Eminent Farmer
County: Brown
Allen Sperry, Bath, is an energetic worker in agriculture and community activities in the Brown County area. He is recognized for his ability to identify problems, his open-mindedness when considering factors on both sides of an issue and his courage to stand behind decisions once they have been made.
Born at Langford, Sperry’s father was a teacher, then a banker at Mellette, where Allen attended grade school before going to Northern State College.
In 1927, Sperry was given the responsibility of managing a farm his parents bought. He continues to operate that farm today.
Sperry at first had only limited knowledge of agriculture, and sought guidance from his county agent and the experiment station at South Dakota State University. Allen adapted well to the farm environment, and in 1939 he was placed on the Brown County Extension Board and was named chairman. About the same time, he was named director of the Brown County Crop and Livestock Improvement Association.
Sperry’s first farm experience was with dairying. He became associated with DHIA and the State Federation of Dairy Farmers. As president of the latter group, he represented dairy interests on a state-wide brucellosis committee. For six years, he was also president of the Aberdeen Milk Producers Association.
In 1948, Sperry became a member of the board of South Dakota Wheatgrowers Association, of which he is now president. It is the largest locally owned Cooperative in South Dakota.
Allen’s desire to serve the Brown County people is wide-spread. In 1964, he was selected to represent that county in the South Dakota legislature, where he was able to extend even more his work in promoting agricultural interests.
In 1929, he married Esther James of Minneapolis, Minnesota. She passed away in 1934 following the birth of their second child. Allen married again in 1938, this time to Marjorie Jones. Both children are graduates of South Dakota State University. Jim is married and farms with his father. Marian is raising a family in Colorado Springs, Colorado.