Just four years after Montana statehood, legislators were already looking out for the new state’s future. It passed a law to grant land and funding to build a State University in Missoula, a town that at that time was little more than a lumber camp and rail yard. But their ambitions reached far beyond the banks of the Clark Fork River, which fed the town's industry. The legislature wanted a university that would bring the state into the rapidly approaching twentieth century. According to its charter, the University’s objective was to “provide the best and most efficient manner of imparting to young men and young women, on equal terms, a liberal education and thorough knowledge of the different branches of Literature, Science, and the Arts.”
One hundred and thirty years later, the University of Montana still provides the best and most efficient education for all people. UM has evolved with the state's needs, in search of new ways to better the great state of Montana. Whether that is through the natural sciences, granting us a better understanding of our ecosystem, writing books that build the legend of Montana, embracing previously underserved communities, or simply producing the educated people modern society needs. The University of Montana blazes the trail that all of Montana follows. In the early twentieth century, Montana was a very different state than it is today. Of course, the state needed teachers, historians, doctors, musicians, and lawyers. But more importantly, they needed to understand the land around them. That’s why the Forestry Department rose in prominence after its founding in 1913.
The College of Forestry traces its origins to 1909 when a biology professor and Gifford Pinchot, the chief forester of the US Forest Service, established a school to train forest rangers. This small educational outfit had just 42 students in its first year, but it was the best place to learn how to be a ranger. As the college developed, it expanded its reach. More than a century on, the College of Forestry now has research stations all across Montana and access to all federal lands in the state. It attracts students from across the globe “to advance research and education that fosters sustainability and empower a holistic understanding of social-ecological systems.”
Dedicated students and faculty have placed the University of Montana at the forefront of critical national movements for the recognition and empowerment of marginalized people in academia. During the "Turbulent Sixties," momentous cultural and political movements centered college students in the United States. Women's rights, labor, and racial justice movements influenced the beginnings of new academic programs across American campuses, including at the University of Montana.
Student Civil Rights leaders were instrumental in pushing for the development of new academic disciplines, including African-American Studies and Native American Studies. African-American and Native American students advocated for education that emphasized empowerment. In 1968, students and faculty at UM created the third African-American Studies program in the nation. UM established the Native American Studies department in 1970 to “develop and foster understanding and acceptance of the Indian/Non-Indian relationships.” Also, during the 1970s, the Women's Studies program began to offer interdisciplinary courses centering women and gender. Women’s Studies broadened further in the 1990s, changing its title to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
Faculty across these programs have achieved notable accomplishments beyond UM's campus. One important figure is Dr. Henrietta Mann (Southern Cheyenne), who was central to the formation of UM's Native American Studies Department and taught at UM for 28 years. Throughout her career, Dr. Mann designed Native American Studies curricula at other universities, was a trustee for the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, and became a respected speaker on Native American education. In March 2023, she was awarded the National Humanities Medal, one of the nation's highest honors.
African-American Studies, Native American Studies, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Montana continue to promote inclusive education. Many of these programs' courses are available to students in all majors. Some interesting classes include Traditional Ecological Knowledge; Native American Sports & Games; Social and Political Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality; Race, Inequality & Education; Voodoo, Muslim, Church: Black Religion, and many more.
Today, the University of Montana remains active in far-reaching research. Grizzlies travel far and wide to take part in international study programs. UM has 86 institutional partnerships abroad. These include faculty and student exchange, research, and teaching. The University of Montana is one of a few research universities in the United States with a Central and Southwest Asia Studies (CSWA) program. The CSWA Studies Center on campus hosts international diplomats and scholars at its annual conference. The Annual International Conference on Central and Southwest Asia draws a diverse crowd to build international relationships and discuss topics ranging from foreign policy to archaeology.
UM made headlines in 2022 by achieving Research 1, or “R1” status, a designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, recognizing UM for hosting "very high research activity." The upgrade to R1 status was the culmination of a decades-long goal. In 2022, UM President Seth Bodnar said, “Earning R1 validates the impressive research and hard work of many outstanding people at the University of Montana. This classification puts us in good company among the top research institutions in the world.” Over its 130-year history, the University of Montana has evolved in many ways. UM's recognition as a center for research on the local, national, and global scale can attract even more top-tier faculty and a diverse cohort of students far into the future.
