Honored
couple
Mansfield statue dedicated
A campus mall and bronze sculpture honoring Montana's most revered
statesman and his wife were dedicated at the start of Commencement weekend earlier this
month. A life-size statue of Maureen and Mike Mansfield was unveiled on the mall behind
Main Hall during a public celebration honoring the couple's accomplishments and ties to
UM. The mall itself, previously known as the Library Mall, became the Maureen and Mike
Mansfield Mall, named for two of UM's most famous alumni.
The bronze was commissioned by UM alumni Magnus and Velma Aasheim of Mesa, Ariz., and
Antelope, Mont., and sculpted by artist Terry Murphy, a Helena native and lifelong admirer
of Mike Mansfield.
The Mansfields, who live in Washington D.C., where Mike continues to work as a
consultant, hold a special place in UM's history and in the hearts of the campus and
Montana communities.
"With this very well publicized event, we dedicate the mall and bronze that will
remain prominently in public view to honor these two people who - because of their quiet,
unassuming and humble natures -- tended to shy away from such visibility and
fanfare," UM President George Dennison said. "Few leaders of our country, past
or present, have matched the accomplishments of Maureen and Mike Mansfield. The University
takes great pride in the Mansfields and all that they have done for Montana, the United
States and the world."
The Mansfields met while working in Butte in the 1920s. Mike worked in the mines as a
mucker and mining engineer until 1930, and Maureen taught high school in Butte. She urged
Mike to finish his education, and with Maureen's financial and moral support, he entered
UM.
Mike earned a bachelor's degree in 1933 and a master's degree in history in 1934,
writing his thesis on Korean-American diplomatic relations. He stayed on at UM, working in
administration and teaching Latin American and Far Eastern history until 1942.
Encouraged by Maureen and his students to run for political office, Mike was elected to
the U.S. Congress in 1942. He served five terms as a representative before being elected
senator from Montana in 1952. He is the longest-serving Senate majority leader in U.S.
history, having held that position from 1961 until he retired in 1977.
Mike served under Presidents Carter and Reagan as the American ambassador to Japan from
1976 to 1988. Despite turning 97 this spring, he continues to advise American and Asian
leaders on issues affecting the Pacific Rim and American-Asian relations.
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