| Graduation Year | Class of 1970 |
| Date of Passing | Sep 11, 2000 |
| About | Dr. Jeffrey Behrens was a native South Dakotan and graduated from USD Medical School.. He received his Orthopedic training in San Antonio and served in the U.S. Army, including a year as a doctor in Panama. He was a brillant orthopedic surgeon that wanted to help heal everyones injuries. He had been married to Kathryn Rentschler for 20 years and had three children. He had had his own practice before joining Sioux Valley Hospital in 1989. He established the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Department at Sioux Valley Hospital. He was Chairman of the South Dakota Hall of Fame Board of Directors from 1997 until his death and had been a board member with the Hall of Fame prior to becoming chairman. Chad Mutziger, executive director of the Hall of Fame since 1997, credited Behrens with shepherding the effort to build a new Hall of Fame building in Chamberlain, which opened in 2000. The $1.3 million, 10,000-square-foot building overlooks the Missouri River near Interstate 90. ”He really was a leader amongst the board members in seeing this project through and keeping it moving forward,” Mutziger said. He lost his life in a motorcycle accident in Sioux Falls while returning home from the hospital on Sunday afternoon. |