One hundred and thirty years later, the University of Montana still provides the best and most efficient education for all people. UM has evolved with the state's needs, in search of new ways to better the great state of Montana. Whether that is through the natural sciences, granting us a better understanding of our ecosystem, writing books that build the legend of Montana, embracing previously underserved communities, or simply producing the educated people modern society needs. The University of Montana blazes the trail that all of Montana follows. In the early twentieth century, Montana was a very different state than it is today. Of course, the state needed teachers, historians, doctors, musicians, and lawyers. But more importantly, they needed to understand the land around them. That’s why the Forestry Department rose in prominence after its founding in 1913.
The College of Forestry traces its origins to 1909 when a biology professor and Gifford Pinchot, the chief forester of the US Forest Service, established a school to train forest rangers. This small educational outfit had just 42 students in its first year, but it was the best place to learn how to be a ranger. As the college developed, it expanded its reach. More than a century on, the College of Forestry now has research stations all across Montana and access to all federal lands in the state. It attracts students from across the globe “to advance research and education that fosters sustainability and empower a holistic understanding of social-ecological systems.”
Dedicated students and faculty have placed the University of Montana at the forefront of critical national movements for the recognition and empowerment of marginalized people in academia. During the "Turbulent Sixties," momentous cultural and political movements centered college students in the United States. Women's rights, labor, and racial justice movements influenced the beginnings of new academic programs across American campuses, including at the University of Montana.
Student Civil Rights leaders were instrumental in pushing for the development of new academic disciplines, including African-American Studies and Native American Studies. African-American and Native American students advocated for education that emphasized empowerment. In 1968, students and faculty at UM created the third African-American Studies program in the nation. UM established the Native American Studies department in 1970 to “develop and foster understanding and acceptance of the Indian/Non-Indian relationships.” Also, during the 1970s, the Women's Studies program began to offer interdisciplinary courses centering women and gender. Women’s Studies broadened further in the 1990s, changing its title to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
Faculty across these programs have achieved notable accomplishments beyond UM's campus. One important figure is Dr. Henrietta Mann (Southern Cheyenne), who was central to the formation of UM's Native American Studies Department and taught at UM for 28 years. Throughout her career, Dr. Mann designed Native American Studies curricula at other universities, was a trustee for the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, and became a respected speaker on Native American education. In March 2023, she was awarded the National Humanities Medal, one of the nation's highest honors.
African-American Studies, Native American Studies, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Montana continue to promote inclusive education. Many of these programs' courses are available to students in all majors. Some interesting classes include Traditional Ecological Knowledge; Native American Sports & Games; Social and Political Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality; Race, Inequality & Education; Voodoo, Muslim, Church: Black Religion, and many more.
Today, the University of Montana remains active in far-reaching research. Grizzlies travel far and wide to take part in international study programs. UM has 86 institutional partnerships abroad. These include faculty and student exchange, research, and teaching. The University of Montana is one of a few research universities in the United States with a Central and Southwest Asia Studies (CSWA) program. The CSWA Studies Center on campus hosts international diplomats and scholars at its annual conference. The Annual International Conference on Central and Southwest Asia draws a diverse crowd to build international relationships and discuss topics ranging from foreign policy to archaeology.
UM made headlines in 2022 by achieving Research 1, or “R1” status, a designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, recognizing UM for hosting "very high research activity." The upgrade to R1 status was the culmination of a decades-long goal. In 2022, UM President Seth Bodnar said, “Earning R1 validates the impressive research and hard work of many outstanding people at the University of Montana. This classification puts us in good company among the top research institutions in the world.” Over its 130-year history, the University of Montana has evolved in many ways. UM's recognition as a center for research on the local, national, and global scale can attract even more top-tier faculty and a diverse cohort of students far into the future.
