When Bill Belden returned to South Dakota Mines this spring for his 50-year class reunion, it wasn’t just a trip down memory lane—it was a celebration of enduring legacies. As he stood on stage alongside his classmates, reflecting on five decades of life since graduation, another milestone was on his mind: 50 years of marriage to his wife, Judy.
In honor of both anniversaries, Bill and Judy Belden made a generous gift to fund the Class of 2025 plaque on M Hill, ensuring the longstanding tradition of honoring graduates continues for the next generation.
“We got married in June of 1975, just days after graduation,” Bill said. “As we were heading home from the reunion and talking about how to mark our 50 years together, we thought—what better way than to have our names up there together on M Hill?”
A Family Tradition Etched in Stone
The Belden name already graces the hillside—Bill and his two older brothers, who graduated in 1971 and 1973, are all part of the M Hill tradition. Two nephews who graduated in 2020 and 2022 have joined them. “It’s a lasting legacy,” he said. “We all went different directions, but we’re still together up there.”
Bill didn’t see his name on M Hill until years after graduation, when he jogged past it during lunch breaks while working in Rapid City. “I remember seeing my name up there and sending photos to my brothers and nephews. It’s meaningful—something that connects us, not just as a family, but as Tech grads.”
From Football Fields to Oil Fields
While he modestly says he “wasn’t the smartest,” Bill poured himself into his studies, varsity football, and his fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi. He recalls the long hours of studying, the camaraderie of teammates, and the life-changing moment he met Judy—thanks to a fraternity brother from Custer, who landed him a summer job at a post and pole yard run by her father.
That mechanical mindset led him to study engineering, and eventually into a nearly 40-year career in the oil and gas industry as a petroleum engineer. “Tech gave me the education and foundation I needed to go whichever way I wanted,” he said. “It really gave me the chance to do what I wanted in life.”
Returning to Campus—and Giving Back
Returning to campus for the reunion exceeded his expectations. “My wife was a little nervous—she didn’t know a lot of the people—but it ended up being a great experience,” he said. “Seeing where people ended up, talking about their careers, hearing the stories—it reminded me of what a great school this is.”
Bill was struck by the size of the graduating classes today and the number of students earning honors. “It makes you feel good to know that another generation is taking the school as seriously as we did.”
Walking up M Hill during the reunion sparked the idea for the donation. “It hit me—those names are up there for 100 years or more. That plaque is a piece of history,” he said. “We just felt like it was the right time to give back.”
A Message to the Class of 2025
Bill hopes the plaque will remind future graduates of their own hard work—and of the alumni who came before them.
“When I graduated, there were a lot of kids who put in a lot of effort. I hope the Class of 2025 sees their names up there and knows they’re part of something that’s more than just one class—it goes back more than 100 years.”
He encourages alumni to reflect on what Tech made possible for them. “I got to looking at it as really going to Tech allowed me to have a career that I really enjoyed, have a good life, and I really owe my success to the School of Mines. It felt to me like that was an important part of my ability to keep the school going and give back.”
As for the future of South Dakota Mines, he’s optimistic. “Seeing the size of the graduating classes and how the campus has grown—it really gave me hope. The more people we graduate into different industries, the more opportunities there’ll be for future classes.”
