Alexander Rentto (October 5, 1905 – March 7, 1995) was a justice of the

South Dakota Supreme Court The South Dakota Supreme Court is the highest court in the state of South Dakota. It is composed of a chief justice and four associate justices appointed by the governor. One justice is selected from each of five geographic appointment districts ...

from May 1, 1955, to September 15, 1971. Born in

Lead, South Dakota Lead ( ) is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota, Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,982 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Lead is located in western South Dakota, in the Black Hills near the Wyom ...

, Rentto attended the local high school and graduated from

South Dakota State College South Dakota State University (SDSU or SD State) is a public land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota, United States. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest university and is the second oldest continually operating universit ...

and received his law degree from the

University of South Dakota School of Law The University of South Dakota School of Law also known as University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law or USD Law in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, is a professional school of the University of South Dakota and the only law school ...

. Rentto practiced law in

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls ( ) is the List of cities in South Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the List of United States cities by population, 117th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha Coun ...

, then worked for a year at the

Federal Land Bank The Farm Credit System (FCS) in the United States is a nationwide network of borrower-owned lending institutions and specialized service organizations. The Farm Credit System provides more than $373 billion (as of 2022) in loans, leases, and relat ...

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, and was later elected state's attorney in

Lawrence County, South Dakota Lawrence County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,768, making it the List of counties in South Dakota, 8th most populous county in Sou ...

, from 1934 to 1939, after which he returned to private practice. In 1943, Rentto was appointed as a county court judge, and was elected to the circuit court in 1947. In 1955, Governor

Joe Foss Joseph Jacob Foss (April 17, 1915January 1, 2003) was a United States Marine Corps Major and a leading Marine fighter ace in World War II. He received the Medal of Honor in recognition of his role in air combat during the Guadalcanal Campaign. In ...

appointed Rentto to a seat on the South Dakota Supreme Court vacated by the resignation of Boyd Leedom, who had accepted an appointment to the

National Labor Relations Board The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States that enforces United States labor law, U.S. labor law in relation to collect ...

.Denise D. Tucker, "Alex Rentto, retired judge, dies at 89 of heart failure", ''Sioux Falls Argus-Leader'' (March 11, 1995), p. 13."Foss Will Appoint Rentto State Judge", ''The Black Hills Weekly'' (February 23, 1955), p. 1. Rentto resigned from the court in 1971, but remained active as a senior justice until 1975. He died from

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to Cardiac cycle, fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF ...

at Northern Hills General Hospital in

Deadwood, South Dakota Deadwood (Lakota: ''Owáyasuta''; "To approve or confirm things") is a city that serves as the county seat of Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. It was named by early settlers after the dead trees found in its gulch. The city had its ...

, at the age of 89, and was buried at South Lead Cemetery.

References

1905 births 1995 deaths South Dakota State University alumni University of South Dakota School of Law alumni Justices of the South Dakota Supreme Court 20th-century American judges {{SouthDakota-state-judge-stub