James W. Abbott
| Jim Abbott | |
|---|---|
| President of the University of South Dakota | |
|
Assumed office July 1, 1997 |
|
| Preceded by | Betty Asher |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 12, 1948 Sioux City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Colette Pugh (m. 1987; her death 2016) |
| Alma mater | University of South Dakota |
| Website | University website |
James W. "Jim" Abbott (born June 12, 1948) is the current president of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota. He became president of his alma mater on July 1, 1997.
Abbott is a businessman and former politician. He represented Yankton County in the South Dakota State Legislature from 1991 to 1993. In 1994, Abbott was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor on the ticket with gubernatorial candidate Jim Beddow, a former president of Dakota Wesleyan University. The ticket was defeated by Republicans Bill Janklow and Carole Hillard. He was the Democratic nominee for Governor of South Dakota in 2002, but lost to Republican Mike Rounds. Abbott also mounted an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. House of Representatives in 1996, losing the nomination to Rick Weiland.
Abbott was named president of his alma mater, the University of South Dakota, in 1997. Abbott received his bachelor's degree in 1970 and his Juris Doctor in 1974 from University of South Dakota School of Law. In 2002, Abbott took a leave of absence from the presidency to seek to Democratic nomination for Governor of South Dakota. He won the Democratic primary against State Senators Ron J. Volesky and James Hutmacher. He was defeated in the general election by Republican Mike Rounds. After the election, Abbott returned to the presidency of the University of South Dakota.
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