Montana Technological University

Montana Technological University is a public university in Butte, Montana. Founded in 1900 as the Montana State School of Mines, the university became affiliated with the University of Montana in 1994.[4] After undergoing several names changes, in 2017 the Montana University System Board of Regents voted to designate Montana Tech as a Special Focus Four-Year Universities, the only such designation in the Montana University System.[5][6] To recognize this new designation and the greater independence with it, the name of was officially changed in 2018 from Montana Tech of the University of Montana to Montana Technological University.[7] Montana Tech's focus is on engineering, applied and health science.

Montana Tech
Former names
Montana School of Mines
MottoDe re metallica (Latin)
Motto in English
Of the metals[lower-alpha 1]
TypePublic university
Established1889 (1889)
Parent institution
Montana University System
Academic affiliations
Space-grant
Endowment$40.3 million (2019)[1]
ChancellorLes Cook[2]
Students2,428 (Fall 2017)[3]
Postgraduates250 (Fall 2017)[3]
Location
Butte
,
Montana
,
United States
ColorsGreen and Copper   
AthleticsNAIA
NicknameOrediggers
MascotCharlie Oredigger
Websitewww.mtech.edu

In fall 2017, Montana Tech had nearly 2,700 students, 13 campus buildings and offers 45 undergraduate degrees along with 15 minors, 11 certification degrees, and 10 pre-professional career programs.[4] Montana Tech also offers 21 graduate degrees and has Ph.D. programs in Materials Science and Engineering[8] and Earth Science and Engineering.[9]

History

The Enabling Act of 1889 which brought Montana into the Union, allotted land for the creation of a school of mines as one of the four original Montana University System universities.[10] In 1893 the Montana Legislature provided funding to establish the school in Butte. The cornerstone of Main Hall was laid in 1896, and the university opened its doors in 1900 as the Montana State School of Mines.[11] The first student was a woman, Clara Clark of Butte, and Nathan R. Leonard acted as the first president.[12] Despite enthusiastic local support, even offers of free land for construction,[13] the early history of the school was fraught with poor funding and accusations of fraud,[14][15][16] but with the help of former governor John E. Rickards, the school was opened.[17]

In 1919 the Montana Legislature established the Montana State Bureau of Mines and Metallurgy on the campus in keeping with Montana Tech as a school focusing on the development of minerals and industry. Charles H. Clapp of the mining department served as the first president of the Bureau.[18]

The school was renamed the Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology in 1965. The school begins moving beyond purely engineering and applied sciences, adding social science and liberal arts options. Alumni Coliseum opens on campus.

The university became affiliated with the University of Montana in 1994 with a reorganization of the Montana University System.[4] The name was changed to Montana Tech of the University of Montana. The Butte Vocational-Technical Center was put under Montana Tech administration as the College of Technology. In 1998 Frank Gilmore becomes chancellor.

In 2010 the Natural Resource Building (NRB) opened which now accommodates the Bureau of Mines and the Petroleum Engineering Department. In 2011 Don Blackketter becomes chancellor. In 2012 the College of Technology becomes Highlands College, and Frank and Ann Gilmore University Relations Center (URC) building is opened on campus.[6] The first Ph.D. program in Materials Science and Engineering began in 2014 in partnership with University of Montana and Montana State University.[8] The Nursing Department began offering a full bachelor's degree in 2015.[19] In 2016 a full Bachelor's of Mechanical Engineering program was added,[20] and the Natural Resource Research Center opens on campus including a new nano research lab, and additional lab space for existing departments.[6]

In 2017 the Montana Board of Regents designated Montana Tech as a Special Focus Four-Year Universities, the only such designation in the Montana University System, in recognition of Tech's focus on engineering, applied science and health science. This change gives greater independence by reporting directly to the Board of Regents and handling its own finances instead of through the University of Montana.[5] To recognize this, in the summer of 2018, the school's name was changed to Montana Technological University.[7] Les Cook becomes chancellor in 2019.

Presidents (1900-1994) and Chancellors (1994-Present)[21]
  1. Nathan R. Leonard, 1900 - 1909[22][23]
  2. Charles H. Bowman, 1909 - 1919[24]
  3. Charles H. Clapp, 1919 - 1921[25]
  4. George Warren Craven, 1921 - 1928[26][27]
  5. Francis Andrew Thomson, 1928 - 1950[28][29]
  6. J. Robert Van Pelt, 1951 - 1956[30][31]
  7. Edwin G. Koch, 1957 - 1971[32][33]
  8. Fred W. DeMoney, 1972 - 1985[34][35]
  9. Lindsay Norman Jr., 1986 - 1998[36][37]
  10. Frank Gilmore, 1998 - 2011[38][39]
  11. Don Blackketter, 2011 - 2019[4]
  12. Les Cook, 2019 - Present[4]

Academics

Montana Technological University offers approximately 45 undergraduate degrees along with over 15 minors, 11 certification degrees, and 10 pre-professional career programs. Montana Tech also offers 13 graduate degrees including two Ph.D. programs in Materials Science and Engineering[8] and Earth Science and Engineering.[9]

Montana Tech consists of four colleges: the School of Mines & Engineering; the College of Letters, Sciences and Professional Studies; Highlands College; and the Graduate School.

Athletics
Main article: Montana Tech Orediggers football

The athletic teams of Montana Tech are nicknamed the Orediggers and are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Frontier Conference. Men's sports include basketball, football, cross country and golf, while women's sports include basketball, golf, cross country and volleyball. The Orediggers football team is led by head coach Kyle Samson.

