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History often remembers presidents, world leaders and historic events. Less often remembered are the public servants who quietly help navigate a nation’s defining moments.

South Dakota State University alumnus Joseph Borich was one of those people.

A 1967 graduate with a bachelor's degree in sociology, Borich built a remarkable career that took him from the Peace Corps to Vietnam, through the U.S. Foreign Service and into diplomatic assignments across Asia and Africa. Along the way, he found himself serving during some of the most consequential events of the late 20th century, helping strengthen international relationships while representing the United States abroad.

Borich passed away in February 2026, leaving behind memories of his passion for music, love of cribbage and, overall, his lifetime of service.

As SDSU celebrates America's 250th anniversary, Borich's journey represents the kind of leadership that can grow from an SDSU education. His story reminds us that history is shaped not only by those whose names become widely known but also by the individuals who dedicate their lives to building connections and serving others.

A foundation built in Brookings

Borich's journey began in Sioux Falls at O'Gorman High School before enrolling at SDSU to study sociology. Like many students, his path through college wasn't a straight line.

Education was a cornerstone of the Borich family. Joe and his three siblings were encouraged by their parents to pursue higher education. All four ultimately earned college degrees, including Joe and his younger brother, Tim ’75, who both graduated from SDSU.

Early in his college career, Joe struggled academically and stepped away from higher education for a semester. During that time, he worked physically demanding shifts at a regional dairy plant, an experience that strengthened his determination. Encouraged by his family and friends, Joe returned to campus with a renewed sense of purpose and completed his degree in sociology.

That experience would become one of many turning points throughout his life.

“Learning about groups and societies gave him an excellent foundation for his future, both in the Peace Corps as well as in the State Department,” Tim reflected.

Understanding people

Immediately after graduating from SDSU, Borich joined the Peace Corps, serving two years in Thailand. Immersed in another culture, he learned the Thai language while gaining firsthand experience living and working alongside communities thousands of miles from home. In Thailand, Borich put into practice the same skills he had developed studying sociology: observing communities, understanding social structures and learning how people build relationships across cultural differences.

Before completing his Peace Corps service, Borich was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.

Because of his language skills, he trained in Vietnamese and served as an interpreter before later helping identify soldiers struggling with drug addiction as they prepared to return home. Rather than sending those soldiers directly back into civilian life, Borich interviewed service members to determine whether they should enter rehabilitation programs established during the war.

The work reflected a theme that would define his career: understanding people first.

Serving where history was unfolding

Borich's diplomatic career began almost by accident. While serving in Vietnam, he took the Foreign Service examination because it offered a brief break from his military duties. After returning home and completing graduate school, he learned he had passed — opening the door to a career that would span several decades.

To prepare for his diplomatic career, Borich’s language training expanded to include Mandarin Chinese on top of his fluency in Thai and Vietnamese. One of his earliest assignments took him to Shanghai shortly after the United States reopened diplomatic relations with China.

The American consulate had sat closed since 1950. When Borich arrived, family members recalled that the building felt frozen in time. Memos still rested on desks, furniture remained untouched, and even a 1949 Packard automobile sat in the garage exactly where it had been left decades earlier.

As China rapidly expanded its economy, Borich helped strengthen diplomatic and economic relationships during a period that reshaped global trade.

Later assignments carried him to Taiwan, Washington, D.C., and eventually Somalia, where he served during the collapse of the Somali government.

When violence engulfed Mogadishu in 1991, Borich and fellow diplomats were trapped inside the U.S. Embassy while his family waited days without knowing whether he was alive. Following a military evacuation, he escaped safely, although nearly all his personal belongings were lost in the conflict.

Weeks later, Borich watched the news and recognized his own Jeep driving through Mogadishu — with a machine gun mounted to the back.

A career dedicated to building understanding

Borich would eventually return to Shanghai as U.S. consul general, witnessing a period of explosive urban and economic growth. Throughout his career, he welcomed visiting business leaders and government officials — including Vice President Al Gore — while helping strengthen relationships between the United States and China.

In interviews throughout his career, Borich emphasized the importance of understanding China beyond political headlines, arguing that lasting relationships depended on cultural understanding and open dialogue.

After retiring from the Foreign Service, he continued promoting international cooperation as executive director of the Washington State China Relations Council, helping foster partnerships between the two countries.

An enduring legacy

While Borich's career was defined by diplomacy and service, those who knew him best remember the curiosity and determination that guided him from an early age.

As a young boy, he was famous for disappearing on excursions, prompting neighborhood police officers to return him home more than once. His younger brother joked that Joe never outgrew that curiosity — it simply carried him farther from home.

Looking back, Tim Borich believes his brother's career was shaped by an enduring curiosity about the world and the opportunities afforded by a land-grant education.

“In retrospect, Joe is an exemplar of the land-grant 'People's University,'” Tim said. “The opportunity of SDSU allowed him a track in his professional life he would have unlikely achieved in its absence.”

For today's students, Borich's life illustrates the lasting value of studying people, cultures and societies. What began with a degree in sociology at SDSU ultimately became a career devoted to public service.

From rural South Dakota to Thailand, Vietnam, Shanghai and Somalia, he served his country during periods of war and historic political change.

Along the way, Borich demonstrated how an education rooted in understanding people can prepare graduates to make an impact far beyond the classroom.