South Dakota trust industry pioneers endow chair at USD Knudson School of Law

Pierce McDowell and Al King founded South Dakota Trust Co.; Tom Simmons to be first chair

A pair of titans in South Dakota trust management and estate planning are seeking to bolster the industry here by creating an endowed chair at the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law.

USD announced the creation of the endowed chair Thursday afternoon at the offices of the South Dakota Trust Co. in downtown Sioux Falls. The South Dakota Trust Co. was founded by Pierce McDowell III and Al King III, and the company currently has $165 billion in assets under management, according to its website.

The endowed chair will be named after the two and it will be known as the McDowell, King, & South Dakota Trust Company Chair in Trusts and Estates Law.

USD announced that Tom Simmons, a veteran law professor in trusts and estate planning, would serve as the inaugural endowed chair.