Jackson Plaza
A flair for landscape design coupled with a passion for his alma mater prompted David Jackson to provide funding for and help design Jackson Plaza on the east side of Dakota Wesleyan. With rich, inviting landscaping that boasts a centralized courtyard, a water feature and illuminated trees, Jackson Plaza has become a favorite gathering place for not only the campus community, but the Mitchell community.

Jackson graduated from DWU in 1971 with a degree in art. He earned his degree in mortuary science in 1972 from the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science and practiced in South Dakota and Iowa.

From 1985 to 2006, he and partner Craig Claussen operated La Residence, a premier Napa Valley, Calif., luxury inn, providing deluxe accommodations amid extensive landscaping.

In 2005, he received the DWU Outstanding Citizen Award and was given the William I. Graham Award in 2007.