Overview of the Collection Creator Dennison, George M. (George Marshel), 1935-2017 Title George M. Dennison Papers Dates 1950-2017 (inclusive) Quantity 3.0 linear feet 3 electronic files (6.52 megabytes of electronic files) Collection Number Mss 909 Summary George M. Dennison was a student of history, a U.S. Navy veteran, and a longtime member of the Academy. He spent his professional career teaching history and serving in university administration, including as President of the University of Montana from 1990-2010. This collection contains lectures notes, research notes, and drafts of manuscripts, including drafts of a book he was writing about the history of the University of Montana at the time of his death in 2017. Repository University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections Archives and Special Collections Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library University of Montana 32 Campus Dr. #9936 59812-9936 Missoula, MT Telephone: 406-243-2053 Fax: 406-243-4067 library.archives@umontana.edu Access Restrictions Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana-Missoula. Languages English Historical Note George Dennison was born on August 11, 1935 in Buffalo, Illinois. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1957 and married his wife, Jane Irene Schroeder, in 1954. They had two children born in 1956 and 1958. Following his military service, Dennison received his Bachelor of Arts degree, with Highest Honors, from the University of Montana in 1962. He continued his education at the University of Montana receiving a Master of Arts in history in 1963. Leaving Montana, Dennison pursued his Ph.D. in history from the University of Washington, graduating in 1967. Dennison began his professional career at the University of Arkansas where he worked as an assistant professor of history from 1967 to 1968. In the 1968-1969 academic year, he taught as a visiting professor of history at the University of Washington before accepting a job teaching at Colorado State University. Dennison worked at Colorado State University from 1969 to 1987 earning the title of Professor of History. While at Colorado State University Dennison also assumed the roles of Associate http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv585875 1
Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Associate Dean for International Development, Graduate School; Acting Academic Vice President; and Director of Admissions and Records. He served as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of History at Western Michigan University from 1987 to 1990. In 1990, Dennison assumed the role of President at the University of Montana and served until he retired in 2010. George M. Dennison passed away on January 3, 2017, from Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Content Description The George M. Dennison Papers contain Dennison's personal papers. These include his original lectures from his many years as a professor of history; his research notes for a two-volume history of the University of Montana; draft copies of the unpublished book, tentatively titled The University of Montana: Institutional Mythology and Historical Reality, that he did not finish before his death; and his research notes and an unpublished article about the Missoula County High School Board. Use of the Collection Restrictions on Use Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright was not transferred to or shared with the University of Montana. Preferred Citation George M. Dennison Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula. Administrative Information Arrangement This collection has been arranged into three series: Series I: History Lectures and Course Materials, circa 1967-1990, 1.5 linear feet Series II: University of Montana History, circa 2010-2017, 1.25 linear feet and 2 electronic files Series III: Missoula County High School Board, circa 2016, 0.25 linear feet and 1 electronic file Custodial History This collection was in three different locations prior to donation to the Archives, including in Dennison's home and office. Acquisition Information The majority of the collection contents were donated to the Archives by Jane Dennison in 2018. http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv585875 2
