DSU Heritage Foundation Publications Add Three More National Honors

Accolades continue to grow for two Dickinson State University Heritage Foundation publications. “100 Years of DSU Football” and “An Alphabet Book for Little Blue Hawks” added three more national honors to their expanding list of awards by earning top recognition in the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) Professional Communications Contest. The contest is one of the nation's oldest and most respected competitions honoring excellence in writing, editing and publishing.

The awards will be presented Sept. 26 during the NFPW annual conference in Ellicott City, Maryland.

“100 Years of DSU Football,” authored by Jim Dahl, Debora Dragseth and Scooter Pursley, earned Second Place in the Nonfiction Book for Adult Readers category. In addition, Dragseth received Second Place nationally in the Editing category for her work on the 320-page book.

Judges praised the publication as "well researched and reported," calling it "a keepsake for any DSU football fan" and "a great resource for anyone to tap for the history of the program."

“100 Years of DSU Football” has enjoyed an exceptional awards season. Earlier this year, it received First Place from the North Dakota Professional Communicators and Third Place nationally in the National Association of Government Communicators' Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards.

Also earning national recognition from the NFPW was “An Alphabet Book for Little Blue Hawks,” written by Debora Dragseth and Michael Dragseth, which received Third Place in the Children's Book category.

Created to introduce young readers to Blue Hawk football, the book, with artwork sponsored by Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Dickinson, features colorful illustrations and alphabet-themed storytelling. Judges described the publication as "the definition of team spirit in a children's book," praising its creative, easy-to-understand explanations of football concepts and noting that even readers unfamiliar with the sport could learn from its engaging approach.

The latest honors continue a strong tradition of national recognition for publications produced on behalf of the DSU Heritage Foundation, reflecting its commitment to preserving the university's history while sharing its story with alumni, students and friends.

Limited copies of both books remain available through the DSU Heritage Foundation, 230 Eighth Ave. W., Dickinson. To order copies by mail, call (701) 483-2486.