Devereaux Library, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

09/25/2026

The Evolution of Grubby the Miner

1953 – Shiftless Sam: The mascot made his debut in the 1953 ENGINEER yearbook. Created by geology student Jack Ihli, he was originally named "Shiftless Sam" and depicted as a rugged, messy prospector wearing clumsy boots and torn jeans, often carrying a jug.
https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/sdsmt/id/82595/rec/1

1957 – "Ode to a Miner": A poem in the student newspaper (The Tech) humorously described him as a caveman-like figure with a bad haircut who "drinks a keg of b**r a night and does his physics while he's tight."

1959 – The Rebrand to "Grubby": By 1959, his rough edges were softened, and he officially took on the name Grubby. The moniker was solidified in a homecoming advertisement featuring the phrase, "Grubby Sez: See You M-Day."

The Tech October 9, 1959

The bronze Grubby statue, which now stands near the Surbeck building, was donated Connie and Jim Green (ME 72) Which was an idea that was years in the making.

In 1972, he was working on campus during the summer. That’s when the school’s first building, Old Main Building, built in 1885, was torn down. With permission, Jim saved about 300 bricks from the building, originally planning to use them to build a house. But then, he had a better idea. He thought what if they elected a statue on campus using the bricks as the base.

The Greens commissioned a local Black Hills artist, Joe Kittel, to create a life-sized bronze statue of the school’s beloved mascot, which was unveiled right before the 2011 spring graduation.
https://www.newscenter1.tv/news/local/south-dakota-mines-mascot-celebrates-72-years-of-being-the-face-of-the-university

09/24/2026

I'm a ramblin' wreck from Rapid Tech And a helluva engineer
https://gorockers.com/sports/2018/8/14/school-fight-song.aspx

The fight song, "The Mining Engineer," dates back to 1879 and is based on a melody called "Son of a Gambolier" from the 1800s. Several schools have versions based on the same music including Colorado School of Mines and Georgia Tech (although the Orediggers' use of the tune predates Georgia Tech's famous version by more than 30 years).”
https://minesathletics.com/sports/2016/5/22/information-miningENGINEERindex.aspx

At SD Mines

“I'm a ramblin' wreck from Rapid Tech And a heck-of-an Engineer - - !”
Found in the 1949 Engineer Yearbook
https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/iiif/sdsmt/73278/full/864,/0/default.jpg

Yet no official school song as of 1958.
“A few months ago at a meeting of the Board of Control, suggestions were made about the lack of a school song. A discussion was held and a one man committee was appointed. The committee would like to throw this question out to you, the alumni: What do you think should be done to obtain a school song for this school?”
- The Hardrock Vol 24 No.3 May-June 1958
https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/sdsmt/id/52820/rec/6

While there were many songs and yells featured and documented in the yearly student handbooks, it was not until 1959 that this specific tune was mentioned.

Student handbook 1958-1959
https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/sdsmt/id/68450/rec/1

https://youtu.be/II1vMCHpvSo?si=DJh9AXNlzU2ugNLX

09/22/2026

Since 1920, each incoming freshman at South Dakota Mines has donned a beanie hat. The Pahasapa Quarterly from Dec 1920 (pg 33), wrote that the sight of the “cap floating on the campus will serve as a pleasant reminder to visiting alumni of the days when they first wore the freshman headgear and of the various festivities connected with it.”

Today the voluntary tradition continues from the start of school until halftime of the homecoming game when frosh (as they are referred to prior to this event) run a lap around the track and then gather in the middle of the field in the shape of an M where they remove their beanies and are officially advanced to freshman status.

For the last three decades, these hats have been handmade by a group of local volunteers. To date the Rapid City CK Chapter of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) Sisterhood has sewn more than 11,000 Mines beanies. The group sells the beanies to Mines and the small profit they earn is put into a scholarship fund that sends young women to college. In the last 30 years, the group has raised more than $36,000.

Dive into the rich history and proud traditions of South Dakota Mines – a university that has long been at the forefront of technology and innovation.

09/21/2026

Happy M-Week!

The tradition began on October 5, 1912, when students and faculty constructed the massive mountain monogram "M" on Cowboy Hill, a large slope on the west side of the city.

“It was hailed as the largest letter in the state, and measured 112 1/2 by 67 feet. The idea of an "M" dated back several years, when students and faculty expressed an interest in having a large letter placed in a prominent area to "excite people's wonder and interest". Several possibilities were considered, including erecting an electric sign, but it was decided a student-constructed "M" would lessen the cost and be of more value to present and future students.