Reputation and rankings

In 2014, Montana Tech was ranked 6th in the nation for graduates earning the highest starting salaries, according to the Washington Post article.[40] The following year, The Wall Street Journal ranked Montana Tech ninth in the nation for best public universities for return on investment.[41]

Montana Tech has had 2 Rhodes Scholar finalists, 8 Goldwater Scholars and 5 Goldwater honorable mentions.[42][43]

Notable alumni

Notes
  1. De Re Metallica ("On the Nature of Metals") was a book by 16th-century metallurgist Georg Agricola (Georg Bauer).

References
  1. As of June 30, 2019. "U.S. and Canadian 2019 NTSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2019 Endowment Market Value, and Percentage Change in Market Value from FY18 to FY19 (Revised)". National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  2. "Montana Tech Hires New Chancellor". Montana Tech. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  3. "Enrollment Data". Montana Tech. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  4. "History". Montana Tech. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  5. david.mccumber@mtstandard.com, DAVID McCUMBER. "Montana Tech looks to future as special-focus institution". Montana Standard. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  6. "The History of Montana Tech - STEM college in Montana". www.mtech.edu. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  7. McDermott, Ted (May 24, 2018). "Montana Tech officially renamed Montana Technological University". The Montana Standard. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  8. "Material Science Engineering Graduate Program, Montana Tech". www.mtech.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  9. "Earth Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Montana Tech". www.mtech.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  10. Leonard, N.R. (21 Dec 1900). "The Montana State School of Mines". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  11. "The History of Montana Tech - STEM college in Montana". www.mtech.edu. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  12. "Montana's School of Mines". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 2 Feb 1901. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  13. "For the School of Mines". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 21 Apr 1893. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  14. "Charges of Fraud". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 17 May 1897. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  15. "It May Be Erected". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 2 Nov 1895. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  16. "School of Mines Trustees Discuss the Situation". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 14 Dec 1900.
  17. Smith, Robert (6 Jan 1899). "School of Mines". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  18. "New Montana State Bureau of Mines and Metallurgy Has Already Proven of Value to the Mining Interests". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 9 Nov 1919. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  19. "Montana Board of Regents Approve 4-Year Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing at Montana Tech". www.mtech.edu. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  20. Renata.Birkenbuel@mtstandard.com, Renata Birkenbuel. "First mechanical, civil engineering students graduate Tech on Friday". Montana Standard. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  21. Bender, Matt (18 Aug 1994). "Merger paying off, Tech chancellor says". Montana Standard. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  22. Humanities, National Endowment for the (1900-12-21). "Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, December 21, 1900, Christmas Number, Image 21". ISSN 2470-3354. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  23. Humanities, National Endowment for the (1917-07-09). "The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, July 09, 1917, Image 3". p. 3. ISSN 2329-5457. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  24. Humanities, National Endowment for the (1919-04-09). "Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, April 09, 1919, Image 12". p. 12. ISSN 2378-833X. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  25. Humanities, National Endowment for the (1921-07-08). "The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, July 08, 1921, Image 7". ISSN 2576-7003. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  26. Humanities, National Endowment for the (1921-09-08). "The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, September 08, 1921, Image 9". Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  27. Humanities, National Endowment for the (1928-07-19). "The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, July 19, 1928, Image 2". Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  28. Humanities, National Endowment for the (1928-07-19). "The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, July 19, 1928, Image 2". Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  29. "Hundreds of Friends Express Regret at Resignation of Dr. Thomson, Mining College President 22 Years". Montana Standard. Retrieved 24 Jul 2020.
  30. "Dr. J. R. Van Pelt Named President of School of Mines". Montana Standard. 11 Mar 1951. Retrieved 24 Jul 2020.
  31. "Dr. J. Robert Van Pelt of Mines Will Become Michigan Tech President". Montana Standard. 24 Jun 1956. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  32. "Dr. Edwin G. Koch Named President of Mining College". Montana Standard. 9 Apr 1957. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  33. "Tech president to retire July 1". Montana Standard. 2 Mar 1971. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  34. "DeMoney new Tech president". Montana Standard. 15 Mar 1972. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  35. McGrath, Karen (18 Aug 1984). "DeMoney to retire in '85". Montana Standard. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  36. "Former mines bureau chief named Tech president". Montana Standard. 25 Feb 1986. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  37. "Ex-Tech chancellor accepts helm at Boston-area college". Montana Standard. 11 Feb 1999. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  38. Rolston, Kortny (18 Mar 1998). "West Virginian takes Tech helm". Montana Standard. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  39. Gevock, Nick (24 Sep 2010). "Tech chancellor to retire in June". Montana Standard. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  40. "Where to go to college if you want the highest starting salary". Washington Post. September 11, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  41. Belkin, Douglas (March 1, 2015). "Are Prestigious Private Colleges Worth the Cost?". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  42. kristine.deleon@mtstandard.com, KRISTINE DE LEON. "Montana Tech student wins prestigious Goldwater Scholarship". Montana Standard. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  43. "Montana Tech Student Named Goldwater Scholar". www.mtech.edu. Retrieved 2020-07-19.

Further reading
  • 25 Statutes at Large, 676; 1 Supp. Rev. St. U.S. pp. 645, 648.
  • Laws of 1893; Section 1572, Political Code of Montana
  • Laws of 1895; Sections 1591, 1594, 1595, 1600, Political Code of Montana
  • McGlynn, Terrence D. Montana Tech 1893-1984. Butte, MT: Montana Tech Foundation, 1984.
  • Munday, Pat. Biographical entry for C.H. Clapp (1883-1935), geologist and Montana School of Mines President. American National Biography, ed. John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes, 24 vols. (Oxford University Press: 1999): v. 4, pp. 900–1.

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