1893-2000
A Timeline of Phenomenal UM Faculty

1897

Morton J. Elrod (1897-1939)* established the Flathead Lake Biological Station in 1899, laying the groundwork for 100 years of research, study and preservation of precious natural resources.

1906

William “Daddy” Aber (1895-1919),* professor of Latin and Greek, inspired a century of UM students to keep their campus beautiful. Each spring, the campus community spends Aber Day planting trees, tending gardens and picking up litter in the spirit of the founder.

1914

Arthur Stone (1914-1942)* is known reverentially as "Dean Stone" around UM's School of Journalism, which he established in 1914. Stone left a legacy of well-trained journalists.

1919

H.G. Merriam (1919-1954),* chair of UM's English department, helped establish the nation’s second creative writing degree program, still counted among the finest such programs in the country. Merriam inspired a love of the written word in nearly four decades of students, and helped forge Montana's reputation as a literary powerhouse.

Harold Urey's (1919-21)* discovery of deuterium earned him a 1934 Nobel Prize, but much to his chagrin also helped usher in the era of the atomic bomb and the Cold War. After his work on the Manhattan Project, he joined Albert Einstein and other scientists in opposing the atomic bomb, calling it "totally evil."

1933

Maureen and Mike Mansfield (1933-1942; professor on leave 1942-1953)* look back on a long history of service to Montana and the United States. Mike Mansfield represented Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives during 1943-1952 and in the U.S. Senate during 1953-1976, then was ambassador to Japan for 11 years. He, now 96, and Maureen hold a special place in the hearts of Montanans.

1953

Dorothy Johnson (1953-1967)* is best known for three of her stories that were made into Hollywood movies: "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," "The Hanging Tree" and "A Man Called Horse." She inspired generations of writers as a journalism faculty member.

1957

Rudy Autio (1957-1984),* founder of UM's ceramic arts department, spent 27 years there teaching generations of students the fine art of ... fine art.

1963

Richard Hugo (1963-1982),* director of UM's Creative Writing Program, established an aesthetic of Montana literature that endures still: down-to-earth, gritty writing solidly anchored in a sense of place. A bear of a man known for honesty and hard living, Hugo left an indelible impression on legions of Montana writers and readers.

1965

K. Ross Toole's (1965-1981)* extensive research and writing about Montana's history earned him a reputation as the state's premier historian. But Toole brought history to life, too: his teaching stirred students over the span of two decades.

1976

Margery Hunter Brown (1976-1993)* founded the UM Indian Law Clinic, the first of its kind in the nation. She was a Montana constitution specialist and scholar, and a tireless defender of human rights.

1991

Bonnie Heavy Runner (1991-1997),* director of UM's Native American Studies Program, made Native American studies a major on campus. A Blackfeet tribal member, Heavy Runner also championed human rights issues in Montana, particularly for Indians and women. When she died in 1997, she left a legacy of learning, inspiration and humanity.