“Walter Dale Miller, 29th Governor of South Dakota”

Walter Dale Miller was born October 5, 1925 near Viewfield. He graduated from New Underwood High School and spent his life ranching in Meade County. Miller served in the State House of Representatives from 1967 to 1987. He is the only person in state history to hold every major leadership position in the House, including Speaker and Majority Leader. In 1987, Miller became the state’s first full-time lieutenant governor. Serving with Governor George S. Mickelson, Miller led efforts to implement technology in state government. On April 19, 1993, Governor Mickelson and seven others died in a plane crash, and Miller became the first lieutenant governor to ascend to the governorship due to death. Governor Miller was a calm, steady leader during a difficult time. He ended a riot at the state penitentiary without loss of life and led the response to historical flooding in 1993. When a court ruling shut down video lottery causing a revenue shortage, Miller imposed emergency cuts protecting the state’s budget. He left office in 1995. Walter Dale Miller died September 28, 2015. He was a persistent, God-fearing, West River cowboy who stepped up when South Dakota needed him.

New Underwood School