March 2003

UM plans Mansfield celebration
The University of Montana-Missoula will commemorate the 100th birthday of Montana's most revered statesman, Mike Mansfield, with a March 16-18 centennial celebration.

Among the prominent speakers during the three-day campus event will be Thomas Foley, the 49th speaker of the U.S. House; George McGovern, a former South Dakota senator and 1972 U.S. presidential candidate; and Don Oberdorfer, a former Washington Post correspondent and Mansfield's biographer.

There will be an unveiling of a bronze statuette of Maureen Mansfield, Mike's beloved wife whom he always credited for his success, as well as displays of Mansfield memorabilia. All events are free and open to the public courtesy of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, the President's Office, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, the UM Foundation, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and the Montana World Affairs Council.

"We are delighted to host this centennial celebration here at The University of Montana," said Frank D'Andraia, dean of the UM library named for the Mansfields. "This might be one of the last times we can gather many of the Mansfields' contemporaries together. This will be a great time to celebrate two people -- Mike and Maureen -- who had a tremendous impact on our state, nation and world."

Mike Mansfield was born March 16, 1903. A Butte copper miner, he was encouraged by Maureen to get an education at UM-Missoula, where he and his wife both earned master's degrees -- his in history, hers in English. He then worked as a UM history professor until Maureen prompted him to run for the U.S. House in 1942, launching a remarkable political career.

Mansfield served as a U.S. representative during 1942-51, a U.S. senator during 1952-77 and as U.S. ambassador to Japan during 1977-88. He was Senate majority leader from 1961 to 1977 -- longer than any other -- helping guide the country through the tumult of the '60s and the Vietnam War.

Mansfield kept working his entire life, especially to strengthen the bonds between the United States and Asia, even after Maureen passed away on Sept. 20, 2000, at age 95. He died Oct. 5, 2001, at age 98.

D'Andraia said one of the most exciting aspects of the Mansfield Centennial Celebration is that about 850 surviving UM alumni from the classes of 1932 to 1943 have been invited to record their memories of Professor Mansfield and create an oral history.

"That's one aspect of his career that hasn't been heavily documented -- his early years here at the University," D'Andraia said. "We already have had some wonderful responses from alumni. Their comments will add unique new perspectives to the Mansfield legacy. The alumni also have been donating to our Mike Mansfield Centennial Library Fund."

Among the VIPs expected for the celebration is the Mansfields' only child, Anne Mansfield-Marris, who now resides in the United Kingdom. The birthday celebration also will include the premiere of a video showcasing people who had special relationships with the Mansfields, such as Bob Dole, Max Baucus and David Broder.

D'Andraia said the UM Mansfield Centennial Celebration is the first of three that are planned. The other two will be held this spring in Washington, D.C., and Tokyo. D'Andraia said an 11-member centennial planning committee and UM's Mansfield Center staff have worked hard to make the 100th birthday celebration a success.

University Relations | Cary Shimek, Editor
The University of Montana-Missoula
32 Campus Drive | Missoula, MT 59812
phone (406) 243-2522 | fax (406) 243-4520
© 2004 The University of Montana