| 1951 | Dr. Frank Simon | 1951 Photo | Sioux Falls, SD | 1951 Program |
| 1952 | Dr. Frank Simon | 1952 Photo | Sioux Falls, SD | 1952 Program |
| 1953 | Mark H. Hindsley | 1953 Photo | Huron, SD | 1953 Program |
| 1954 | Clarence E. Sawhill | 1954 Photo | Mitchell, SD | 1954 Program |
| 1955 | Jack K. Lee | 1955 Photo | Aberdeen, SD | 1955 Program |
| 1956 | Leonard B. Smith | 1956 Photo | Sioux Falls, SD | 1956 Program |
| 1957 | Ray Dvorak | 1957 Photo | Deadwood, SD | 1957 Program |
| 1958 | Glenn C. Bainum | 1958 Photo | Huron, SD | 1958 Program |
| 1959 | Hugh E. McMillen | 1959 Photo | Mitchell, SD | 1959 Program |
| 1960 | Leonard B. Smith | 1960 Photo | Aberdeen, SD | 1960 Program |
| 1961 | Dale C. Harris | 1961 Photo | Sioux Falls, SD | 1961 Program |
| 1962 | Nilo W. Hovey | 1962 Photo | Deadwood, SD | 1962 Program |
| 1963 | Lt. Col. William F. Santelmann | 1963 Photo | Huron, SD | 1963 Program |
| 1964 | Clarence Sawhill | 1964 Photo | Watertown, SD | 1964 Program |
| 1965 | Paul Yoder | | Sioux Falls, SD | 1965 Program |
| 1966 | Lt. Col. William F. Santelmann | 1966 Photo | Pierre, SD | 1966 Program |
| 1967 | Dr. Donald E. McGinnis | 1967 Photo | Huron, SD | 1967 Program |
| 1968 | Dr. Leonard B. Smith | 1968 Photo | Aberdeen, SD | 1968 Program |
| 1969 | Dr. Gene A. Braught | 1969 Photo | Sturgis, SD | 1969 Program |
| 1970 | Miles Johnson | 1970 Photo | Watertown, SD | 1970 Program |
| 1971 | Col. Arnald D. Gabriel | 1971 Photo | Mitchell, SD | 1971 Program |
| 1972 | John P. Paynter | 1972 Photo | Rapid City, SD | 1972 Program |
| 1973 | Dr. Leonard B. Smith | 1973 Photo | Sioux Falls, SD | 1973 Program |
| 1974 | Col. Arnald Gabriel | 1974 Photo | Aberdeen, SD | 1974 Program |
| 1975 | Dr. W. Francis McBeth | 1975 Photo | Pierre, SD | 1975 Program |
| 1976 | John Paynter | 1976 Photo | Rapid City, SD | 1976 Program |
| 1977 | Maj. Allen C. Crowell | 1977 Photo | Huron, SD | 1977 Program |
| 1978 | Mr. Miles Johnson | 1978 Photo | Watertown, SD | 1978 Program |
| 1979 | Dr. Francis McBeth | 1979 Photo | Sturgis, SD | 1979 Program |
| 1980 | Dr. Frank Bencriscutto | 1980 Photo | Mitchell, SD | 1980 Program |
| 1981 | Dr. Harry Begian | 1981 Photo | Sioux Falls, SD | 1981 Program |
| 1982 | Col. Arnald D. Gabriel | 1982 Photo | Aberdeen, SD | 1982 Program |
| 1983 | Stanley DeRusha | | Rapid City, SD | 1983 Program |
| 1984 | Dr. John Zdechlik | | Huron, SD | 1984 Program |
| 1985 | Dr. James Jurrens | 1985 Photo | Mitchell, SD | 1985 Program |
| 1986 | Mr. James Curnow | 1986 Photo | Sioux Falls, SD | 1986 Program |
| 1987 | Mr. Larry G. Curtis | 1987 Photo | Pierre, SD | 1987 Program |
| 1988 | Kenneth G. Bloomquist | 1988 Photo | Watertown, SD | 1988 Program |
| 1989 | Miles H. Johnson | 1989 Photo | Huron, SD | 1989 Program |
