Andrew Bogue was born in Yankton in 1919 and was raised in Parker. His father was a practicing lawyer who had served in the South Dakota Legislature and as a county judge. He grew up in a family which was dedicated to the law. In fact, across several generations more than 20 members of the family were or are lawyers or judges, including his sons Steve and Scott. His daughter Laurie worked as a legal assistant for a number of years.

Andrew graduated from South Dakota State in 1941 and enrolled in the University of South Dakota School of Law. He was called to serve with the US Army in World War II as a lieutenant in the Signal Corps from 1943 to 1946. He was called up and served again during the Korean conflict. During his first call to duty with the military, he came home on leave and visited the USD campus. While there, on a whim, he stopped by a sorority house and asked if any of the sorority members remembered him. One of them - Florence "Liz" Williams - did, and they spent the afternoon talking and getting reacquainted before he shipped out the following day. That afternoon was the beginning of a long relationship, as they subsequently were married for more than 60 years. Andrew always stated that his accomplishments would not have been possible without the support and constant encouragement of “Liz.”

After graduating from law school, he returned to Parker to practice law with his father. He practiced there until 1957, when he moved to Canton to take over the practice of Harold Bogue, his cousin, who had been appointed to the South Dakota Supreme Court. He also served on the South Dakota Cement Plant Commission from 1957 to 1966, acting as its Chair for several years. He practiced law in Canton until 1967, at which time he became a state court judge, sitting in Sioux Falls.

In 1970, Andrew was appointed to the United States District Court. He was sworn in on May 1, 1970, immediately flew to Rapid City, and held his first hearing that very afternoon. He was the first sitting federal judge in Rapid City but had to work out of makeshift offices located above the First Federal Savings and Loan in Rapid. He also worked out of the federal building in Deadwood for several years, until the construction of the federal courthouse in Rapid City. That summer he moved to Hisega, west of Rapid City, where his wife's family had owned a cabin, and where he and his familyhad vacationed virtually every summer. It was an easy move for the family, all of whom loved the Black Hills.

He was an avid outdoorsman and loved hunting and fishing. In fact, he hunted pheasants until his 80s. A favorite mode of relaxation after a day in court would be to return home, grab his fishing rod, and walk down the road in Hisega to a favorite spot on Rapid Creek to fish for trout. He would return refreshed and often would bring home that evening's dinner.

He sat on the federal court bench from 1970 until 2009. During that same period he often sat by designation on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. During his tenure on the federal bench, Andrew had, in effect, a “second family” consisting of the many law clerks who worked with him. He functioned as a role model, a mentor, a father figure and a friend to those clerks. Many of them remained in the Rapid City area and formed the backbone of the Rapid City Bar Association. He also acted as a friend to many lawyers who practiced in his court. He was never too busy to talk with lawyers to counsel, instruct, advise or, upon occasion, to console them. Following his death, many lawyers – quite a few of whom had stopped by or had been called into his office to talk about their practice, trial practice, the events of the day, or even their families - contacted the Bogue family to express their appreciation, friendship, and admiration for Andrew.

Despite his relocation to Rapid City, Andrew never lost his ties with eastern South Dakota. On occasion, he would call lawyers with roots in communities such as Parker, Viborg, or Canton to ask them about current events in those communities.

Among the many honors he received was the 1998 McKusick Award, given to an outstanding member of the South Dakota Bar. In August, 2011, as a result of years of efforts by his former law clerks, members of the South Dakota Bar, fellow federal judges and members of South Dakota’s Congressional delegation, the federal courthouse in Rapid City was renamed as the "Andrew W. Bogue Federal Building and US Courthouse." Interestingly, one of the sponsors of the efforts to rename the courthouse was Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, one of this year's honorees.

Andrew is remembered by lawyers and by fellow judges, both on the trial and appellate benches, as having been bright, well prepared, fair and possessed of an immense amount of common sense. With respect to his law clerks and those who appeared in his court, he treated them well, demanded excellence and deference to the law and was adamant about the importance of fair play and civility when dealing with each other and with the Court. He emphasized the collegiality of the practice of law and the importance of doing the right thing the right way. In the words of one of his clerks, "He was a good man who had an incredibly good life. He truly made a difference." His legacy lives on not only with respect to lawyers and practitioners, but with respect to the legal community and the State of South Dakota as a whole.

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Andrew Wendell Bogue