University of South Dakota Athletics

When people speak of loyalty and commitment to The University of South Dakota, H. Lauren Lewis ranks at the top. Originally of Hartford, SD, Lewis continually supported Coyote Athletics and The University of South Dakota. Perhaps his greatest legacy may be the DakotaDome. With then President Richard Bowen and Athletic Director Carl Miller, he was instrumental in building of the DakotaDome. He was the first and only president of the DakotaDome Corporation. With his leadership, more than $2 million in private funds were raised to supplement state monies to fund the DakotaDome. With President Bowen, he helped establish the USD Foundation, including serving a term as president. He also served on the South Dakota Board of Regents from 1969-75 and was president of the board in 1971. Lewis, a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, received a business administration degree in 1938 and a law degree in 1939 from USD. After several years of private practice and business employment on the East Coast, he returned to South Dakota in 1947 to serve as general manager of the Associated Motor Carriers Inc. of South Dakota. In 1951 he formed his own company, All-American Transport which became one of the most successful motor carrier companies in the nation. When he sold it to Texas Gas Transmission Corporation in 1976, the firm was operating in 29 states and had over 2,800 employees. He received USD's Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 1973, was awarded the USD School of Business' Distinguished Alumni Award and was awarded an honorary degree during the 1979 USD commencement exercises.