[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 176 (Wednesday, November 8, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S16817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO DOROTHY HUSTEAD

  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to Dorothy Hustead, 
the woman who helped put Wall Drug on maps all over the world. Dorothy, 
who recently passed away, was a charming and pleasant woman who 
inspired many people. Dorothy was a South Dakota legend in her own 
time. She took great pride in her work, her family, her community, and 
her faith. She was an example of the commonsense values that are 
typical of a true South Dakotan.
  It was Dorothy Hustead who invented the famous ``free ice water'' 
slogan that helped transform a small, struggling drugstore in the 
geographical center of nowhere into one of South Dakota's top tourist 
attractions, drawing 15,000 to 20,000 people a day during the busy 
summer months. The Hustead Drugstore, better known simply as Wall Drug, 
officially opened on December 31, 1931. On a hot Sunday afternoon in 
July 1936, Dorothy came up with the idea to use highway signs to 
advertise free ice water--a scarce item in that decade. Today, 270 
highway signs advertise the drugstore, including one strategically 
placed in my Senate office reception room. It reads, ``1,523 miles to 
Wall Drug''.
  Even though the first 7 years of business were painfully hard, 
Dorothy was always optimistic. Success was inevitable with her 
enthusiasm and dedication. Mrs. Hustead once summed up her philosophy: 
``I believe any person with patience, faith, humility, and courage 
can--by hard work, enthusiasm, and by following a plan--succeed.''
  Born on August 29, 1904, Dorothy began her rich and fulfilling life 
in the town of Colman, SD. This small town upbringing and her strong 
family ties instilled in her a deep respect for traditional values. She 
graduated from Colman High School and attended the University of 
Nebraska at Lincoln, where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta 
Sorority. It was there that she met her husband, Ted Hustead of Aurora, 
NE. Dorothy graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in 
English and taught English and drama at Cathedral High School in Sioux 
Falls, SD.
  The young Husteads lived and worked in several South Dakota towns--
Colman, Dell Rapids, Sioux Falls, Oldham, and Canova--before purchasing 
their small drugstore in Wall. Throughout the years, Dorothy worked 
steadfastly beside Ted as a full partner at Wall Drug, acting as one of 
the floor managers in charge of receipts. She was on the board of 
directors of Wall Drug Inc. until her recent death.
  Dorothy was a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants, the 
Wall Book Club--of which she was one of the founders--and St. Patrick's 
Catholic Church. She, along with Ted, received the first Ben Black Elk 
Award in 1979, for excellence in the travel industry. November 12, 
1988, was proclaimed by South Dakota Gov. George Mickelson as ``Dorothy 
and Ted Hustead Day''.
  Dorothy Hustead was a true friend to me and to thousands of other 
South Dakotans, as well as visitors to our State. I always will 
remember her fondly.

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