The Center for Western Studies (CWS) at Augustana University has named Dr. Jon K. Lauck as its next executive director — only the center’s fourth leader since its founding by author and Augustana Professor Emeritus of English Dr. Herbert Krause in 1964.
“The Center for Western Studies is in good hands. Dr. Lauck brings with him a wealth of historical knowledge and great familiarity with the CWS and its programs. He is ideally suited to carry on the mission and activities that former Executive Director Dr. Harry Thompson established at the center. I am genuinely impressed by his enthusiasm and his great love for history and the humanities. He will continue the tradition of excellence that Harry set. The future is bright for the CWS and Augustana,” said CWS Board of Directors Chair Jamie Volin.
The appointment by both the Augustana Board of Trustees and CWS Board of Directors comes after Thompson’s retirement, who had been associated with the center for more than 40 years and at the helm for 16. Lauck said it was Thompson who encouraged him to apply for the position.
“I don't think there was ever a doubt in my mind that I would apply,” recalled Lauck. “And my wife, Amy ‘99, was extremely enthused about it. That's obviously a big factor in the decision we made. I think Augie was extremely good to her when she was a student. She’s a proud Norwegian Lutheran and Augustana alum.”
Thursday, Aug. 20, marked Lauck’s first day on the job, and he already had a mug resembling a quintessential Viking in hand. While walking through the Fantle building admiring artwork from the center’s latest exhibit “Still Becoming: America at 250," Lauck was particularly drawn to a piece that depicted a combine working its way through a field — noting that it reminded him of his roots.
The author, historian, attorney and longtime political advisor grew up on a farm near Madison, South Dakota, where his family raised corn and cattle. He attended South Dakota State University (SDSU), where he double majored in political science and history. While in Brookings, Lauck said, he “fell in love with history,” in part because of his mentor, SDSU Professor of History John E. Miller. Lauck also was elected student body president and got more involved civically, including working for then Sen. Larry Pressler in Washington, D.C.
Lauck went on to earn a Master of Arts (M.A.) and Ph.D. in history from the University of Iowa, a juris doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of Minnesota Law School and became a business lawyer at Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith, LLP in Sioux Falls, where he met his wife. Lauck then took over for Miller, following his retirement from SDSU in 2003. Shortly after his friend John Thune was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, he asked Lauck to work for him — serving as senior advisor and general counsel to the senator for more than 20 years. Lauck also remained an active writer and historian. He served as an adjunct professor at various colleges and in 2014, founded the Midwestern History Association and Middle West Review, known as the only scholarly print publication dedicated exclusively to the study of the Midwest as a region.
Since 2000, Lauck has authored, edited or co-edited more than 30 books. The books that Lauck wrote himself include Prairie Republic: The Political Culture of Dakota Territory, 1879-1889 (2010), The Lost Region: Toward a Revival of Midwestern History (2013) and The Oxford Handbook of Midwestern History (2025). Lauck’s best-known book is his history of the Midwest titled The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest (2022). He also worked alongside his CWS predecessor, collaborating with Thompson as co-editor of The Missouri, America's Longest River: A Cultural and Environmental History (2026). Lauck was also the editor of several CWS books, such as The Interior Borderlands: Regional Identity in the Midwest and Great Plains (2019), Heartland River: An Environmental History of the Big Sioux River Valley (2022) and Old Trails and New Roads in South Dakota History (2023).
But Lauck’s ties to the CWS go back much farther. In 1993, he submitted his first of many papers to The Dakota Conference, which is hosted annually by the CWS. The conference was first held at Dakota State University (DSU) in Lauck’s hometown of Madison, South Dakota, before it moved to Augustana’s campus in 1989.
“I did my M.A. thesis on Karl Mundt, who was a long-time senator from South Dakota, and in particular, Mundt's views on the Vietnam War. It was the first deep archival research I had done and was very exciting,” said Lauck, whose excitement now rests on continuing the long-held traditions of the CWS, like hosting the Dakota Conference, Artists of the Plains Art Show and Boe Forum on Public Affairs, as well as continuing its momentum as a major academic publisher.
“Harry Thompson is irreplaceable. He's one of a kind. We have the luxury of building on his legacy and taking the center in new directions while staying true to its heritage and what it has accomplished,” said Lauck. “I have high hopes for the future.”
Lauck said he wants to build on the center's mission by exploring other river valleys in the region — mentioning his interest in the Jim River, otherwise known as the James River and Red River of the North, as well as the Minnesota River. He hopes that publications like these, along with more events and marketing efforts will lead to an increase in public awareness about the center and traffic through the center’s doors.
"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Jon Lauck as the executive director of the Center for Western Studies. Jon is a dedicated scholar whose extensive work has significantly contributed to regional history and public discourse. Alongside his research and record of public service, Jon has a proven ability to bring people and projects together, exemplified by the many collaborative and edited volumes he has organized throughout his career. He is well prepared to build upon the strong foundation established by Dr. Harry Thompson and guide the center into its next chapter,” said Augustana Provost & Executive Vice President Dr. Joel Johnson.
To learn more information about the CWS at Augustana University, visit augie.edu/CWS.