Old Missoula

Captions of 5 Sports Photos on Page 24 Section D

Three ‘Greats’

These are three all-time greats of Montana State University athletic teams, all performing in the 1920-30 era. Wild Bill Kelly was a terror on the gridiron for Grizzly football teams, while Arnold Gillette (upper right) and Russell Sweet won many track events for the Grizzlies in top competition.

State Champs of 1922 Go to National Tournament

These Missoula County High School athletes, coached by Conrad O. Orr, helped win the district and state basketball championships in 1922, then went to the national tournament at Chicago where they placed seventh, defeating Antigo, Wis., 28-21, and losing to Rockford, Ill. Twenty-four teams were entered.

In the state tournament at Bozeman, Missoula defeated Billings 32-21, Great Falls 20-18, Dillon 23-15 and then Sweet Grass 13-12 in the championship contest. The team also played in a round-robin tournament at Salt Lake City, with high school champions of Idaho, Utah and Colorado. Although they didn’t win a game in this competition, they made such a good showing they were later invited to the national tournament. Ted Illman and Wild Bill Kelly were named to the all-tournament team at Salt Lake.

Illman made 283 points, Kelly 210 to lead the team scoring for the season. Morrell MacSpadden contributed 51, Fred (Fritz) Sterling 24 and Harold Beeson 6. Other team members were Bruce McHaffie, Bill DeVeber, Lowell Olliver, Carl Graybeal and Roy (Swede) Anderson.

In the photo, from left, back row, are Kelly, Beeson, Coach Orr, Illman and McHaffie. In front are DeVeber, Sterling and Anderson.

Ray T. Rocene, veteran sports writer of the Missoulian-Sentinel, accompanied the team to Chicago to relay stories of the team’s progress to western Montana fans. (Photo courtesy of Missoula County High School)

Campbell Park Completed in 1935*

This is how Campbell Park looked when it was first put in use in 1935, shifting baseball from the old diamond in the 500 block on North Higgins avenue to the South Side. Campbell Park today is the home field for the University Grizzlies and also the Missoula Timberjacks.

Standout Star for Spartans

Greg Rice, one of Missoula County High School’s all-time great stars, broke the state high school mile and half-mile records four different times in 1933, 1934 and 1935 while running for the Spartans. He gained national prominence later while a member of the Notre Dame track squad and after his graduation. He set world records for the indoor two-mile and three-mile runs, was national intercollegiate two-mile champion, national amateur 3,000 and 5,000 meter champion, and national intercollegiate cross-country champion. He ran an exhibition race at the 1940 Interscholastic, easily defeating Mel Truitt of Indiana and Dixie Garner of Washington State, two outstanding runners.

Dempsey, Gibbons in Shelby Scrap

Years after their famous world championship fight at Shelby in 1923, Jack Dempsey (left) and Tommy Gibbons take a look at a picture taken as they shook hands to come out fighting at Shelby. Los Angeles County Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz (center) shows them the photo. Referee in cap is Jimmy Dougherty.

*An article from the March 13, 1944 Helena Independent newspaper stated that a campaign was underway to rename Campbell Field for PFC Douglas K. Campbell, a marine who was killed at Tarawa. Douglas was a standout athlete at MCHS. “The park was originally named for State Senator John L. Campbell, the marine’s father, would be called ‘Doug Campbell Park’.”

Coincidentally, this page from the Helena Independent features a photo of the Helena Bengal Basketball team and their first year coach – “Sad Sam Kain”.

Kain was a standout athlete for the Montana Grizzlies during the 1920s and helped coach MCHS track at Missoula during the Greg Rice reign of championships. He stated to this author that he encouraged Greg Rice to take longer strides.

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