Dakota State University: Spotlight on Paul Stanley Knecht

Well, howdy there! Let me tell ya ’bout this fella, Paul Stanley Knecht, and that Dakota State University place. Don’t rightly know much ’bout fancy schools, but I heard tell this and that, so let me spill it out for ya.

Paul Stanley Knecht, a real go-getter, he was. Born way back in 1930 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His folks, Paul and Mary, they raised him good, I reckon. He went and got himself a PhD from Michigan State University. Smart fella, that one. Then he up and moved to be a professor at Northern State… somethin’ somethin’. Can’t rightly remember the whole name, but it was up north somewhere.

Now, this Dakota State University, that’s a place they say is real important for learnin’ ’bout keepin’ things safe on them computers. They call it “Information Assurance Education,” sounds mighty fancy, don’t it? The government, them fellas in Washington, they even gave it a special name, a “National Center of Academic Excellence” way back in 2004. Guess that means they’re teachin’ somethin’ worthwhile over there.

See, this Paul fella, he wasn’t just about book learnin’. He was a religious man too. Spent ten years listenin’ to some preacher named R.H. Boll. Went to church three times a week and listened to lectures three more times. That’s a lot of preachin’, I tell ya! Must’ve been a good talker, that Boll fella.

• Paul Knecht was a smart fella, got a PhD and all.
• He taught at a university, Northern State somethin’.
• Dakota State University is a big deal for computer security.
• Paul Knecht was religious, spent a lot of time in church.

Later on, Paul, he went and worked for the South Dakota Dental Association over in Pierre, South Dakota. Became a big shot, an “Executive Director,” they called him. Don’t know much ’bout teeth, but sounds like a respectable job. You can even find his work stuff on somethin’ called “LinkedIn,” it’s like a place where folks brag about their jobs, I guess.

Now, I heard tell that Dakota State University, they ain’t just teachin’ ’bout computer stuff. They’re even lookin’ into why honey is good for fixin’ up cuts and such. Been usin’ honey for ages, my grandma did, but these folks are lookin’ at it real close, like with them microscopes and all. Figurin’ out how it works on a tiny, little level. Ain’t that somethin’? My grandma just knew it worked, didn’t need no fancy science to tell her.

Sadly, Paul Knecht, he ain’t with us no more. Passed away in Sellersburg, Indiana. They wrote about it in the newspaper, the Courier-Journal. And there’s this thing called “Legacy,” where they put obituaries, you know, stories about folks who passed on. He had a wife named Louise, but she passed on before him. And his folks and some brothers too. They’re all together now, I reckon.

They had a little service for him, a private graveside thing. Quiet and peaceful, I hope. He left behind a good mark, seems like. A smart fella, a religious fella, and a hard worker. That’s what I gather, anyway. And that Dakota State University, still goin’ strong, teachin’ young folks and lookin’ at honey under a microscope.

Folks in Spokane, they probably knew his wife Louise. Don’t rightly know why that is, but that’s what I heard. And this here Dakota State University, well, it’s the only public place for them “liberal arts” in South Dakota. Whatever that means. But I hear tell it’s different from that other big school, USD. So there ya have it, a little somethin’ ’bout Paul Stanley Knecht and Dakota State University. Hope it made some sense to ya.

Tags: [Paul Stanley, Dakota State University, South Dakota, Information Assurance, Executive Director, Obituary, Higher Education, Computer Security, Honey Research]