Former USD President Jim Abbott will serve as Grand Marshal for the 2021 Dakota Days Parade Saturday in Vermillion. Abbott led USD for 21 years – the second-longest tenure in university history – and was the first alumnus to hold the position.
Abbott was born in Sioux City before his family moved to Yankton when he was 2 months old. He is the oldest of eight children. After graduating from Yankton High School, Abbott received his bachelor’s degree from USD in 1970 and his juris doctor degree in 1974.
Abbott was appointed USD president in 1997. During the next two decades, Abbott prioritized investments in student scholarship, faculty recruitment, facility modernization and innovative research.
The 107th Annual Dakota Days Parade will be held along Main Street in Vermillion starting at 9:00 Saturday morning.
