George Randolph Douthit Biography


	This biography appears on pages 779-780 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				GEORGE RANDOLPH DOUTHIT.  

	George Randolph Douthit, general agent for the Equitable Life 
Assurance Society at Sioux Falls, has spent the greater part of his 
life in South Dakota and for several years was actively connected with 
commercial interests before entering upon his present relations. He is 
a western man by birth, training and preference and possesses the 
spirit of enterprise and progress characteristic of this section of the 
country. He was born at Ponca, Nebraska, December 12, 1874, a son of 
Thomas Jefferson and Emma (Webster) Douthit, who on removing to South 
Dakota in 1878 settled at Lodi, in Clay county. The father was a native 
of Kentucky and served for three years as a soldier in the Civil war. 
being a private in the Thirteenth Regiment Iowa Infantry. He 
participated in a number of hotly contested engagements and went with 
Sherman on the celebrated march to the sea. His father was H. B. 
Douthit, a native of Virginia.  

	After the removal of the family to South Dakota, George R. 
Douthit pursued his education in the schools of South Dakota until the 
year 1892 at which time he entered his father's store at Wakonda, Clay 
county, where he remained until the year 1894 when the family moved to 
Volin, Yankton county, at which place he spent two years in a general 
merchandise store which his father purchased. He next went to Mitchell 
South Dakota, and entered the employ of Jewett Brothers & Jewett, 
wholesale grocers of Sioux Falls, in the capacity of traveling 
salesman, continuing on the road for ten years during which time he 
built up a very large business for the house he represented. On the 
expiration of that decade promotion came to him in his appointment to 
the position of general agent of the Equitable Life Assurance Society 
with which company he has since been connected. He displays excellent 
ability and keen insight in the control of the interests which come 
under his direction and is regarded as one of the leading insurance men 
of the state.  

	Mr. Douthit has been for two years president of the South Dakota 
Life Underwriters Association which has in charge the interests of the 
different life companies and in this work has rendered a large service 
to both the companies and the policyholders of this state. He has been 
particularly active in securing legislation protecting the interests of 
South Dakota policyholders.  

	On the 29th of March, 1894, at Sioux Falls, Mr. Douthit was 
united in marriage to Miss Fannie B. Kincel, a daughter of Fred B. 
Kincel, and to them have been born three children, F. Lloyd, Geo. R., 
Jr., and Donald.  

	The parents hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, 
and Mr. Douthit belongs also to the Country and Dacotah Clubs. In 
Masonry he has attained the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite 
and has also crossed the sands of the desert with the Nobles of the 
Mystic Shrine. His political allegiance is given to the republican 
party. Mr. Douthit has actively participated in the councils of the 
republican party for many years; was chairman of the state Taft 
republican committee in 1912; district chairman of the Burke-Anderson 
republican committee in 1914; has been secretary and chairman of the 
Minnehaha county republican committee and is a man whose judgment is 
much sought in political matters. He is interested in everything 
pertaining to the public welfare and as a business man and citizen has 
gained for himself a creditable position, while in social circles he 
has won a legion of friends.