Montana Technological University, popularly known as Montana Tech, is a public university in Butte, Montana. Founded in 1900 as the "Montana State School of Mines", the university became affiliated with the University of Montana in 1994. After undergoing several name changes, in 2017 the Montana University System Board of Regents voted to designate Montana Tech as part of Special Focus Four-Year Universities, the only such designation in the Montana University System. To recognize this new designation and the greater independence with it, the name was officially changed in 2018 from "Montana Tech of the University of Montana" to "Montana Technological University". Montana Tech's focus is on engineering, applied and health science.
In fall 2017, Montana Tech had nearly 2,700 students. It has 13 campus buildings and offers 39 undergraduate degrees along with 15 minors, 5 certification degrees, and 9 pre-professional career programs. Montana Tech also offers 18 graduate degrees and has Ph.D. programs in Materials Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Earth Science and Engineering.
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History
The Enabling Act of 1889, which brought Montana into the Union, allotted land for the creation of a school of mines as one of the four original Montana University System universities. In 1893 the Montana Legislature provided funding to establish the school in Butte. The cornerstone of Main Hall was laid in 1896, and the university opened its doors in 1900 as the "Montana State School of Mines". The first student was a woman, Clara Clark of Butte, and Nathan R. Leonard acted as the first president. Despite enthusiastic local support, even offers of free land for construction, the early history of the school was fraught with poor funding and accusations of fraud, but with the help of former governor John E. Rickards, the school was opened.
In 1919 the Montana Legislature established the Montana State Bureau of Mines and Metallurgy on the campus in keeping with Montana Tech as a school focusing on the development of minerals and industry. Charles H. Clapp of the mining department served as the first president of the Bureau.
The school was renamed the "Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology" in 1965. It began moving beyond purely engineering and applied sciences, adding social science and liberal arts options. Alumni Coliseum opened on campus.
The university became affiliated with the University of Montana in 1994 with a reorganization of the Montana University System. The name was changed to "Montana Tech of the University of Montana". The Butte Vocational-Technical Center was put under Montana Tech administration as the College of Technology. In 1998 Frank Gilmore became chancellor.
In 2010 the Natural Resource Building (NRB) opened. It now accommodates the Bureau of Mines and the Petroleum Engineering Department. In 2011 Don Blackketter became chancellor. In 2012 the College of Technology became Highlands College, and the Frank and Ann Gilmore University Relations Center (URC) building opened. The first Ph.D. program in Materials Science and Engineering began in 2014 in partnership with University of Montana and Montana State University. The Nursing Department began offering a full bachelor's degree in 2015. In October 2021, the university announced a $7 million donation to the Nursing Department from Dave and Sherry Lesar. This led to renaming the Nursing Department the Sherry Lesar School of Nursing. These funds also contributed to the construction of the Lesar Family Nursing Simulation Center, which opened in spring 2022 in the Science & Engineering building. In 2016, a full Bachelor's of Mechanical Engineering program was added, and the Natural Resource Research Center opened on campus, including a new nano research lab and additional lab space for existing departments.
Presidents (1900–1994) and chancellors (1994–present)
Source:
Nathan R. Leonard, 1900–1909
Charles H. Bowman, 1909–1919
Charles H. Clapp, 1919–1921
George Warren Craven, 1921–1928
Francis Andrew Thomson, 1928–1950
J. Robert Van Pelt, 1951–1956
Edwin G. Koch, 1957–1971
Fred W. DeMoney, 1972–1985
Lindsay Norman Jr., 1986–1998
Frank Gilmore, 1998–2011
Don Blackketter, 2011–2019
Les Cook, 2019–2025
Johnny MacLean, 2025-present
Academics
Montana Technological University offers 39 undergraduate degrees consisting of 11 associate degrees and 28 undergraduate majors, along with over 15 minors, 5 certification degrees, and 9 pre-professional career programs. Montana Tech also offers 18 graduate degrees including three Ph.D. programs in Materials Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Earth Science and Engineering.
Montana Tech consists of four colleges:
Lance College of Mines & Engineering
College of Letters, Sciences, and Professional Studies
Highlands College
Graduate School
Athletics
The Montana Tech athletic teams are called the Orediggers, named after Butte's mining history. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Frontier Conference since the 1933–34 academic year.
Montana Tech competes in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports: men's sports include basketball, cross country, football, golf, and track & field (indoor and outdoor); women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, track & field (indoor and outdoor), and volleyball.
Reputation and rankings
In 2014, Montana Tech was ranked sixth in the nation for graduates earning the highest starting salaries, according to the Washington Post. In 2015, The Wall Street Journal ranked Montana Tech ninth in the nation for best public universities for return on investment.
Montana Tech has had 1 Fulbright Scholar, 3 Rhodes Scholar finalists, 11 Goldwater Scholars, and 5 Goldwater honorable mentions.
Notable alumni
Nate Harris, college basketball coach
Don Heater, former NFL player
Craig Kupp, former NFL player
Ryan Lance, CEO of ConocoPhillips
Mike Mansfield, former United States Senator
Arnold Olsen, former United States Representative
Tucker Wetmore, country singer-songwriter