Processing Note This collection was divided into series during processing. Detailed Description of the Collection Series I: History Lectures and Course Materials, circa 1967-1990 1.5 linear feet Series I is largely comprised of lecture notes and course materials from Dennison s many years as a professor of history. Original order and folder titles were maintained during processing. Box/Folder 1/1 Constitutional Revolution Continued, The Court Fight and the Reversal of 1937, Lecture XIII circa 1967-1990 1/2 The Bobbs-Merrill Reprint Series in the Social Sciences 1950 1/3 Hughes Court, Lecture XII circa 1967-1990 1/4 Constitutional History, Lecture XIV circa 1967-1990 1/5 Constitutional Revolution, Conference Notes circa 1967-1990 1/6 The New Republic, 1787-1815 circa 1967-1990 1/7 Diagram of Constitutional Functioning circa 1967-1990 1/8 Lists of Court Cases circa 1967-1990 1/9 Triumph of Institutionalism circa 1967-1990 1/10 Women's Rights Lectures circa 1967-1990 1/11 History 413, Introduction circa 1967-1990 1/12 America in 1763, Lecture I circa 1967-1990 1/13 The Imperial Crisis, Lecture II circa 1967-1990 http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv585875 3
1/14 The Revolution Consummated: 1774-1776, Lecture III circa 1967-1990 1/15 Consolidating the Revolution, Lecture IV circa 1967-1990 1/16 The New Nation, Lecture V circa 1967-1990 1/17 The Problem of an Acceptable Political Theory, Lecture VI circa 1967-1990 1/18 History 265, Introduction circa 1967-1990 1/19 History 265, U.S. in the 1950s circa 1967-1990 1/20 Politics of the 1950s, Lecture II circa 1967-1990 1/21 The Kennedy Year, Lecture III circa 1967-1990 1/22 The Johnson Years, Lecture IV circa 1967-1990 1/23 The Socio-Economic Milieu of the 1960s, Lecture V circa 1967-1990 1/24 The Election of 1968, Lecture VI circa 1967-1990 1/25 The Nixon Years and Watergate, Lecture VII circa 1967-1990 1/26 History 477, Introduction circa 1967-1990 1/27 Colonial Constitution, Lecture I circa 1967-1990 1/28 The Revolution, Lecture II circa 1967-1990 1/29 Re-Establishing Authority, Lecture III circa 1967-1990 1/30 Articles of Confederation, Lecture IV circa 1967-1990 1/31 The Convention of 1787, Lecture V circa 1967-1990 1/32 Constitution and Ratification, Lecture VI circa 1967-1990 1/33 Federalist Period, Lecture VII circa 1967-1990 1/34 Jeffersonian Constitutionalism, Lecture IX circa 1967-1990 http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv585875 4
1/35 The Marshall Court, Lecture XI circa 1967-1990 1/36 The Crisis of the Twenties and the Marshall Court, Lecture XII circa 1967-1990 2/1 Jacksonian Democracy and Popular Sovereignty, lecture XIII circa 1967-1990 2/2 Course Toward the Civil War, Lecture XIV circa 1967-1990 2/3 Civil War, Lecture XV circa 1967-1990 2/4 Constitutional history, 1865-1971, Lecture I circa 1967-1990 2/5 Reconstruction, Lecture II circa 1967-1990 2/6 Supreme Court During Reconstruction, Lecture III circa 1967-1990 2/7 Revolution to Revolution: Federalism Revisited, Lecture IV circa 1967-1990 2/8 The Fuller Court and the Progressives, Lecture V and VII circa 1967-1990 2/9 The Fuller Court and the 90s, Lecture VIII circa 1967-1990 2/10 The Warren Court, Lecture XVI circa 1967-1990 2/11 The Nixon Court circa 1967-1990 2/12 Constitutional Duty circa 1967-1990 2/13 New Government circa 1967-1990 2/14 Tragedy of Progressivism, Lecture IX circa 1967-1990 2/15 White to Taft and Prohibition circa 1967-1990 2/16 The Taft Court, Lecture XI circa 1967-1990 2/17 The Vinson Interlude, Lecture XV circa 1967-1990 2/18 Hamilton, Lecture III circa 1967-1990 2/19 Political Parties, Lecture IV circa 1967-1990 http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv585875 5
2/20 Free Speech, Alien and Sedition Acts, Lecture VI circa 1967-1990 2/21 Party Development to 1800, Lecture VIII circa 1967-1990 2/22 The Election of 1800, IX circa 1967-1990 2/23 Environmentalism and American Thought, Lecture X circa 1967-1990 2/24 Jefferson, Lecture XI circa 1967-1990 2/25 Jeffersonian Republicans in Power, Lecture XII circa 1967-1990 2/26 Jeffersonian Republicans in Power II, Lecture XIII circa 1967-1990 2/27 The Madisonian Alternatives, Lecture XIV circa 1967-1990 2/28 The War of 1812, Lecture XV circa 1967-1990 2/29 Jeffersonian Tradition, Lecture XVI circa 1967-1990 3/1 An Age In transition, Lecture XVII circa 1967-1990 3/2 Seminar 550 circa 1967-1990 3/3 Federalism to 1815, Lecture XV circa 1967-1990 3/4 History 150, Lecture I circa 1967-1990 3/5 European Background, Lecture II circa 1967-1990 3/6 The Indian Problem, Lecture III circa 1967-1990 3/7 English Settlements in the Seventeenth Century, Lecture IV circa 1967-1990 3/8 From Settlement to Provincialism, Lecture V circa 1967-1990 3/9 Proprietary Colonies in Pennsylvania, Lecture VI circa 1967-1990 3/10 Rise of Political Autonomy in the Colonies, Lecture VII circa 1967-1990 3/11 The Eighteenth Century, Lecture VIII circa 1967-1990 http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv585875 6
