Vincent Koepp, a 1964 Garretson High School graduate, will be honored by South Dakota State University's Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences with the Outstanding Alumni Award on Friday, April 5.
He was invited to the 55th Annual South Dakota State Geography Convention, which will begin on April 4.
The award is presented to those from the Geography Department who have distinguished themselves in their careers after graduating from SDSU.
Koepp spent 33 years with the Department of Defense as a cartographer, designing and drawing aeronautical maps for pilots worldwide. He enlisted with the U.S. Navy for 26 years, with four on active duty and twenty-two in reserves, retiring as O4 Lieutenant.
He was recruited after the Department of Defense saw his skills in art and the geography classes he took while at SDSU. He majored in commercial art, but interrupted his college education to enlist during the Vietnam War in 1966.
He now resides near St. Louis, Missouri. Retired, he spends plenty of time in his art studio and enjoys hanging out with his granddaughter.
