The University of Montana Trivia Quiz

Answer: Missoula

The Montana University System has all state-supported colleges administratively grouped under either The University of Montana or Montana State University. The colleges in Billings and Havre are both under MSU. UM Western, which is not the main campus, is located in Dillon.

Answer: Mount Sentinel

All four mountains are visible from the Missoula valley. Lolo Peak is southwest of Missoula, on the way to the town of Lolo. Dean Stone Mountain is to the south and is home to transmitters for many of Missoula's radio stations. Mount Jumbo and Mount Sentinel form the sides of Hellgate Canyon, which is the route Interstate 90 follows into the Missoula valley.

The university is at the base of Mount Sentinel, on the south side of the western mouth of Hellgate Canyon. There is a big white "M" on Mount Sentinel that was constructed by UM students early in the 20th century.

The "M" is given a fresh coat of white paint every year by members of the Freshman class.

Answer: The Clark Fork

Missoula is known as "The Hub of Five Valleys" because of the river valleys that meet there. The Blackfoot River is, of course, the river made famous by the movie "A River Runs Through It", and it is close to Missoula. The Bitterroot River also runs through Missoula, but on the west side of town.

The Clark Fork runs east to west and is the northern border of the UM campus. The Jocko River is to the north and doesn't come near Missoula.

Answer: Lux et Veritas

For the new millennium, UM changed its motto to "The Discovery Continues", capturing both the spirit of Lewis and Clark and the university's committments to learning and research. The previous motto was "Lux et Veritas" (Latin for "Light and Truth"). "Oro y Plata" (Spanish for "Gold and Silver") is the motto of the State of Montana. "Ad Astera per Aspera" (Latin for "To the Stars Through Difficulty") is the motto of the State of Kansas, where I was born.

Answer: Rankin Hall

Rankin Hall is named for Jeanette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress. It is said that Jeanette still haunts the building. Pantzer Hall and Aber Hall are dorms, and while odd things have been known to happen in both buildings, they are usually caused by residents' mistakes rather than ghosts.

The Gallagher Business Building is a state of the art facility that hosted its first classes in Fall Semester of 1996: I know of no reports of ghosts in that building, unless you count some eerie but very much alive business professors that I know.

Answer: Montana State University

I'm not sure when the name was changed, and the university's website doesn't say, but a plaque on the Music Building shows that it was built in 1953 as a facility of "Montana State University". The current MSU, located in Bozeman, was originally Montana A&M College.

Answer: Carroll O'Connor

Both Carroll O'Connor and his widow, Nancy O'Connor, graduated from The University of Montana. Carroll was an editor of the student newspaper, "The Kaimin", but resigned in protest when administrators confiscated all copies of an issue that had a cartoon criticizing the Board of Regents (this was in 1949).

The O'Connors were major contributors to the university's Carroll and Nancy Fields O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West, a regional studies and public policy center.

Answer: Dennis Washington

Billionaire industrialist Dennis Washington is a resident of Missoula. He and his wife, Phyllis, are UM alumni and have been huge supporters of the university over the years. Mr. Washington donated the majority of the money to build the stadium, which was built by one of his companies, Washington Construction.

In honor of that and much more, the university named the stadium Washington-Grizzly Stadium for Mr. Washington and our beloved Grizzlies.

Answer: Dave Dickinson

All four played quarterback for "The Griz" in the 1990s. Wilberger was a backup to both Lebo and Dickinson, and I consider it a tribute to his character that he didn't transfer to another school where he probably would have started. Since college, Dickinson has been a quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders and BC Lions in the CFL, winning the Grey Cup as starting quarterback for the Stampeders after Jeff Garcia left for the NFL. Dickinson was also a backup for the San Diego Chargers.

His number, 15, is only the second number ever retired by Grizzly football.

The first was number 22, which belonged to Terry Dillon, a running back who might have gone on to greatness with the Minnesota Vikings had he not drowned.

Answer: The Kaimin

"Kaimin" is a Salish word meaning "Messenger". The Missoula area has many place names that come from the Salish language: in fact, the name "Missoula" is said to come from a Salish phrase meaning "Valley of Bones". This name was earned because, well before Lewis and Clark explored this part of the continent, Hellgate Canyon was a favorite site for warring tribes to ambush one another.