| 1990 | John P. Paynter | 1990 Photo | Rapid City, SD | 1990 Program |
| 1991 | W. Francis McBeth | 1991 Photo | Aberdeen, SD | 1991 Program |
| 1992 | Weston Noble | 1992 Photo | Mitchell, SD | 1992 Program |
| 1993 | Dale J. Lonis | 1993 Photo | Sioux Falls, SD | 1993 Program |
| 1994 | Mallory B. Thompson | 1994 Photo | Pierre, SD | 1994 Program |
| 1995 | Timothy Mahr | 1995 Photo | Huron, SD | 1995 Program |
| 1996 | Dr. Robert C. Fleming | | Watertown, SD | 1996 Program |
| 1997 | Col. John R. Bourgeois | 1997 Photo | Rapid City, SD | 1997 Program |
| 1998 | Robert Sheldon | 1998 Photo | Aberdeen, SD | 1998 Program |
| 1999 | James Barnes | 1999 Photo | Mitchell, SD | 1999 Program |
| 2000 | Dr. David Holsinger | 2000 Photo | Sioux Falls, SD | 2000 Program |
| 2001 | Robert W. Smith | 2001 Photo | Pierre, SD | 2001 Program |
| 2002 | Anthony J. Maiello | 2002 Photo | Huron, SD | 2002 Program |
| 2003 | Dale J. Lonis | 2003 Photo | Yankton, SD | 2003 Program |
| 2004 | Douglas Akey | 2004 Photo | Watertown, SD | 2004 Program |
| 2005 | Dr. John R. Locke | 2005 Photo | Rapid City, SD | 2005 Program |
| 2006 | William F. Malambri/Dr. Lowell E. Graham | | Aberdeen, SD | 2006 Program |
| 2007 Clark Band | Jerry Luckhardt | 2007 Clark | Pierre, SD | 2007 Program |
| 2007 Lewis Band | Mark Camphouse | | Pierre, SD | 2007 Program |
| 2008 old | Curvin Farnham/Anthony Maiello | 2008 Lewis | Sioux Falls, SD | 2008 Program |
| 2009 | Marcellus Brown/Dr. Peter Boonshaft | | Rapid City, SD | 2009 Program |
| 2010 | Dr. Timothy Mahr/Scott A. Jones | | Watertown, SD | 2010 Program |
| 2011 | Richard Saucedo/Joseph Hermann | | Yankton, SD | 2011 Program |
| 2012 | Dr. Jack Stamp/Capt. Brian O. Walden | | Brookings, SD | 2012 Program |
| 2013 | Jan Van Der Roost/Erica Neidlinger | | Rapid City, SD | 2013 Program |
| 2014 | Anthony Maiello/Dr. Richard Mayne | | Pierre, SD | 2014 Program |
| 2015 | Dr. James M. Bankhead/Dr. Richard Mark Heidel | | Sioux Falls, SD | 2015 Program |
| 2016 | Dr. John R. Locke/Dr. Linda Moorhouse | | Watertown, SD | 2016 Program |
| 2017 | Dr. Myron Welch/Dr. Elva Kaye Lance | | Sioux Falls, SD | 2017 Program |
| 2018 | Dr. Jason Caslor/Dr. Christopher Chapman | | Rapid City, SD | 2018 Program |
| 2019 | Dr. Paul Popiel/Dr. Courtney Snyder | 2019 Clark Photo / 2019 Lewis Photo | Aberdeen, SD | 2019 Program |
| 2021 | Dr. Haley Armstrong/Dr. John LaCognata/Dr. Rolf Olson/Dr. Jacob Wallace | 2021 Wallace Photo / 2021 Olson Photo / 2021 LaCognata Photo / 2021 Armstrong Photo | Mitchell, SD | 2021 Program |
| 2022 | Dr. Travis Cross/Aaron Perrine | 2022 Clark Photo / 2022 Lewis Photo | Brookings, SD | 2022 Program |
| 2023 | Robert Sheldon/Dr. Andrew Boysen | | Sioux Falls, SD | 2023 Program |
| 2024 | Dr. Shanti Simon/Dr. Carolyn Barber | | Pierre, SD | 2024 Program |
