Monumental Change
Throughout its history, UM’s campus has grown and changed. Buildings, monuments, and the paths that link them reflect the priorities of the people that designed and constructed them. Sometimes, these changes show UM’s commitment to make campus open and inviting for all. In other cases, the physical campus has reflected our failure to do so. As you walk around campus, what values and priorities are memorialized in the physical landscape? Who do these memorials represent and what parts of their story are emphasized?
A major dormitory, Elrod Hall, honors Professor Morton J. Elrod. As a biology professor at UM from 1896-1930s, Elrod was an important figure in the early development of the university. He founded the Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS). He also helped establish Glacier National Park and the Bison Range. Elrod was also a prominent eugenicist. The theory of eugenics emerged in the late 19th century. Broadly speaking, eugenicists advocated for policies that would limit the ability of some people to reproduce. The theory was deeply rooted in racism and ableism and had no basis in scientific reality. Dr. Elrod taught classes on eugenics to undergraduate students through the 1920s and advocated openly for the forced sterilization of disabled people and people of color.
Meanwhile, the exterior of Corbin Hall is decorated with “aristika” symbols (which resemble reverse swastikas). They were installed during the building’s construction in the 1920s – before the Nazi party made the swastika an icon of hate. Rather than removing the tiles, UM has decided to install a plaque explaining their meaning and hosts an annual event to educate the campus and community on this history.
A major dormitory, Elrod Hall, honors Professor Morton J. Elrod. As a biology professor at UM from 1896-1930s, Elrod was an important figure in the early development of the university. He founded the Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS). He also helped establish Glacier National Park and the Bison Range. Elrod was also a prominent eugenicist. The theory of eugenics emerged in the late 19th century. Broadly speaking, eugenicists advocated for policies that would limit the ability of some people to reproduce. The theory was deeply rooted in racism and ableism and had no basis in scientific reality. Dr. Elrod taught classes on eugenics to undergraduate students through the 1920s and advocated openly for the forced sterilization of disabled people and people of color.
Meanwhile, the exterior of Corbin Hall is decorated with “aristika” symbols (which resemble reverse swastikas). They were installed during the building’s construction in the 1920s – before the Nazi party made the swastika an icon of hate. Rather than removing the tiles, UM has decided to install a plaque explaining their meaning and hosts an annual event to educate the campus and community on this history.
Mirror-image swastika, or aristika tiles, sit on the exterior of UM’s Corbin Hall. NBC Montana.
Elrod Hall, on the southside of UM’s campus, is named after Professor Morton J. Elrod. A prominent Biology professor, Elrod was active in politics in Montana and best known for his nature photography and for establishing UM’s Flathead Lake Biological Station. Lesser known today was his vocal support of eugenics, the racist and ableist theory that through selective breeding humans could create a ‘better’ race.