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University History Research Guide

A guide to the history of The University of Montana-Missoula.

Overview of UM Students

In the fall of 1895, UM’s student population numbered 50; in the fall of 2019 almost 11,000 students attended the UM.  Students are a constant and ever changing part of the history of the university. UM is home to over 100 different student organizations. To learn about current student groups, check out ASUM’s Student Group List. To learn about the history of student organizations on campus, check out the following resources.Student papers and published materials contain unique and personal documentation of events and experiences not found in any book or official university statement.

Student Organizations

To learn more about these student organizations click on their name.
ASUM
ASUM
 
Hi Jinx
Hi Jinx
 
Silent Sentinel
Silent Sentinel
 
Greek Life
Greek Life
 
Penetralia
Penetralia
 
Forestry Club
 
Hawthorne
Hawthorne
Kyiyo
 
Black Student Union
 
Lambda Alliance
 
ADSUM
 

Online Resources

UM Publications


The University Publications collection (UPUBs) includes many publications created by UM students and student organizations. Each item in the list below links to the digitized UM student organization titles available online via ScholarWorks.

  • The AWS Student Handbook provided incoming women students with information on topics such as campus resources for the young women, rules to follow, and school traditions as well as clubs, sports teams, and honors societies to join.
  • The Forestry Kaimin provided current and former students with an annual update of the activities of the Forestry Club and what is now the College of Forestry and Conservation.
  • Kyiyo Native American Student Publications include newsletters and annual youth conference program guides.
  • The Native News Honors Project is an annual publication that is reported, photographed, edited, and designed by students in the University of Montana’s School of Journalism. Each year, reporter / photographer teams of students in the Native News Honors Project travel to Montana’s seven Indian reservations, as well as the Little Shell Band tribal headquarters, to investigate and document how news trends affect the state’s indigenous population with in-depth stories, photographs, and videos.
  • University of Montana Black Student Union Publications including newsletters, pamphlets, and Watani, an alternative newspaper that evolved into a yearbook.
  • Take Off was a bi-annual publication produced each squadron of University of Montana students serving in the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps [ROTC]. During the years of World War II, each Air Force ROTC squadron produced a yearbook at the end of each semester. These volumes include information about ROTC training as well as photos of the instructors and students in the program.

Records
These digitized documents from the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM) Records, 1906-2010, RG 063, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, include meeting minutes, agendas, roll calls, resolutions, and votes from 1919-2007. These records are available online via ScholarWorks.


Theses and Dissertations
The University of Montana Electronic Thesis, Dissertation and Professional Paper Project (ETDP) is a collaborative effort between the Graduate School, the Mansfield Library, graduate degree granting departments, and graduate students. Beginning in 2007, graduate student theses, dissertations, and professional papers have been published electronically on ScholarWorks. All pre-2007 UM theses and dissertations have been digitized and are also available online via ScholarWorks. Paper copies of these items can be found in the Archives and Special Collections.


Exhibits
Online exhibits created by Archives and Special Collections contain excellent images and information about the university. Check out these for information on students throughout the university’s history.

Student Groups Today

In the Archives

Physical copies of the materials listed below are available in the Mansfield Library's Archives and Special Collections.

Campus Directory
The Campus Directory (1918-Present) is an excellent source for finding faculty and staff by name or department. For information on faculty and staff prior to 1918, try the University of Montana Course Catalog available on ScholarWorks.


Artifacts
Over the years, students, staff, and faculty have created many three-dimensional objects that represent the history of the University such as commencement banners, paddles, hats, dance cards, scrapbooks and other items. Images of the University of Montana Artifacts collection are available to view on ScholarWorks, and images of the University of Montana Commencement Banners collection are also available to view on ScholarWorks. You can view the physical items by visiting Archives and Special Collections.


Student Organization Records
Click on the links listed below to view a guide to an archival collection available in Archives and Special Collections. Each of these collections contains student organization records.


UM Student Manuscript Collections
Click on the links listed below to view a guide to an archival collection available in Archives and Special Collections. Each of these collections contains materials compiled by UM students.