Famous People of South Dakota

Anderson has resided for many years in Thousand Oaks, California. He was known as "Sparky" during his time in baseball, but in private life goes by his given name of "George."

 If statistics alone were the measure of a man's worth, it would be impossible to set a value on Sparky Anderson's accomplishments. He managed two teams, the Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds, for 26 Major League seasons; only Connie Mack, John McGraw, and Bucky Harris managed longer, and only Mack and McGraw posted more lifetime wins. He is the only manager to pilot World Series championship teams in each league, the only one to win 100 games during a season in each, and the only manager to lead two different franchises in total victories. • George Lee Sparky Anderson Books

Van Brocklin was drafted in the fourth round (37th overall) of the 1949 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He joined a team that already had a star quarterback, Bob Waterfield. Beginning in 1950, new Rams coach Joe Stydahar solved his problem by platooning Waterfield and Van Brocklin. The 1950 Rams scored an (at that time) NFL record 466 points (38.8 per game) with a high octane passing attack featuring Tom Fears and Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch. Fears led the league and set a new NFL record with 84 receptions. Van Brocklin and Waterfield finished 1-2 in passer rating as well. They were defeated by the Cleveland Browns in the 1950 title game, 30-28. • Norm Van Brocklin Books

In his earlier books, TV news anchor Tom Brokaw has leaned heavily on the experiences of others to remember and define what he calls "the Greatest Generation"--those who came of age during World War II and its aftermath. In A Long Way Home Brokaw turns inward to focus on his own experiences growing up in South Dakota, his early years a broadcaster working in a then-novel medium, and his still-deep connection to the Midwestern people, places, and values that shaped him. In this bluntly effective and homespun memoir, Brokaw argues that, no matter how far one may travel--say, to New York and through five decades of a successful broadcast journalism career--it's possible to remain a true creature of the heartlands.  --David Bombeck --This text refers to an alternate • Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw Books

He was highly regarded by bandleader Lawrence Welk, who was an accomplished accordion player in his own right. Floren functioned as Welk's principal assistant and second-in-command. In Floren's autobiography, Accordion Man, he recalled handling road manager duties when the band traveled, including making hotel arrangements and handling other logistics. He has been seen in a hosting role of repeats of The Lawrence Welk Show on PBS. • Myron Floren Books • Myron Floren Discography

Following Charlie's Angels, Ladd remained a familiar face on television and has starred in more than 30 made for television movies. She starred in feature films such as Millennium, Poison Ivy (coincidentally, featuring Drew Barrymore, who later starred in the film adaptions of Charlie's Angels) and Permanent Midnight. She also starred in the 1994–1996 series One West Waikiki. Her guest starring roles include The Rookies, The Partridge Family, Happy Days and more recently Two Guys, A Girl and A Pizza Place and Charmed. From 2003 to the show's cancellation in 2008, Ladd played the lead character's wife, Jillian Deline, in 28 episodes of the television drama Las Vegas. In 1996, she published a children's book, The Adventures of Little Nettie Windship. Then, in 2005, she published Token Chick: A Woman’s Guide To Golfing With The Boys, an autobiographical book which focused on her love of golf. In September 2000, Ladd took over the role of Annie Oakley from Bernadette Peters on Broadway in the revival of Irving Berlin's musical, Annie Get Your Gun. She played the role until January 2001, when Reba McEntire took over. • Cheryl Ladd Books • Cheryl Ladd Movies

Provine was born in Deadwood, South Dakota, USA. She appeared in many professional and amateur stage productions while attending the University of Washington. In Hollywood, she starred in The Bonnie Parker Story (1958) and The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959), which was Lou Costello's last screen appearance.

She guest starred on the unconventional western television series Man Without a Gun, starring Rex Reason. Provine starred in two series: The Alaskans with Roger Moore (1959-60) and The Roaring Twenties (1960-1962), both on ABC. In Roaring Twenties, she played the beautiful singer Pinky Pinkham. Rex Reason co-starred with her in the series, along with Donald May, John Dehner, Mike Road, and Gary Vinson.

She made a cameo appearance in Blake Edwards' The Great Race (1965). Probably her most recognizable film role is in Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). She plays Emmeline Marcus Finch, the only main character not obsessed with finding the $350,000 that forms the movie's premise. Provine also starred in Good Neighbor Sam (1964), Who's Minding the Mint? (1967), and Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die (1966). • Dorothy Provine Books • Dorothy Provine Movies

Van Doren was born Joan Lucille Olander in Rowena, South Dakota, the daughter of Warner Carl Olander (March 30, 1908 - June 4, 1992) and Lucille Harriet Bennett (January 21, 1912 - August 27, 1995). She is of three-quarters Swedish ancestry; the remainder is mixed English and German. Her mother named her after Joan Crawford. In 1939, the family moved to Sioux City, Iowa. In May 1942, they moved to Los Angeles.

In early 1946, Joan began working as an usher at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The following year, she had a bit part on an early television show. She also sang with Ted Fio Rito's band and entered beauty contests. Van Doren was married for a brief time at seventeen. She and first husband, Jack Newman, eloped to Santa Barbara. The marriage dissolved quickly, upon her discovery of his abusive nature. In the summer of 1949, at age 18, she won the titles "Miss Eight Ball" and "Miss Palm Springs".

Joan was discovered by famed producer Howard Hughes on the night she was crowned Miss Palm Springs. The pair dated for several years. Hughes launched her career by placing her in several RKO films. • Mamie Van Doren Books • Mamie Van Doren Movies