University History Research Guide

The Associated Students of The University of Montana (ASUM) is the university's student government organization. Founded in May of 1906, ASUM serves as a forum for students to express their needs to The University of Montana administration as well as to the Montana state government. In its early years ASUM operated a general store and the university bookstore; today one of its primary functions is the allocation of money to student groups.

Hi Jinx was an annual vaudeville show held on campus for students and faculty. The Hi Jinx Club organized, promoted and produced the show. The show featured acts with prominent students and faculty from campus. It began in 1906 as a holiday party and was discontinued after 1934.

Silent Sentinel was established in 1904 as a men’s honorary society. Students were selected based on their loyalty to the school. The group worked closely with the university president to advise him about student matters.

The first greek social organizations at The University of Montana-Missoula were founded over 100 years ago. Today The University of Montana-Missoula is home to six national recognized fraternities and four national recognized sororities. To learn more about the history of greek life at UM check out our online exhibit.

Penetralia was established in 1904 as a local senior women’s honorary association. It received a national charter in 1927 and became known as the Penetralia Chapter of Mortar Board. Penetralia was originally formed as a secret society dedicated to promoting a spirit of devotion and loyalty to the UM. Mortar Board continues today as a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for their achievements in scholarship, leadership and service.

The Forestry Club was established in October of 1914, to “further forestry at the university and to provide discussion on forestry questions.” The Forestry Club organizes the Foresters’ Ball, sponsors and participates on the UM Woodsman’s Team and volunteers at the Lubrecht Experimental Forest. To learn more about the history of the club check out our online exhibit.

In 1898, students who wanted extracurricular reading established Hawthorne as a men’s honorary literary society. The society folded in 1915 due to declining membership.

The Kyiyo Native American Student Association at UM predates 1960, when it was referred to as “the Indian club”. Kyiyo was formally recognized as an official UM club during the 1968-1969 school year, and the organization works to promote the cultural identity of American Indians / Alaska Natives. The name Kyiyo (kiááyo), meaning bear in Blackfoot, was chosen because of its ease of pronunciation and its reference to the university’s grizzly bear mascot. Since the 1968-1969 school year, Kyiyo has hosted an annual powwow, inviting tribes from across the country to participate in dancing, singing, and storytelling. The Kyiyo Powwow is the oldest, continuously-running powwow in the country.

The University of Montana Black Student Union (UMBSU) is an organization dedicated to encouraging cultural diversity at The University of Montana, with special regard to students of African descent. UMBSU was formed during the 1968-69 academic year as the result of a student sit-in protest that advocated for classes on black history and culture, active recruitment of black students, and hiring two black professors.

The UM Lambda Alliance seeks to increase the visibility and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community through education, advocacy, and the promotion of social acceptance. Lambda was founded in 1975 at the University of Montana. According to co-founder Will Roscoe, Lambda was Montana’s first openly gay organization.

The Alliance for Disability and Students at The University of Montana (ADSUM) is a self-governing alliance of students who advocate for the equal opportunity of students with disabilities at the University of Montana. It works in conjunction with Disability Student Services to increase compliance with civil rights laws. ADSUM was organized and founded in 1988, out of discrimination against students with disabilities in higher education.

• Associated Students of the University of Montana, RG 63
• Delta Delta Delta, Theta Rho Chapter, Mss 677
• Engineering Club Records, Mss 667
• Kappa Omicron Phi, Alpha Psi Chapter Records, Mss 595
• Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Delta Omicron Chapter Records, Mss 606
• Kyi-Yo Native American Student Association History Collection, Mss 710
• Penetralia Chapter of Mortar Board Records, Mss 669
• Phi Alpha Theta, Beta Psi Chapter, Mss 704
• Phi Sigma Kappa, Mss 668
• Phi Sigma Society, Lambda Chapter, Mss 594
• Student Army Training Corps Photograph Album, Mss 666
• The Sentinel Records, Mss 607
• Tanan of Spur Photograph Albums, Mss 775
• University of Montana Student Organizations Collection, Mss 604
• University of Montana Lambda Alliance Records, Mss 933

• Bernard G. Hoffman Papers, Mss 730
• Beta Delta Chapter of Sigma Chi Scrapbook, Mss 636
• Carol Evelyn O’Donnell Scrapbook, Mss 658
• Cora Averill Scrapbook, Mss 273
• Ella Robb Glenny Diploma, Mss 570
• Eloise Knowles Diplomas, Mss 528
• Ernest J. Coleman Photograph Album, Mss 689
• Eudora Fulkerson Papers, Mss 791
• Fred E. Buck Scrapbook, Mss 657
• Frederick Greenwood Papers, Mss 377
• Frederick Roger Schauer Photograph Album, Mss 510
• Genevieve Frances Allen Murray Papers, Mss 135
• Harold Theodore Rule Scrapbook, Mss 660
• James Richard Emrick Scrapbook, Mss 663
• Journals of the Students at the Missoula College, Mss 759
• Lillian Christensen Scrapbook, Mss 664
• Line Family Papers, Mss 643
• Lucile Speer Papers, Mss 585
• Mary Elrod Ferguson, Mss 205
• Mary Rankin Bragg Notebook, Mss 786
• Melvine Hedine Papers, Mss 443
• Pearl Mitchell Breeden Scrapbook, Mss 772
• Phil Preston Papers, Mss 718
• Sadie Erickson Scrapbook, Mss 659
• Stella Louise Duncan Papers, Mss 656
• T.B. Van Horn Scrapbook, Mss 304
• William O. Cogswell Scrapbook, Mss 665
• Will Roscoe Papers, Mss 796
• William Wilson Reminiscence, Mss 716