Loving What You Do: The Lyons Legacy

Ask Jackrabbit alumni about which individuals shaped their college careers the most, and the majority will instantly cite a professor who went the extra mile: someone who believed in them without fail, always lent a listening ear, and challenged the way they saw the world.

They’ll describe an educator who brought learning to life, took a personal interest in students, and left an impact far beyond the few short years it takes to earn a degree.

For Dave Schaefer and Craig Carson, that influential educator was Pat Lyons.

Both majoring in the field of economics, Dave’s and Craig’s time as Jackrabbit students often overlapped due to their shared interests. The two lived on the first floor of Young Hall during their freshman and sophomore years of school. Their common major led the duo to similar classes, as well as membership in the SDSU Economics Club – both of which introduced them to Pat Lyons and would lead to relationships that spurred a scholarship in Pat’s memory.

In the late 1970s, Pat Lyons was one of the most popular professors on campus. His career as an educator at South Dakota State began with an assistant teaching position in 1975, which grew to a full-time role and eventually included responsibilities like overseeing the Economics Club and serving as academic advisor for those in his college. Known for his lively teaching style and infectious energy, Pat was voted Teacher of the Year six times throughout his SDSU tenure. Waitlists formed for students to enroll in his courses, and undergraduates often gathered in droves outside his office door, waiting for the chance to interact with Pat.

Dave was among the students always eager to visit with Pat outside of class. “As a teacher, he was very vibrant, engaging, and fun. It was obvious he enjoyed himself and that he thrived in that environment. It was space that was natural for him to shine, to perform, and to add value to his students’ lives. Not everybody finds that. He was a great guy, a great professor, and a great mentor,” recalled Dave.

Craig echoed Dave's thoughts, speaking to the signature style that made Pat such a memorable mentor.

Alumni like Dave and Craig felt Pat’s influence and compassion long after graduation. Both described Pat’s helpful guidance as the two embarked on their careers following commencement in 1981. Craig got his start at Federal Land Bank, where he worked in ag lending for 11 years before pivoting to Norwest in Redfield, South Dakota, followed by a role in the ag department at First Bank & Trust that brought him full circle back to Brookings. Meanwhile, Dave began his career journey at 3M Brookings after working part-time as a university senior at First Bank & Trust. During his 38-year career at 3M, his responsibilities included executive 3M Business leadership roles, as well as corporate enterprise-wide manufacturing operations and supply chain positions.

Any time the two ran into Pat in the community, it was like running into an old friend.

“As students, we’re temporary at the college, moving on to the rest of our lives, and Pat took a lot of pride in where his former students went,” explained Craig. “I think that made his job not a job for him – it was his life’s work.”

Now retirees, Craig and Dave aim to cement Pat’s memory at SDSU, raising awareness to a teaching career cut short and to a man with unmatched zeal for making a difference.

Pat stepped down from his teaching duties in 2014 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Awarded the title of Professor Emeritus of Economics, Pat retired in May of 2014 after 39 years of outstanding service. Over the course of his career at SDSU, Pat reached an estimated 23,000 undergraduates through his classes on personal finance, legal environment business, personal selling, and hospitality law. He advised approximately 50 students per year and counseled countless more through his involvement with the Economics Club.

Despite the serious nature of his condition, Pat remained grateful for his years at the university, describing himself as the luckiest man in the world; Craig and Dave described themselves as lucky to be taught by the luckiest man in the world, and they’re far from the only alumni who experienced and still feel that gratitude.

Former students of Pat’s – like Steve Hildebrand and brothers Ken, Kurt, and Kris Barker, among others – established the Patrick A. Lyons Memorial Scholarship in 2014, looking to honor his memory as he said goodbye to teaching.

After hearing of Pat’s death in December 2023, Dave and Craig were inspired to supplement the funding of the existing scholarship and bolster its offerings to build an endowment. When the scholarship reaches the $50,000 threshold of funding, the investment is qualified as an endowment, or everlasting in nature. In effect, the distributions from the total raised will continue to fuel the fund in perpetuity.

Dave and Craig wish to ensure that not only does the funding for the scholarship live on, but so too will the memory of the teacher who impacted thousands. Their generosity has revitalized momentum for the scholarship, and the duo hopes others will follow suit in remembering Pat.

“He made you feel like you were important. That was a difference maker. He made sure he gave it everything he had to help you make bright-future decisions,” Craig agreed. “If we can get this scholarship endowed and get the word out there, maybe there will be other people who feel the same way about Pat’s legacy.”

When asked why they decided to give to the scholarship in Pat’s memory, Dave and Craig described how much it can mean, and did mean, for students like them to have an advocate in their corner, sharing real-world insight and advice.

The two took away life lessons from Pat that not only applied to their professional lives, but to their personal lives, as well. Beyond his contagious passion and unwavering advocacy, Pat’s strategy behind teaching leaned heavily on leading by example. Students experienced the value of having a professor who prioritized them and remembered them long after their days in college; that kindness and positivity inspired the next generation, like Dave and Craig, to continue to lead by example. Through implementing Pat’s knack for investing in others and through investing in the memorial scholarship, the two alums seek to grow the ripple effect that began with their lifelong teacher, mentor, and friend.

“Pat meant a lot to me, professionally and personally. His guidance, counsel, and insight were paramount through my university time, as well as the early days of my career,” reflected Dave. “Pat showed what can fundamentally be achieved by loving what you do and doing it well.”