Rex A. Terry (February 21, 1888 – July 13, 1964) was a banker and politician in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

state of

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

. He served as a member of the

South Dakota State Senate The South Dakota Senate is the upper house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 35 members, one representing each legislative district. It meets at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. Composition :''99th Legislature (2025)' ...

and as

Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, security services and police forces. The rank i ...

Early life and education

Terry was born at Sturgis,

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of ...

in 1888. After attending public schools and

business college A business college is a school that provides education above the high school level but could not be compared to that of a traditional university or college. Unlike universities and even junior and community colleges, business colleges typically ...

, Terry worked in retail in

Fort Pierre, South Dakota Fort Pierre is a city in Stanley County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Pierre, South Dakota micropolitan area and the county seat of Stanley County. The population was 2,115 at the 2020 census. The settlement of Fort Pierre ...

, where he also acted as president of the Fort Pierre Commercial Club along with managing the Fort Pierre National Bank. He had also been a

commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to incl ...

of Fort Pierre.

Political career

Terry was elected to the South Dakota Senate as a Republican in 1941 to represent the 29th district ( Stanley County). He served until 1948. He served as Lieutenant Governor from 1949 to 1955, under Governors George T. Mickelson and

Sigurd Anderson Sigurd Anderson (January 22, 1904December 21, 1990) was the 19th Governor of South Dakota. Anderson, a Republican from Webster, South Dakota, served in that office from 1951 to 1955. Early life and education Anderson was born at Frolands Ver ...

Personal life

In 1953, Terry escaped a two-car accident, sustaining minor injuries, between Pierre and Fort Pierre that left his car "almost a total wreck". He married Delia Campbell in 1916. Terry was active within the South Dakota Masons, serving as Grand Master from 1944 to 1945. He had previously served as a Deputy Grand Master prior to his promotion to Grand Master in 1944.

Death and legacy

He died in 1964 at a hospital in

Pierre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

. He was buried at Scotty Phillips National Cemetery after a service at the masonic temple in Pierre."Schedule Saturday Services for Terry", ''The Daily Plainsman'', Thursday, July 16, 1964, Huron, South Dakota, United States Of America Upon his death, ''The Sioux Falls Argus-Leader'' lauded Terry's accomplishments, stating that his career "exemplified the best in American citizenship and the South Dakota way of life."."Rex Terry -- A Fine Servant", ''The Daily Plainsman'', Sunday, July 26, 1964, Huron, South Dakota, United States Of America

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terry, Rex A. 1888 births 1964 deaths People from Fort Pierre, South Dakota South Dakota state senators Lieutenant governors of South Dakota People from Sturgis, South Dakota 20th-century members of the South Dakota Legislature