Helen Duhamel
| Helen S. Duhamel | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 26, 1904 Windsor, Missouri, USA |
| Died | November 8, 1991 (aged 86) Rapid City, South Dakota, USA |
| Residence | Rapid City, South Dakota |
| Citizenship | USA |
| Education |
St. Mary's Catholic School, St. Agnes Academy |
| Occupation | businesswoman, broadcaster |
| Organization | Duhamel Company, Duhamel Broadcasting Enterprises, KHME |
| Spouse(s) | Francis A. “Bud” Duhamel (1902–2000) |
Helen S. Duhamel (November 26, 1904 – November 8, 1991) was an American businesswoman and broadcaster, best known for saving the Duhamel Company from bankruptcy and establishing a cluster of radio and television stations in western South Dakota and Nebraska in the United States.
Helen Duhamel was born on November 26, 1904 in Windsor, Missouri, and moved to northwestern Nebraska when she was two years old. There she grew up on a cattle ranch on the White River north of Chadron. Her schooling began at St. Mary’s Catholic School in O'Neill, Nebraska, and was completed at St. Agnes Academy, Alliance, Nebraska.
In 1920 at age 15, Helen moved with her mother to Rapid City, South Dakota. There she met Francis A. “Bud” Duhamel (1902–2000), marrying him in 1924 at age 19.
Marrying Bud introduced her to the Duhamel family business, which had started as a hardware store in Rapid City around 1854. About 1900, the Duhamel Company had shifted from hardware to leather working and saddle making, becoming the largest U.S. supplier of saddles by World War I.
During the Great Depression, Mrs. Duhamel became the company’s bookkeeper, and her business acumen is credited with keeping the company out of bankruptcy.
In 1943, aware of the use she had made of radio advertising for the family business, Duhamel took an interest in radio station KOBH (1380 AM) and began buying its stock. At the time, KOBH was the only radio station in western South Dakota, and it was located directly across the street from the Duhamel Trading Post in Rapid City. Its studios were on the 10th floor of the Hotel Alex Johnson, while the station’s offices were on the 11th.
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