A Chance Interaction of Ole Anderson and Oscar Howe at the W. H. Over Museum

In the summer of 1959, the W. H. Over Museum, founded in 1883, was situated in the basement of Slagle Hall., Dr. Wesley Hurt, director of the museum was also an associate professor of anthropology at the University of South Dakota. In 1957, according to the newsletter: Museum News (Vol 18 #7, part of the Chilson Collection), the famous Native American artist Oscar Howe became a University of South Dakota faculty member and assistant director the Over Museum. He remained as assistant director until 1959 when he took up residence in the Creative Arts Laboratory in the College of Fine Arts (Museum News, vol 20 #5).

Following his nine-month-long trip to South America, Dr. Hurt returned to the university and developed new exhibits at the Over Museum. One new exhibit was devoted to South Dakota history. In the summer of 1959 Dr. Hurt asked a Vermillion citizen, master mason, and amateur wood carver, Ole Anderson, to make small statues depicting different occupations of settlers. Inspirations for Ole Anderson’s carvings came from images he found. According to his grandson, Jerome Anderson, Ole Anderson took the idea of carving a coon-hatted pioneer from paintings that Oscar Howe made. Jerome Anderson owns two works of art. One is shown below courtesy of Jerome Anderson. Today the pioneer carving sits in a display at the Over Museum along with a dozen statuettes depicting the work of settlers. 

Ole Anderson carving figures in the Over Museum. Image number 6415, Series 10, Box 43, University of South Dakota Archives and Special Collections.

Oscar Howe’s drawing of the pioneer.

Carvings of the pioneer and some settlers engaged in various activities in a display at the W. H. Over Museum.