will uphold ever the dignity of thought and learning ...

Montana lost its most revered statesman and UM one of its most distinguished alumni with the passing of Mike Mansfield on Oct. 5, 2001, at age 98. Mansfield was a UM history professor, a U.S. Congressman who became the longest-serving U.S. Senate majority leader, a U.S. Ambassador to Japan, and a devoted husband to Maureen, whom he unfailingly credited for his success. During their long lives they showed how average Montanans can rise to world prominence and lead with grace and dignity. Encouraged by Maureen, Mike left the Butte copper mines to seek an education at UM. The Mansfields’ lives and legacy will be remembered at UM, where their names grace the library, a foundation, two study centers and a campus mall. The Mansfield Library houses the couple’s archives, while a bronze statue outside honors them as UM’s first couple, who demonstrated a lifelong commitment to learning.