William Oscar Knight Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1182, 1185 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				WILLIAM OSCAR KNIGHT. 

	William Oscar Knight, a prominent attorney of Wakonda, has 
represented his district in the state legislature and is now mayor of 
his city. He was born in Muncie, Indiana, November 20, 1875, a son of 
John B. and Elizabeth (Johnson) Knight, both of whom were born in 
Virginia. About 1857 they removed to Indiana, where the father farmed 
for a number of years but is now living retired in Wakonda, this state, 
having come to South Dakota in 1881. He took up a homestead three miles 
west of Wakonda and operated his one hundred and sixty acres until his 
retirement from active life in 1899. His wife passed away in that year. 
They were the parents of eight children: Martha, the wife of Frank 
Gray, of Los Angeles, California; John H., of Eagle Grove, Iowa; Laura, 
the deceased wife of C. W. Hammond, of Fort Morgan, Colorado; Lewis R., 
a hardware merchant of Fleming, Colorado; Fannie B., the wife of J. G. 
Roach, who is engaged in merchandising in that city; William Oscar, of 
this review; Minnie, the wife of E. J. Rudel, a merchant of Fleming, 
Colorado; and Albert W., deceased. 

	William O. Knight was reared upon his father's farm near Wakonda 
and was a student in the public schools until he reached the age of 
fifteen. He then went to Fremont, Nebraska, and attended a normal 
school there, graduating in the scientific course in 1900. The next 
five years were spent in teaching school and in studying law during his 
spare time. He subsequently entered the law department of the 
University of South Dakota and in 1907 that institution conferred upon 
him the LL. B. degree. One month later he was admitted to the bar of 
the state and came immediately to Wakonda, where he opened an office 
and where he has since remained in practice. He has gained recognition 
as one of the leaders of the bar in his section of the state and such 
is the confidence of the public in his ability that he has been called 
to public office. He served as a member of the twelfth legislature of 
South Dakota but declined renomination. For six years he was town clerk 
and has been city attorney ever since settling in Wakonda. He is at 
present mayor of that city and is giving it a progressive and efficient 
administration. He is connected with the Wakonda Light, Power & Heating 
Company, of which he is a stockholder and director, and has been a 
prominent factor in determining the policy of that concern, of which he 
was one of the incorporators. 

	Mr. Knight was married February 28, 1903, to Miss Gertrude Rudel, 
a sister of E. J. Rudel and a daughter of Leonard and Mary (Lantzer) 
Rudel. Mrs. Knight is a native of this state and by her marriage has 
become the mother of five children: M. Dorcas, born November 29, 1903; 
William O., Jr., born November 19, 1905; Lillian, born July 30, 1908; 
Donald, who died when eleven months of age; and Gordon B., born July 
12, 1912. 

	Mr. Knight is largely independent in politics, giving his support 
to those measures which he deems most truly progressive. He has taken a 
deep interest in everything relating to the public schools and is now 
serving as chairman of the school board. He is quite well known in 
fraternal circles, has held all of the chairs in the local subordinate 
lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has taken the grand 
lodge degrees. He also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, is 
state escort in that order and was a delegate to the national 
convention held in Toledo, Ohio. His wife is a member of the Rebekahs 
and is quite active in the women's clubs of Wakonda. When a student in 
the law school Mr. Knight was one of a team of three who won the first 
debate outside of the state for the State University of South Dakota, 
the opposing team being that of the University of Iowa. He finds his 
chief diversion in motoring but the greater part of his time and 
attention is given to his Practice as an attorney and his duties as 
mayor of Wakonda.