February 2005

Bear Briefs
Lady Griz Among Elite Programs—Street & Smith’s magazine, the bible of college hoops, recently named UM seventh on its list of all-time best women’s basketball programs. The list was found in a “Greatest College Basketball Programs” issue. UM and head coach Robin Selvig earned the ranking by winning 20 or more games in 24 of the last 26 seasons. In addition, Montana’s 16 regular-season conference championships and 15 conference tournament titles rank second in the nation, trailing only Old Dominion. Also, Selvig’s 614-179 record in his 27th season ranks him sixth among active head coaches for winning percentage and 10th in victories.

A University is Born—UM will mark its 112th birthday Thursday, Feb. 17, with a daylong Charter Day celebration to commemorate UM’s founding in 1893. Members of the community are invited to attend all events. At noon, UM President George Dennison and his wife, Jane, will serve birthday cake to the public in the University Center atrium. Later, at 5 p.m., the Charter Day awards ceremony and reception will be held in the University Center Ballroom. This year’s awards recipients are Benjamin J. Marcus, Tom Roy, John and Sue Talbot, Karen A. Kaufmann, P.J. Shaw Wright, Richard J. Field and Cleo Johnson. For more information on the Charter Day celebration, call Ken Thompson at (406) 243-6439.

New Name for UM Getaway—One of UM’s most unique properties, an 18,000 square-foot log and stone mansion on an island in Salmon Lake, has a new name. The former Center at Salmon Lake has been renamed the Montana Island Lodge. “We selected a new name that better describes the uniqueness of a facility located on an island in a pristine lake in Montana,” said Jane Fisher, the director of the facility. “It simply better communicates where we are and what it is.” The name change will hopefully attract more visitors from farther away for business conferences, executive retreats, wedding parties, family reunions and weekend getaways. For more information, visit http://www.montanaislandlodge.com.

New Griz license plates available—Montana Grizzly fans who want to show their spirit on the go now have a new way to do it. The Montana Grizzly Scholarship Association is proud to announce the GSA Griz Plate, which features a bear paw and “GRIZ” in white behind the license number. Proceeds from these plates will benefit UM’s Montana Grizzly Scholarship Association. Costs include a $35 initial fee, followed by an annual $20 renewal fee. Visit your local Montana motor vehicle department for more information or to purchase these new Griz license plates.

We’re On the Map—Of the more than 1,700 four-year, accredited colleges and universities in the United States, only 660 are placed on the National Selective College Locator Map — and UM made the cut. Wintergreen Orchard House, which produces the maps, only showcases institutions that meet criteria for selectivity and size. The maps, which come in national or regional versions, are 24 by 36 inches. For more information, visit http://www.wintergreenorchardhouse.com.

UM’s Popular Painting—A University-owned painting, John G. Brown’s “Boy With Snowball,” was chosen for the cover of the Jan. 5 Journal of the American Medical Association. Just last year, the picture of a boy packing a snowball graced the cover of the January/February 2004 issue of Trusteeship, the magazine of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. “Boy With Snowball” is the only Brown work in UM’s Montana Museum of Art and Culture, which contains 9,000 original works. The painting was donated to the University in 1952 by Dr. Caroline McGill, one of Montana’s first female doctors. Brown (1831-1915) is considered one of the major genre artists of the 19th century. After his death, he was frequently compared to the 20th century’s Norman Rockwell.

Museum Features New Exhibit—“Images of Leisure — Works from the Fra Dana Collection” will be on display through March 6 at UM’s Montana Museum of Art and Culture. The exhibit takes place in the museum’s Paxson and Meloy galleries in the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center. Fra Dana, a rancher’s wife who lived near Wyola, studied art in Chicago, New York and Paris, working with some of the greatest American Impressionists. The show includes some of her work and paintings by her teachers and artist friends Joseph Henry Sharp, Alfred Maurer and William Merritt Chase, all leading American painters of the 20th century. A gallery talk titled “Fra Dana: Artist and Collector” will be presented by former curator Dennis Kern and author Ripley Hugo at 6 p.m. Friday, March 4, in the PAR/TV Center lobby. Another gallery talk, “Turn of the Century Leisure and the Rising Middle Class” by UM Associate Professor Valerie Hedquist, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 15.

Endowment Offers Money—Proposals are being accepted for the Matthew Hansen Endowment, an award encouraging people to further their goals in historical research, creative writing, wilderness studies or a combination of the three. Awards range from $400 to $1,000. The endowment was established in 1984 as a memorial to Matthew Hansen and his ideals. Successful projects will encourage mindful stewardship of the land and contribute to the preservation of Montana’s heritage. Proposals must be postmarked by March 1. For more information, call (406) 243-5361 or write the Matthew Hansen Endowment, Wilderness Institute, College of Forestry and Conservation, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812.

Former Griz Sets Mark—Scott McGowan, a former All-American for the Griz track team, became the first Montanan to break the four-minute-mile barrier on Jan. 29. McGowan clocked in at 3 minutes, 58.91 seconds during the Reebok Indoor Games in Boston. The Poplar native finished seventh in a race loaded with elite runners.

He’s ‘Treymendous’—Trey Young, a standout safety for the Griz football team during 1999-2002, has landed a two-year contract with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He will report for training camp in May, and the CFL season kicks off in June. Young was MVP of the Big Sky Conference and Griz Defensive Player of the Year in 2002 and an essential component of the 2001 national championship team. He also worked for UM’s University Relations office for a year after graduation, so he’s near and dear to our hearts. Way to go, Trey!

For information, contact:
Rita.Munzenrider@mso.umt.edu
University Relations
(406) 243-2522

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