
Friends, family and colleagues gather today to pay tribute to South Dakota School of Mines and Technology president, Dr. Robert A. Wharton.
He died last Wednesday of complications from earlier cancer treatments.
The 60 year old served as the university's president since 2008.
His friends spoke highly of his passion as an explorer, scientist and leader.
SDSM&T professor Dr. Sidney Goss remembered his friend eloquently, "He had an ever present smile and always an outreached hand and it was almost impossible not smiling in his presence and we're going to miss him so much."
Wharton is credited with the expansion of the university campus in to nearby neighborhoods, as well as setting high academic standards.