James W. Abbott

Who is James W. Abbott?

James W. "Jim" Abbott is the current president of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota. He became president on July 1, 1997.

Abbott is a businessman and former politician. He represented Yankton County in the South Dakota State Legislature from 1991 to 1993. Abbott was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota in 1994, running on a ticket with Jim Beddow. The ticket was defeated by Republicans Bill Janklow and Carole Hillard. Abbott also mounted an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. House of Representatives in 1996, losing the nomination to Rick Weiland.

Abbott was named president of his alma mater, the University of South Dakota, in 1997. Abbott received his bachelor's degree in 1970 and his Juris Doctor in 1974 from USD. In 2002, Abbott took a leave of absence from the presidency to seek to Democratic nomination for Governor of South Dakota. Abbott easily won the nomination, but was defeated in the general election by Republican Mike Rounds. After the election, Abbott returned to the presidency of the University of South Dakota.