Old Missoula

Montana U Graduates Have Important Posts in Nation – 1940

Representatives of almost every business and profession from every section of the state were included among the hundreds of Montana State University alumni and former students who returned to Missoula Saturday for Homecoming, convincing proof of the increasingly important positions the University occupies in the state.

The University, young as it is, has graduated nearly 5,000 men and women, most of whom are not living and working in Montana communities. A check-up on representative Montana alumni and former students reveals a large number whose work, typical of that done by the entire group, has brought them particular attention.

Malcolm Morrow, ’27, is one of many Montana chemistry graduates who have found work with the great mining companies of South America. He is stationed in Chile with the Andes Copper Mining company. Another whose work has taken him abroad is Clarence Beaman, ’26, plant manager of a Goodrich Rubber company factory in Rumania until war made it necessary for operations to cease.

Dr. Harold Clayton Urey, ’17, winner of a Nobel prize for his discovery of “heavy water,” leads the chemistry graduates who have entered the education field. Dr. Urey is head of the chemistry department at Columbia university. Dr. Reynold C. Fuson, ’20, is head of the organic chemistry department at the University of Illinois, and is one on the nation’s outstanding organic chemists.

Dr. Daniel B. Clapp, ’32, is a member of the faculty of Williams college, Williamstown, Mass. Dr. Otto Bessey, ’28, is a research professor at Harvard university, and one of the nation’s foremost research chemists. Dr. Raleigh Gilchirst, ’15, is chief of the platinum metals department of the United States Bureau of Standards. Dr. Guy Emerson Sheridan, ’02, is a well-known chemical engineer of Butte, developer of the flotation process now widely used by mining companies.

Geology.

In the field of geology, Dr. Andrew McNair, ’31, of Dartmouth university and Dr. William Charles Bell, ’34, of the University of Texas are two of many who have taken advanced degrees and entered the field of teaching.

As in other fields, many geology graduates have found success in quite different lines of endeavor, and F. Thayer Stoddard, ’10, now occupies an important position as civil engineer for the United States Bureau of Public Roads at Austin, Texas. Romance comes into the story with Quin Blackburn, ’23, who served as geologist with one of the second Byrd expeditions to Little America, and is now living in Portland, Ore.

Music.

The University’s school of music has graduates employed in a great number of Montana schools, and many others who are serving as private teachers all over the state. Kathryn Sutherlin, ’16, is now a member of the faculty of the University of Illinois. Herbert Inch, ‘ex-22, is a member of the Hunter college faculty and has won a national reputation as a composer. One of Montana’s outstanding music teachers is Alton Z. Bloom, ’30, of Butte public high school. Still others are hard at work in the professional world.

[Pharmacy]

Montana’s school of pharmacy has representatives in teaching, research and in professional business, the three large fields open to the pharmacy student. Dr. Thomas Rowe, ’32, is now a member of the pharmacy department faculty at the University of Virginia. Dr. Robb Rice, ’31, is a research expert working at the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research in Pittsburgh.

In Montana drug stores are many others who have become prominent in the state. George Gosman, ’17, a past president of the Montana State Pharmaceutical association, is the proprietor of a drug store at Dillon and is active in affairs of the state. H. E. Rakeman, ’21, of Ennis and Francis Peterson, ’23, of Missoula are both members of the Montana state board of pharmacy, and Rakeman is also a past president of the state pharmacy association.

Physics.

Many of the graduates of the physics department have gone on to complete their educations with advanced degrees from other institutions. Some are engaged in research work and others are found on the faculties of several of the outstanding schools of the nation.

Dr. Joseph Giarrantana, ’28, is now professor of physics at Princeton university. Dr. Robert Young, ’30, is one of the faculty of Worcester Polytechnic institute; Dr. D. Covell Skeels, ’30, is on the faculty of New York university; and Dr. Cornelius Bol, ’14, is a member of the staff of Stanford university. Dr. Bol is the inventor of a new mercury vapor lamp which won him considerable national and international attention two years ago.

