On July 24th, 1978, Governor Richard Kneip resigns in order to become the US Ambassador to Singapore, after an appointment from President Jimmy Carter. Kneip had served two two-year terms as governor. After voters approved amending the state constitution in 1972, he was elected to a four-year term in 1974. Consequently, Kneip became the first governor to be elected three times.
Kneip gained popularity through his "people-to-people" campaigns. Kneip memorably did launch his 1970 campaign for governor with radio ads asking "What is a Kneip?". Taking office two days shy of his 38th birthday, Kneip is the youngest governor the state has ever elected. During his first term, he overhauled state government organization by creating a cabinet system. Kneip appeared on the November 19, 1977, episode of Saturday Night Live as one of the five finalists in the show's "Anyone Can Host" contest.
Some of his more notable accomplishments were in education. He prevented the closure of SDSU's now J. Lohr School of Engineering and opened the four-year USD School of Medicine.
When Kniep resigned office, lieutenant governor Harvey Wollman took over. He was sworn in as governor by his brother, Chief Justice Roger Wollman. Although Governor Wollman only served in office for five months, he was more than a caretaker. He focused on water project development, proposed a plan to accelerate the elimination of the personal property tax, and highlighted the threat that railroad abandonment posed to the agricultural industry.
Production help is provided by Brad Tennant, Dakota Wesleyan University