Tuesday, October 5, 1912 was designated "M Day." After a survey to find the right place, it was decided to excavate an "M", fill it with boulders, and whitewash it. Students were told to bring picks, shovels, and other tools on the morning of October 8 to begin the project. Some 75 students and teachers gathered in the early morning and William E. Snyder later wrote about the group, "The crowd when collected presented a motley array, a bunch of muckers for sure. Each had a pick or shovel and his lunch. Two had wheelbarrows, which they succeeded in taking to the top." Two teams of horses with plow and wagons were used. The plow loosened the soil and students removed it. Another group of students began filling in with stones. By 3:30, more than 100 wagon loads of rock had been placed and the "M" was ready for whitewashing."

-Centennial : an illustrated history, 1885-1985
https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/sdsmt/id/70975/rec/2

09/02/2026

TODAY'S THE DAY!!

Students, faculty, and staff are all invited to stop by, meet our new and returning advisors and Career Services team, see how tutoring works, and explore the resources available through Library Services.

08/18/2026

Don't miss the chance to meet Craig Johnson, author of the popular Longmire series, on September 23 at 7:00 p.m. at the Monument!

Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite. Proceeds from the event benefit the Rapid City Library Foundation, which helps support additional programs and services at the Rapid City Public Library!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-longmire-author-craig-johnson-tickets-1996396593954

08/18/2026

On Wednesday, August 19, 1885, Black Hills residents turned out to dedicate the cornerstone of the new school building.

The stone was laid under the direction of the Masonic Grand Lodge of the Territory, and the event brought forth "one of the largest assemblies of people ever collected in this place".

The Prep building was later demolished in 1972.

- Centennial : an illustrated history, 1885-1985 by Ruth Anne Stymiest
Read more online at: https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/sdsmt/id/70937/rec/2

06/09/2026

Remembering the Black Hills flood of June 9th, 1972

https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/localsdsmt/id/2947/rec/7
https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/localsdsmt/id/2290/rec/19

https://www.weather.gov/unr/1972-06-09
https://youtu.be/e87jVloaN1I

Potter, Sean. "Retrospect: June 9, 1972: Black Hills-Rapid City Flood." Weatherwise 65.3 (2012): 10-11.
https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=e6d24658-5710-3ba8-9264-fa96ade0b015

06/08/2026

June 9, 1972: Remembering the Black Hills Flood
The forecast for Friday, June 9, 1972, seemed unremarkable.

Highs in the 70s. Lows in the 40s. Isolated afternoon thunderstorms.

By midnight, Rapid City would be experiencing one of the deadliest floods in American history.

Many people are familiar with the slow-moving floods that occur along large rivers. Snow melts, water levels rise, and communities often have days to prepare. Sandbags are filled, valuables are moved to safety, and evacuation plans can be made.

The Black Hills Flood was different.

Rain began in the Rapid City area during the evening of June 9. Within hours, creeks were rising rapidly. Warnings expanded throughout the evening. Evacuations began. Shortly before 11 p.m., Canyon Lake Dam failed. Just after midnight, the flood crest reached downtown Rapid City.

The disaster claimed 238 lives, injured thousands more, and forever changed the community.

South Dakota Mines was not spared.

Across campus, buildings were damaged, personal property was lost, and members of the university community found themselves among the many residents struggling to survive and recover. Contemporary campus accounts describe a practice field transformed into a sea of mud and debris. Faculty, staff, and students joined countless others across Rapid City in cleanup and recovery efforts.

The library suffered particularly heavy damage.

A power pole carried by the floodwaters crashed through a ground-level window, allowing muddy water to pour into the basement. Water eventually reached a depth of approximately eight feet. Library stacks were overturned, partition walls were destroyed, furniture was ruined, and the books and periodicals stored in the basement were lost. Students and faculty worked their way through the mud, hauling debris and salvaging what they could.

Among the losses were the library's journal collection, original theses and dissertations produced by generations of South Dakota Mines students, and other campus publications. Duplicate copies of many items were eventually located and replaced. Others were lost forever.

For libraries and archives, the lesson is a lasting one.

History is more fragile than we often realize. Photographs, publications, research, and institutional records survive only when someone takes the time to preserve them. Every document saved, every photograph identified, and every collection maintained helps ensure that future generations can understand both the tragedy and the resilience that followed.

Recent water damage and cleanup efforts in Devereaux Library have provided a small reminder of that reality. While the events of this past week bear no comparison to the devastation of 1972, they have reinforced an important truth: water has a remarkable ability to disrupt plans, damage collections, and remind us why preservation matters.

As we mark the anniversary of the Black Hills Flood, we invite you to explore the photographs, publications, and historical resources linked below. Through them, we can remember not only the disaster itself, but also the people who endured it, rebuilt, and preserved its story for those who came after.

06/02/2026

South Dakota State Park passes are available to check out from Devereaux Library services. Check one out and take part in the challenge.

Learn more: gfp.sd.gov/history2026