Among those engaged in industrial research work are Dr. James Friauf, ’18, of Milwaukee, Wis., a former member of the University of Wisconsin faculty; Dr. Frank Willig, ’36, of the National Carbon company; and Dr. John Clark, ’35, of the Bell Telephone laboratories, New York City.

Economics and Business.

Dr. Gordon Watkins, ’14, dean of the college of letters and science at the University of California at Los Angeles, is a graduate of the University’s economics department and an authority on labor economics. Grant McGregor, ’02, of London, England, is a prominent author of articles and books on economics.

In business in Montana and many other states are other graduates of the economics department and of the school of business administration and law. George H. Greenwood, ’04, is an official of the Pacific National Bank of Seattle. Frederick Greenwood, ‘09, holds a similar position in the Bank of California at Portland, Ore. Vice president of the Bank of America of Los Angeles is E. A. Winstanley, ’12.

In Montana banks as officials are Theodore Jacobs, ’25, president of the First National bank of Missoula; Boynton Paige, ’27, Ronan; Vernon Hollingsworth, ’27, Hamilton, and J. Maurice Deitrich, ’18, Deer Lodge, Alex Cunningham, ’32, is vice president of the Western Life Insurance company of Helena.

Law.

Justin Miller, ’13, a former dean of the law school of Duke university, is now associate justice of the United States court of appeals of the District of Columbia. J. Alva Rees, ’20, has won recognition for his success as attorney in the tax division of the United States Department of Justice. Also in the Department of Justice is Raymond T. Nagle, ’22, former Montana attorney-general, who is an attorney in the Indian section, lands division.

Carl McFarland, ’28, former assistant attorney-general of the United States, is now engaged in private practice in Washington, D. C., as partner of the former attorney-general, Homer Cummings. Robert C. Hendon, ’31 has achieved success in another field open to law school graduates and is now in charge of the St. Paul bureau of the Federal bureau of investigation.

Law school graduates can also be found in most of Montana’s communities as judges and officials and in private practice. Vernon Hoven, ’32, of Plentywood is Montana’s youngest district judge. Among the past presidents of the Montana Bar association are William J. Jameson, ’19, Billings, and John Bonner, ’28, Helena.

Journalism.

Women graduates of Montana’s school of journalism have taken their places along with the men as is shown by Alice Hankinson Maxwell, ’23, who is a successful free lance writer of articles and short stories in Seattle. Clarence Streit, ’19, author of “Union Now,” is an outstanding graduate of the school who served for many years as New York Times correspondent at Geneva, Switzerland. Now in the foreign service is Frank Brutto, ’29, who is stationed in Rome.

Guy Mooney, ’21, editor of the Billings Gazette, is one of the many Montana graduates working on Montana newspapers. Others, such as Dick Crandall, ’25, art editor of the New York Herald-Tribune, can be found on newspapers and news services in all sections of America.

George T. Armitage, director of the Hawaii Tourist bureau and author of “How’s Your Hawaiian?” is a member of the 1914 class of the University, and one of many who have found success in “the Islands.” Ronald Kain, ’22, author of “Europe; Versailles to Warsaw,” is an associate editor of Funk and Wagnalls and a former associate editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Forestry.

Fred Thieme, ’12, who received the honorary degree of master of forest engineering from the University in 1939, is assistant regional forester of district No. 1, Missoula, largest forest region in the nation. Hundreds of other forestry school graduates are employed in the Forest Service and in the private lumber industry.

Page Scribner Bunker, ’04, is state forester of Alabama. E. E. Hubert, ’12, is forest pathologist for the Western Pine association and the author of the outstanding text book on forest pathology. John Jones, ’06, is assistant in charge of operation, fire control and personnel management of the United States Forest Service, Albuquerque, N. M.

Biological Science.

Gene Manis, ’35, recently left for Liberia, Africa, where he will be employed on one of the plantations of the Firestone Rubber company. Dr. Fred Dewey Stimpert, ’21, has been successful in another field – as research professor of bacteriology at the University of Southern California. Dr. J. J. Moore, ’07, one of the nation’s outstanding pathologists, has his own laboratories in Chicago, Ill.

