Governor of South Dakota. Born in Paddock, Holt County, Nebraska, Thomas Berry moved to South Dakota in 1897 seeking land through the Homestead Act. He moved twice, finally becoming one of the first settlers in Mellette County, South Dakota. Berry worked as a ranch hand while starting to raise his own livestock. He experimented with cattle cross-breeding and the introduction of new grasses. In time his efforts met with success, as his ranch grew to over 30,000 acres. Berry was known for his dry wit and common sense approach to life, traits that made him appealing to voters. Always active in his community, he was asked to run for the South Dakota House of Representatives. He was elected to the first of three terms in 1924, and served until 1931. He was known to frequently campaign with an axe in his hand, his way of promising to “take an axe to the state budget.” In 1932 he was elected as Governor of South Dakota, reelected in 1934, and served from January 3, 1933 until January 7, 1937. In office Berry gained national attention as “The Cowboy Governor” as he delivered his message in a humorous “Will Rogers “manner. However Governor Berry was an excellent administrator. Coming into office at the height of the Great Depression, Berry sought and received federal aide to assist farmers and the poor. He reorganized the state budget to reduce fiscal debt, enacted unemployment insurance, and abolished property tax. He was credited with the edict “No Work, No Eat,” a phrase which appealed to the hard-working values of his state. As the economy recovered, Berry also sought to improve the state roads and school systems. Following the death of humorist Will Rogers, Berry was also asked to write Rogers’ newspaper column. Berry was unsuccessful in his bid for a third term, but he continued to serve South Dakota in a number of capacities, including as the president of the “Cowboys of 1902,” a group of riders who took part in the last major western roundup. He died on October 30, 1951. Following his death he was inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s Hall of Great Westerners.