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marking this change in direction, the school was officially renamed the
Montana College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1913 (although that name was in widespread use as early as 1894). The college's first great rapid expansion of physical plant also began under Hamilton. Constructed during this time were Linfield Hall (1908), Hamilton Hall (1910), and Traphagen Hall (1919). Hamilton Hall was named for Mrs. Emma Hamilton, the popular and vivacious president's wife who died on August 12, 1909. The giant whitewashed "M" on the side of the Mount Baldy in the foothills of the Bridger Range was first built in 1916, and in 1917 ROTC came to campus for the first time.
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354:, was a Presbyterian minister and educator who rapidly expanded enrollment, obtained a campus, and oversaw the construction of the college's first two buildings—the Agricultural Experiment Station (now known as Taylor Hall) and the Main Building (now known as Montana Hall). Reid was determined, however, to stop students from dancing, drinking, gambling, playing cards, and soliciting prostitutes (common distractions in a frontier town like Bozeman), and his constant anti-vice campaign took a significant toll on his health. He resigned in 1904.
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Three times, Montana State honored him. The first was on
October 18, 1929, which was proclaimed "Dean Hamilton Day" in honor of his 25th year of service to the college. That same day, he was elected the first president of the newly formed "Quarter Century Club" (an association of college faculty and
357:
Hamilton's governance style was unlike the authoritarian Reid. He was friendly and outgoing, which made him popular among state legislators, local
Bozemanites, and students, but he was also a decisive leader who rarely deviated from a course of action (once decided upon). He was also interested in
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and attended local public school. His father died when he was 14 years old, and James began working during the spring, summer, and fall in order to support his family. He attended school only in the winter, which prevented him from graduating from school until he was 18 years old. (Most children
424:. Although it was not considered serious, his health failed rapidly during the summer. He died at his home in Bozeman on September 23, 1940. His funeral was held in what is now Romney Gym, attended by all the faculty and students of Montana State College as well as many members of the public.
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Determined to make the college into a school of technology, Hamilton rapidly expanded the curriculum in areas such as biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, and physics. He also devised the school motto, "Education for
Efficiency", which the college continued to use until the 1990s. Further
314:, to lobby for a single college. But listening to the debates there convinced him that multiple campuses would be more likely to win legislative approval in Montana's bitter political climate (in which towns and cities lobbied hard to undercut one another in an attempt to reap state largesse).
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Hamilton continued to take on a number of professional roles as well. He was elected
President of the Montana State Teacher's Association in 1922 and 1923, and as of the 1970s remained the only person to hold the office three times. He was also elected president of the Inland Empire Teachers
330:). He was promoted to vice-president of the school a short time later. In 1901, the same year that he began teaching at the University of Montana, he began a five-year term as a member of the Montana State Textbook Commission, which chose textbooks for public schools in the state.
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When World War I ended in 1919, Hamilton resigned as president of the college. He argued that a younger man (he was 58 years old by now) should take over. Hamilton accepted the position of Dean of Men in addition to resuming his teaching duties in the
Department of Economics.
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The legislature subsequently passed legislation establishing two colleges. It also established a State Board of
Education in 1893, and Hamilton was appointed a member. While serving on the board, Hamilton chose the sites (Missoula and
350:, had only served for a year before coming into significant conflict with faculty and local businesspeople who disagreed with his intent to build a technology-oriented engineering school. His successor, the Rev. Dr.
501:. Hamilton, the scholars said, turned Montana State from an ill-defined, small school into a large agricultural college with a strong but narrow focus. His stamp on the university would remain well into the 1950s.
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ensuring that
Montana State adopted the most modern educational models available, and he traveled widely in Europe in 1912 in order to keep abreast of ongoing changes in European institutions of higher education.
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After eight years of service, Hamilton resigned from the State Board of education and took an appointment as a professor of history and economics at
Montana State University (Missoula) (now known as the
417:, a professor of history at Montana State College, to edit the latter manuscript into a book. This book was published in 1957, and a revised edition (with a new chapter by Burlingame) issued in 1970.
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The
Montana State Board of Education appointed Hamilton to be President of what was then known as the Agricultural College of the State of Montana (now Montana State University). The first president,
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306:. Montana became a state on November 8, 1889. In 1893, the state legislature began considering legislation to establish a state college system. The Montana State Teacher's Association (now
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310:) advocated that a single college be created rather than several. Hamilton was elected president of the teachers' association in December 1892. Hamilton traveled to the new state capital,
691:"James M. Hamilton Photographs, ca. 1918, Finding aid citation item from Montana State University (MSU) Library Archives Finding Aids Database - Montana State University (MSU) Library"
667:"James M. Hamilton Papers, 1938-1969, Finding aid citation item from Montana State University (MSU) Library Archives Finding Aids Database - Montana State University (MSU) Library"
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Collection 0172 - James M. Hamilton Papers, 1938–1969. Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections. Renne Library. Montana State University.
