Ellis Yarnal Berry (October 6, 1902 – April 1, 1999) was an American attorney,

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

and politician, elected to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

Early life and education

Berry was born in

Larchwood, Iowa Larchwood is a city in Lyon County, Iowa, Lyon County, Iowa, United States. The population was 926 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History Larchwood was founded ''circa'' 1872 by a group of McLean County, Illinois land ...

, and graduated from Philip High School in

Philip, South Dakota Philip is a town in and the county seat of rural Haakon County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 759 at the 2020 census. History Philip was laid out in 1907 when the Chicago and North Western Railway was extended to that point. ...

. He was a student at

Morningside College Morningside University is a private university affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside University has 21 buildings on a campus in Sioux City (ar ...

from 1920 through 1922. He transferred to the

University of South Dakota The University of South Dakota (USD) is a public research university in Vermillion, South Dakota. Established by the Dakota Territory legislature in 1862, 27 years before the establishment of the state of South Dakota, USD is the flagship uni ...

, where he completed his undergraduate work and studied law, graduating with a law degree in 1927. He was admitted to the bar that same year under

diploma privilege In the United States, the diploma privilege is a method for lawyers to be admitted to the bar (i.e. authorized to practice law) without taking a bar examination. Wisconsin is the only jurisdiction that currently allows diploma privilege as an alt ...

Career

South_Dakota_Congressional_Delegation_87th_Congress_1961-1963

Berry started his law practice in

Kennebec, South Dakota Kennebec is a town in and county seat of Lyman County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 281 at the 2020 census. History Kennebec was laid out in 1905. Kennebec has served as county seat of Lyman County since 1922. The courthouse d ...

; two years later, he moved to McLaughlin. He was elected as state's attorney, probate court judge for Corson County, and mayor of McLaughlin. He served as the publisher of the newspaper ''Mclaughlin Messenger'' beginning in 1938. He was editor of the ''State Bar Association Journal'' from 1938 through 1950.

Politics

Berry was elected to the South Dakota State Senate from 1938 through 1942, a total of two terms. In 1950, Berry was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the

, and reelected nine consecutive times, retiring in 1971. Beginning in 1952, he also published the ''McIntosh News'' and ''Morristown World''. In 1966, journalist Drew Pearson reported that Berry was one of a group of Congressman who had received the "Statesman of the Republic" award from

Liberty Lobby Liberty Lobby was a far-right think tank and lobby group founded in 1958 by Willis Carto. Carto was known for his promotion of antisemitic conspiracy theories, white nationalism, and Holocaust denial. The organization produced a daily five-mi ...

for his "right-wing activities". Berry voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Jan ...

, and

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...

, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. After retiring from Congress, Berry he settled in

Rapid City, South Dakota Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western So ...

. He lived there until his death in 1999.

Legacy and honors

*After retiring from Congress in 1971, he donated his papers to

Black Hills State University Black Hills State University (BHSU) is a public university in Spearfish, South Dakota. Close to 4,000 students attend classes at its campus in Spearfish, at sites in Rapid City and Pierre, and through distance offerings. Enrollment comes from ...

. The Berry Collection is housed at the E. Y. Berry Library-Learning Center of Black Hills State University and consists of more than 500 boxes of manuscript materials. *BHSU's Library-Learning Center is named for Congressman Berry.

References

*''Biographical Director of the United States Congress, 1774-1989: Bicentennial Edition.'' United States: Government Printing Office, 1989. *''E. Y. Berry Library-Learning Cente

'

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, Ellis Yarnal 1902 births 1999 deaths People from Lyon County, Iowa Morningside University alumni American newspaper editors South Dakota state court judges District attorneys in South Dakota Politicians from Rapid City, South Dakota University of South Dakota School of Law alumni Republican Party members of the South Dakota House of Representatives Republican Party South Dakota state senators People from Haakon County, South Dakota People from Corson County, South Dakota Mayors of places in South Dakota Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota 20th-century American lawyers Journalists from South Dakota 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American judges People from Rapid City, South Dakota 20th-century American journalists American male journalists Members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota