Just as Montana State University had many forefathers, the university also had a strong and courageous band of founding mothers. A few of those women have become everyday names on campus —including Emma Shideler Hamilton, wife of MSU's third president, who was the namesake for Hamilton Hall.
However, the names of many other women who built the university are nearly lost to time. How much do you know about the women who helped establish Montana State University? Test your knowledge of some of MSU's historic matriarchs by matching these facts with the correct women from the list below.- Gladys Branegan
- MSU 1925-1947
- Frieda Bull
- MSU 1909-1954
- Kate Calvin
- MSU 1894-1904
- Bertha Clow
- MSU 1929-1969
- Harriette Cushman
- MSU 1922-1955
- Geraldine Fenn
- MSU 1946-1967
- Olga Ross Hannon
- MSU 1921-1947
- Leora Hapner
- MSU 1927-1947
- Una B. Herrick
- MSU 1911-1934
- Mildred Leigh
- MSU 1930-1968
- Frederica Marshall
- MSU 1894-1910
- Marjory Paisley
- MSU 1942-1972
- She was the only woman among Montana State's first three professors.
Kate Calvin MSU 1894-1904Kate M. Calvin was MSC's first music professor. She joined the college in 1894, and broadened the education available to early Montana State students when the school was primarily an institution for "agriculture and the mechanical arts." She was among the first three professors of MSU (Augustus M. Ryon and Frank W. Traphagen were the others). While Traphagen and Ryon were paid salaries, Calvin, who came from the College of Montana at Deer Lodge, was expected to earn her "compensation entirely from fees" that she charged for music lessons.
Quad B of the Quads dormitory was named for Kate Calvin./p>
- Some of this woman's most lasting contributions involved planning and finding funding for university residence halls, and the old University Home Management House, once located at the corner of Grand and Cleveland.
Gladys Branegan MSU 1925-1947Even though MSU President Alfred Atkinson initially opposed Branegan's plans to build the Quadrangles at Cleveland and 7th, the buildings are now named for him rather than Branegan, who secured funding for the university's residences for women. Branegan found creative funding for the buildings —a Public Works Administration grant and a loan, which Atkinson considered an unwarranted expenditure of public funds. The Quads became a center for student life.
Branegan Court, located in MSU Family and Graduate Housing, is named for Gladys Branegan.
- This woman and her family moved West from Nebraska to Bozeman in a covered wagon because "sweet peas grew in the Canyon in October."
Leora Hapner MSU 1927-1947Leora Hapner taught at several primary schools in Bozeman including the Nelson School and Upper Bridger before becoming principal of Longfellow School (1908) and Emerson Junior High (1918–1925). After having taught in primary schools for nearly 30 years, Hapner earned her college degree, graduating with a B.A. in 1926 and an M.A. in 1928. In 1927, Hapner joined MSC's faculty in the education department and earned full professorship in 1931. From 1932–1947, Hapner was head of the Education and Psychology Department.
Hapner Hall, one of the remaining two all-women's residence halls, was named in honor of Hapner's legacy in 1959.
- Her desk still sits in the Strand Union, where she once greeted most students by name.
Mildred Leigh MSU 1930-1968Mildred Leigh began her Montana State career in 1930, when she arrived to teach institutional management and hold the position of director of Hamilton Hall, a women's dormitory. She later became the first director of the Strand Union from 1940–1967. In 1939, before the building was even completed, Leigh made sure the Montana State Student Union had joined the National Association of College Unions. In 1977, Leigh received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.
Leigh Lounge, a formal salon in the Strand Union, is named in honor of Mildred Leigh.
- A pioneer in world nutrition studies, this member of the home economics department at MSC studied world nutrition and government food programs worldwide.
Bertha Clow MSU 1929-1969Bertha Clow, associate professor emeritus of home economics, was particularly interested in the vitamin content of foods and how improved diets were a means to preventing some diseases and providing treatment for others. At MSU, she inaugurated the World Nutrition Problems course in 1954 to integrate her extensive travel—having taken 20 major trips outside the country, as well as having visited all 50 states in the U.S.— and her knowledge of food and nutrition. Clow also participated in Peace Corps training programs for volunteers working in Mexico and Central America.
Clow was 101 when she died in 2005.