Assistant director in charge of maternal and child welfare division of the United States children’s bureau is the title of Dr. Jessie Bierman, ’21, who was formerly the director of the child welfare division of the Montana state board of health. Dr. A. G. Wedum, ’25, is a professor in the school of medicine at Cincinnati university. Dr. Phillip R. White, ’22, is engaged in research work at the Rockefeller institute, Princeton, N. Y.

Education.

Graduates of Montana State University may be found in almost any school in the state, serving as teachers and administrators. Payne Templeton, ’16, is superintendent of Helena schools, and Merle C. Gallagher, ’18, is superintendent of the Billings public schools, Armin Jahr, ’31, principal of Great Falls high school, is one of many alumni who are serving as school administrators.

Elizabeth Ireland, ’20, and Catherine Nutterville, ’30, were candidates for the office of state superintendent of public instruction. Miss Ireland has taught in Montana schools and was state superintendent in 1932-36. Miss Nutterville has been school psychologist at Butte, and has taught at University summer sessions.

Irene Teagarden, ’15, is a teacher in the Presbyterian girls’ school at Sidon, Lebanon, Syria, where she recently began her second seven-year term. Dr. Howard Gray, ’26, is a member of the department of educational talking pictures of the Electrical Research Products company of New York City and has been recognized as an outstanding authority in his field.

Home Economics.

In teaching, in institutional management and in dietetics, Montana State University home economics graduates have made places for themselves from coast to coast. Ruth Smith, ’23, is a member of the faculty of the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical college, and others are working in schools throughout Montana. The University trains its students in Smith-Hughes work which makes them eligible to teach in home economics departments receiving those Federal funds.

Elizabeth Manis, ’32, is the dietitian of the Seattle General hospital, another field open to home economics graduates. Others who have become successful dietitians include Flora G. McLaughlin, ’20, Tacoma General hospital; Dorotha Buck, ’38, North Dakota State Tuberculosis sanatorium, and Josephine Faunce, ’37, Holy Cross hospital, Salt Lake City. Helen Gillette, ’19, has entered another field open to the home economics student and is a home demonstration agent in Minnesota.

Other Fields.

Rev. Dr. George Emerson Barnes, ’02, pastor of the Overbrook Presbyterian church of Philadelphia, is one of several Montana graduates who have become ministers. In national affairs the University has Jeanette Rankin, ’02, first woman in Congress, noted lecturer on peace, who has been reelected, after 20 years, to Congress.

Montana graduates in the field of writing include Grace, ’21, and Olive Barnett, ’33, who have published a number of books for children; Agnes Getty Sloane, ’26, prominent author; Dr. T. M. Pearce, acting head of the University of New Mexico English department who recently published his latest book, “The Beloved House.” Dr. Pearce is editor of the New Mexico Journal, a literary magazine.

A. S. Gillette, ’28, professor at the State University of Iowa, and Irvin Shope, ’33, well-known painter of Western subjects, are among the University’s representatives in the field of fine arts. Dr. Vernon Setser, ’25, a history graduate who has published several books, is at present working in the National Archives, Washington, D. C.

Florence Klammer, ’22, a library economy graduate, is librarian of the Library of Hawaii, Honolulu, Russell Sweet, ’35, is one of many physical education graduates who are coaching and teaching. Sweet, one of Montana’s greatest athletes, is now teaching at San Francisco junior college, and others may be found in almost any Montana community. Lesley Vinal, ’28, is teaching women’s physical education at the University of Arkansas.

Two graduates of the mathematics department of the University have achieved success in widely different fields. Dr. Cecil G. Phipps, ’21, is now a professor at the University of Florida. Robert Kirkwood, ’24 is an engineer of the Tennessee Valley authority, Knoxville, Tenn.

Elsie Boelter, ’31, secretary to the economic advisor of the secretary of State, accompanied last year’s Pan-American conference delegates to Peru. John Waite, ’35, is secretary to Fredric March, film star, and Ethlyne Parsons, ’30, fills the same position for Ginger Rogers.

Many others could be mentioned in an article of this sort, and many have been overlooked in compiling the data. This, however, will serve as a sample of the sort of men and women who graduate from Montana State University.

 

The above article appeared in The Sunday Missoulian on November 10, 1940.

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