January 2000

McFarland Scholarship-Patricia McFarland, the late widow of former UM President Carl McFarland, left $50,000 in her will to the UM Foundation to establish the Carl McFarland Scholarships for Native Americans. She died Dec. 21, 1998. Carl McFarland, UM president during 1951-1958, died in 1979. He was the UM's ninth president and the first UM alumnus to hold the position. The McFarland Scholarship is the second such award for Montana's Indians established by a UM president. President George Dennison and his wife, Jane, established a scholarship fund in their names for enrolled members of the Salish and Kootenai Confederated Tribes in 1993. In addition, since 1994 Dennison has contributed $5,000 annually from his Excellence Fund allotment to the Earl Old Person Scholarship for Blackfeet tribal members.

China Connection-The UM-based Montana World Trade Center and representatives from the local business community met Jan. 18 on campus with a dozen Chinese government and business leaders to explore partnership opportunities between companies in Montana and businesses and government in Guangxi, China. The region, home to some 48 million people, recently became a sister state to Montana. MWTC's senior manager, Fraser McLeay, foresees partner-ships in which Montana companies help Guangxi with large-scale projects like sustainable mining development and pollution cleanup. Memorializing Moose-Flathead Beverage Co. recently contributed a leadership gift of $10,000 to endow the new Miller Memorial Scholarship for UM football players. The scholarship is named for former Grizzly great David "Moose" Miller. An offensive and defensive tackle during the 1950 and 1951 seasons, Miller died Oct. 3 in Kalispell. He earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology from UM in 1953, after serving a hitch in the U.S. Army and playing football for the Fort Ord Warriors. With the Flathead Beverage Co. contribution and gifts from friends, colleagues, fellow Griz fans and patrons of Moose's Saloon in Kalispell, the scholarship fund has reached more than $25,000. New contributions may be directed to the UM Foundation, P.O. Box 7159, Missoula, MT, 59807.

New Name-UM's Student Health Services building has a new name as of Jan. 21: the Dr. Robert B. Curry Health Center, or, informally, the Curry Health Center. The new name honors the beloved UM employee who left a private medical practice to strengthen and improve UM's health service in 1965 and then serve as its director until he officially retired in 1990. Curry also was instrumental in establishing an environmental health program for the campus in 1968, and he coordinated a campus jogging program for UM employees in the community that same year. In the 1970s he initiated mass screening on campus for cardiac risk factors and rubella. He received UM's prized Robert T. Pantzer Award in 1989 for his "compassion, support and dedication to the campus community and especially the students."

Sweetheart Art-UM's Valentine Art Fair features items by more than 75 artisans and craftsmen from across the Northwest Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 10-12. Gifts are available for all Valentines. The fair runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily in the University Center atrium.

Advancing Alumnus-John Connors, a 1984 UM graduate in business, took over as the chief financial officer of Microsoft Corp. last month. Connors has worked 11 years at Microsoft and most recently was vice president of the company's worldwide enterprise group. As a UM alumnus, he helped secure Microsoft donations of software applications to help equip computer labs in UM's Gallagher Business Building. In 1997 he received a Distinguished Alumni Award from UM.

In King's Spirit-Community service and nonviolent conflict resolution were two central themes of Martin Luther King Jr. In the spirit of his philosophy, UM's Volunteer Action Services teamed up with the Missoula Flagship Project to celebrate the slain civil rights leader's legacy by performing community service Jan. 17. As part of a two-fold Martin Luther King Jr. Program, the groups coordinated five service projects throughout Missoula for participating students, aged 9 to 27, and senior citizens from the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. The students and senior citizens volunteered at the Poverello Center, Riverside Health Care Center, Easter Seals-The Growing Place, The Salvation Army and People Learning About Nurturing Trees. For the program's second phase, UM students will visit local elementary schools to talk about King's philosophy of nonviolent conflict resolution.

Lasting Memorial-Be a part of UM's history and help support its future by buying an engraved brick on the Oval for yourself or a special person you want to remember. As part of UM's Centennial Celebration in 1993, the area around the grizzly bear statue was paved with bricks to create Centennial Circle. By purchasing a brick for $150, you will help fund University promotional efforts. To find out more, call University Relations at (406) 243-2488 or e-mail bsommer@ selway.umt.edu.

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