by his brother,

Roger Leland Wollman Roger Leland Wollman (born May 29, 1934) is a Senior United States Circuit Judge and former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He is the older brother of Harvey L. Wollman, former Governor of South Dakota. ...

, who was serving at the time as Chief Justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court. Wollman served as governor until January 1, 1979. While he was in office, he worked to speed the repeal of the state property tax and increase the budget for higher education. He was succeeded by Republican

Bill Janklow William John Janklow (September 13, 1939January 12, 2012) was an American lawyer and politician and member of the Republican Party who holds the record for the longest tenure as Governor of South Dakota: sixteen years in office. Janklow had the t ...

(who defeated McKellips in the general election). Wollman remained interested in politics, saying that he did not want to run for governor in 1982, but was looking into running for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

in the 1984 election. He decided instead to run for his old seat in the state senate in 1984 with an eye on running for governor in the 1986 election. He lost to Mary McClure, the incumbent Republican, in the election.

Personal life and death

Wollman married Ann Geigel and they had two sons, Michael and Daniel, and one daughter, Kristine. Wollman died in Huron, South Dakota on October 18, 2022, at the age of 87.

Legacy

Wollman's family originated from Russia and is of German descent. He was a member of the Ebenezer

Mennonite Brethren Church The Mennonite Brethren Church is an evangelical Mennonite Anabaptist movement with congregations. History The conference was established among Plautdietsch-speaking Russian Mennonites in 1860. During the 1850s, some Mennonites were influenced b ...

(which closed its doors in the mid-1990s).South Dakota Legislative Manual, 1975

References

External links

National Governors Association
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Wollman, Harvey Leland 1935 births 2022 deaths American Mennonites American people of German-Russian descent Democratic Party governors of South Dakota Farmers from South Dakota Huron University alumni Lieutenant Governors of South Dakota Military personnel from South Dakota People from Spink County, South Dakota Schoolteachers from South Dakota Democratic Party South Dakota state senators University of South Dakota alumni