In Rememberance of Ron His Horse is Thunder-Former President of Sitting Bull College | Sitting Bull College

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In Rememberance of Ron His Horse is Thunder-Former President of Sitting Bull College

Posted: Monday, 31 March 2025
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The Sitting Bull College family is deeply saddened by the passing of Ron His Horse is Thunder on March 26, 2025, at the age of 67, on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. Ron served as the College’s President from 1992 to 1994. After a brief absence to serve as CEO for the American Indian College Fund, he returned as President in 1996, holding the position until 2005, when he was elected Chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. It was during his return as President in 1996 that the College transitioned from Standing Rock College to Sitting Bull College.  Ron also was a student at the College and served as the Title III Director, before becoming President.
During his tenure, Ron also served as a commissioner for the Higher Learning Commission for North Central Accreditation, and on the boards of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and the North Dakota Tribal College Association. In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed him Chairman of the President's Board of Advisors on Tribal Colleges and Universities (WITCU). He also served as Chairman of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association.
Ron was instrumental in the development of the current Sitting Bull College campus. The journey began with a trip to Illinois to meet with the previous owners of the land where the College is now located. Alongside the Board of Trustees, Ron launched a major capital campaign to raise $40 million for the construction of a new campus. These efforts were supported by special congressional appropriations, grants, foundations, and $4 million from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Under his leadership, phase one of the College's infrastructure was completed, including student housing, a cultural center, and two academic buildings.
During his presidency, Sitting Bull College remained in excellent standing with its accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. His long-term strategic planning resulted in the College being approved to offer its first Bachelor’s degrees in Education and Business.
The long-term strategic planning implemented under Ron’s leadership, along with his vision, continues to drive the College’s progress today. Ron was always optimistic, consistently viewing challenges through the lens of "the glass is half full" rather than "half empty." He will truly be missed, but his legacy will forever remain at Sitting Bull College.
The College will be closed on Friday, April 4, to allow staff, faculty, and students time to pay tribute to this great leader.










 
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