- She founded Montanans for Children, Youth and Families, and drafted the section of the 1972 Montana state constitution that set forth the rights for children—a section that has since become a model for other state constitutions.
Geraldine Fenn MSU 1946-1967"Gerry" Fenn was head of 4-H international programs for 20 years and Extension liaison with the Peace Corps. Her extraordinary efforts in international education sent one of the first delegates on the International Farm Youth Exchanges program to Europe shortly after World War II. Above all, Fenn demanded equality for all people—specifically supporting racial integration and the rights of children. Many ideals and programs inspired by Fenn are now embraced nationwide.
The Gerry Fenn library is located on campus in the MSU Women's Center.
- She unintentionally precipitated a nationally publicized, campus-wide student strike by instituting an 11 p.m. weekend curfew for women residents at the college (one hour earlier than the men's curfew).
Una B. Herrick MSU 1911-1934The first dean of women and later director of Hamilton Hall, Una B. Herrick was a "trailblazer in a frontier college who made a place for women on this men's college campus." She encouraged female students to develop skills for an independent source of income and become competent scientific household managers. She organized the Girl's Vocational Congress, which later evolved into High School Week, to explore career opportunities for young women, and organized the Women's League, forerunner to the Associated Women Students.
Herrick Hall is named in honor of Herrick. It was the first building to be dedicated immediately upon completion.
- A close friend once described this prominent art professor as "a large woman who did large paintings with bold, brash strokes."
Olga Ross Hannon MSU 1921-1947A prominent art professor who wanted to "prepare students for a practical realization of their talents," came to MSC in 1921 to head the art department for 25 years. She also served as acting dean of the household and industrial arts department which included home economics, applied art and secretarial science curricula.
Hannon Hall, one of the remaining two all-women's residence halls, was named in honor of Hannon.
- This Extension poultry specialist led the formation of Montana's cooperative turkey marketing pools, worked to spread poultry production in the Indian reservations, and helped upgrade state poultry flocks and improve egg marketing.
Harriette Cushman MSU 1922-1955One of the nation's few women professionals in agricultural education of her time, Harriette Cushman was an Extension poultry specialist and MSC College of Agriculture faculty member. She became interested in Indian affairs when she was required to provide Montana's seven reservations with poultry projects. She attracted federal aid for Indian education at MSU after her retirement in 1956. Her exceptional work in agriculture enabled Montana to take a leading position in the poultry industry and earned her an honorary doctorate in 1963.
- Hats and Bobcats were the two passions for this MSU dean of women, who was also famous for her ice cream socials that brought together many sectors of campus.
Marjory Paisley MSU 1942-1972Marge Paisley first came to MSC as a widow seeking education to help support her two sons. She earned a degree in home economics at MSC, eventually earning a master's from Iowa State before returning to MSC where she taught and served as an administrator for 30 years. An extensive traveler, she also trained Peace Corps volunteers, was an exchange professor in Peru and a home economist and rural school specialist with the U.S. Department of State.
Paisley Court, located in MSU Family and Graduate Housing, is named for Marge Paisley.
- Upon her retirement, the student newspaper honored this professor by stating "your present and former students — some 20,000 of us — salute you as a grand person, remarkable teacher and fine friend."
Freida Bull MSU 1909-1954Five years before Montana women earned the right to vote, and 11 years before the nation passed the 19th Amendment, Frieda Mildred Bull was an assistant professor in the male bastions of math, algebra and German, and also served as the alumni editor of the Exponent. Bull taught at MSC for 47 years and was known to be a tough grader. Bull's initials, "F.M.B." became a popular acronym for "Flunking Many Boys."
Frieda Bull grew up in the Gallatin Valley. She successfully worked to have the national American Association of University Women include as members women who attended agricultural colleges. She proudly maintained her AAUW membership for 50 years.
- When Montana adopted the Bitterroot as the state flower, this woman, the first female art professor at Montana State, prepared the "official" drawing of the plant, which received a copyright from the Library of Congress in 1905.
Frederica Marshall MSU 1894-1910When Montana adopted the Bitterroot as the state flower, this woman, the first female art professor at Montana State, prepared the "official" drawing of the plant, which received a copyright from the Library of Congress in 1905.
Quad E, one of the five sections of the Quads dormitory, was named after Frederica Marshall.