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208:. He served from 1904 to 1919. A group of historians named Hamilton one of Montana State's four most important presidents in 2011.
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In 2011, three historians who wrote a history of MSU were asked to name Montana State University's most important presidents.
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Association in 1923, and remains the only person to hold both the Montana and Inland Empire presidencies concurrently.
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staff with twenty-five years or more of service). In June 1930, Montana State University conferred upon him an
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Hamilton cut back his teaching load in 1935 to write. He completed two manuscripts during this time. One was
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After graduation, James worked as a public school teacher in rural Illinois public schools from 1879 to 1882.
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Hamilton married Florence Ballinger, an instructor in the Department of Home Economics, on August 21, 1918.
440:, becoming a Master Mason in Bozeman Lodge No. 18. He was also a member of St. John's Commandery of the
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degree in 1890. While in the graduate program, he married Emma Shideler of Merom on June 6, 1888.
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While continuing to teach, Hamilton also continued to attend school. He enrolled in classes at
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Hamilton Hall on the MSU Campus, named for Emma Hamilton, wife of MSU President James Hamilton
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named Hamilton one of the four top presidents in the university's history. The others were
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in 1887. He then entered the graduate program at Union Christian, receiving either a
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Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections. Renne Library. Montana State University.
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Schontzler, Gail. "Presidential Debate: Who Were MSU’s Most Important Presidents?"
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302:, in 1887. He worked there until 1889, when he moved to take a similar position in
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holds two collections related to Hamilton: Collection 0172 and Collection 0918.
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413:. Neither was published in his lifetime. In 1957, Florence Hamilton asked Dr.
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Hamilton obtained a position as superintendent of the public school system in
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220:, to James and Mary (Burner) Hamilton. He was the ninth of 10 children. His
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About 1850, a large migration of Licking County residents began into the
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at about the same time. Although his paternal grandparents settled in
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of Illinois, and his parents were among them. James grew up near
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By James M. Hamilton. Portland, Ore.: Binfords & Mort, 1957.
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252:, in the 1820s. James' parents met there, and married in 1838.
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From Wilderness to Statehood: A History of Montana, 1805-1900
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James M. Hamilton was born on a farm on October 1, 1861, in
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paternal grandparents emigrated to the United States from
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New York: Society for the Advancement of Education, 1923.
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Montana State University Archives and Special Collections
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graduated from high school at about age 16 at the time.)
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Collection 0918: James M. Hamilton Photographs, c. 1918.
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Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
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History of Yellowstone National Park (Previous to 1895)
196:(October 1, 1861 – September 23, 1940) was an American
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Winona, Minn.: National Education Association, 1910.
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459:Hamilton also maintained memberships in
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450:Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
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924:People from Crawford County, Illinois
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732:Yearbook and List of Active Members.
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452:. He was a founding member of the
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140:Emma Shideler Hamilton (died 1909)
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16:American historian and economist
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954:Economists from Illinois
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652:Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
387:University of California
334:Montana State University
206:Montana State University
194:James McClellan Hamilton
47:Montana State University
939:Economists from Montana
723:Cattell, James McKeen.
272:Union Christian College
248:, they both settled in
157:Union Christian College
35:James M. Hamilton, 1915
536:Burlingame, p. vii-ix.
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485:, Robert Rydell, and
415:Merrill G. Burlingame
391:University of Chicago
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328:University of Montana
270:Hamilton enrolled at
212:Early life and career
45:3rd President of
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250:Licking County, Ohio
949:American Unitarians
725:School and Society.
695:arc.lib.montana.edu
671:arc.lib.montana.edu
527:Burlingame, p. vii.
454:Bozeman Rotary Club
436:. He was an active
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567:Burlingame, p. ix.
383:Harvard University
379:Cornell University
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120:September 23, 1940
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288:Master of Science
280:bachelor's degree
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676:2022-04-18
509:References
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373:Retirement
163:Profession
152:Alma mater
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465:Sigma Chi
438:Freemason
202:economist
198:historian
172:Economics
59:1904–1919
55:In office
893:(2010– )
827:Atkinson
819:Hamilton
478:degree.
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246:Virginia
234:Lutheran
891:Cruzado
851:Johnson
320:Bozeman
308:MEA-MFT
238:Germany
226:Belfast
178:Website
168:History
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