3/12 Slavery in America to 1800, Lecture XIV circa 1967-1990 3/13 Georgia - The Frontier, Lecture IX circa 1967-1990 3/14 Great Awakening, Lecture X circa 1967-1990 3/15 American Colonists and the Colonial Wars, Lecture XI circa 1967-1990 3/16 To the Revolution, 1763-1774, Lecture XII circa 1967-1990 3/17 The Revolution, Lecture VI circa 1967-1990 3/18 Fruits of the Revolution, Lecture VII circa 1967-1990 3/19 Revolution to Constitution, Lecture XIII circa 1967-1990 3/20 Federalists, Lecture XV circa 1967-1990 3/21 Jeffersonians, Lecture XVI circa 1967-1990 3/22 Nationalism and Sectionalism, Lecture XVIII circa 1967-1990 3/23 History 151, Introduction circa 1967-1990 3/24 The Republic in 1840, Lecture I circa 1967-1990 3/25 Manifest Destiny, Lecture II circa 1967-1990 3/26 Cultural Conflict and Civil War, Lecture III circa 1967-1990 3/27 Northern Response to Slavery, Lecture IV circa 1967-1990 3/28 Civil War and Reconstruction, Lecture VI circa 1967-1990 3/29 Economies and Politics of the Late Nineteenth Century, Lecture VII circa 1967-1990 3/30 Farmers in Revolt, Lecture IX circa 1967-1990 3/31 Labor in Revolt, Lecture X circa 1967-1990 3/32 Populism - End of an Era, Lecture XI circa 1967-1990 http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv585875 7
3/33 Imperialism, 1898-1900 circa 1967-1990 3/34 Progressivism, 1900-1918 circa 1967-1990 3/35 War and Aftermath circa 1967-1990 3/36 Twenties circa 1967-1990 3/37 Hoover and Depression, End of an Era circa 1967-1990 3/38 Roosevelt and New Deal circa 1967-1990 3/39 New Deal, 1932-1941 circa 1967-1990 3/40 Foreign Policy, 1930-1941 circa 1967-1990 3/41 Foreign Policy, 1941-1946 circa 1967-1990 3/42 Truman Years, I circa 1967-1990 3/43 Truman years, II and McCarthy circa 1967-1990 3/44 Notes circa 1967-1990 3/45 Constitutional Notes, 1865-1970 circa 1967-1990 4/1 Constitutional Notes, 1930-1969 circa 1967-1990 4/2 Constitution Lectures, 1866-1970 circa 1967-1990 Series II: University of Montana History, circa 2010-2017 1.25 linear feet and 2 electronic files This series contains Dennison s extensive research notes for his history of the University of Montana and two draft copies of his unpublished book, tentatively titled The University of Montana: Institutional Mythology and Historical Reality. In processing, notebooks were grouped together by the source citation on the first page. Each notebook was assigned a number for organizational purposes; the arrangement of the notebooks within the boxes does not reflect an original order. Box/Folder http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv585875 8
4/3 Notebook 1 circa 2010-2017 4/4 Notebook 2 circa 2010-2017 4/5 Notebook 3 circa 2010-2017 4/6 Notebook 4 circa 2010-2017 4/7 Notebook 5 circa 2010-2017 4/8 Notebook 6 circa 2010-2017 4/9 Notebook 7 circa 2010-2017 4/10 Notebook 8 circa 2010-2017 5/1 Notebook 9 circa 2010-2017 5/2 Notebook 10 circa 2010-2017 5/3 Notebook 11 circa 2010-2017 5/4 Notebook 12 circa 2010-2017 5/5 Notebook 13 circa 2010-2017 5/6 Notebook 14 circa 2010-2017 5/7 Notebook 15 circa 2010-2017 5/8 Notebook 16 circa 2010-2017 5/9 Notebook 17 circa 2010-2017 5/10 Notebook 18 circa 2010-2017 6/1 Notebook 19 circa 2010-2017 6/2 Notebook 20 circa 2010-2017 6/3 Notebook 21 circa 2010-2017 http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv585875 9
6/4 Notebook 22 circa 2010-2017 6/5 Notebook 23 circa 2010-2017 6/6 Notebook 24 circa 2010-2017 6/7 Notebook 25 circa 2010-2017 6/8 Notebook 26 circa 2010-2017 6/9 Notebook 27 circa 2010-2017 6/10 Notebook 28 circa 2010-2017 7/1 Notebook 29 circa 2010-2017 7/2 Notebook 30 circa 2010-2017 7/3 Notebook 31 circa 2010-2017 7/4 Notebook 32 circa 2010-2017 7/5 Notebook 33 circa 2010-2017 7/6 Notebook 34 circa 2010-2017 7/7 Notebook 35 circa 2010-2017 7/8 Notebook 36 circa 2010-2017 7/9 Notebook 37 circa 2010-2017 Electronic_file Electronic File The University of Montana: Institutional Mythology and Historical Reality, unpublished manuscript circa 2016-2017 Electronic File The University of Montana: Institutional Mythology and Historical Reality, Volume 1, unpublished manuscript circa 2016-2017 Series III: Missoula County High School Board, circa 2016 0.25 linear feet and 1 electronic file http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv585875 10
This series contains an unpublished article by Dennison concerning the Missoula County High School board. Also included are Dennison's research notes for this article. Box/Folder 7/10 Notebook 1 circa 2016 7/11 Notebook 2 circa 2016 Electronic_file Electronic File Missoula County High School: 1952-1962 "A Matter of Principle", unpublished manuscript circa 2016 Names and Subjects Subject Terms : Universities and colleges--montana--missoula--administration Personal Names : Dennison, George M. (George Marshel), 1935-2017--Archives Corporate Names : Colorado State University. Faculty Missoula County High School. Board of Trustees University of Montana--Missoula. Administration University of Montana--Missoula. History University of Montana--Missoula. Office of the President. University of Montana--Missoula. Presidents Western Michigan University. Faculty Occupations : College presidents--montana--missoula College teachers--united States Titles within the Collection : The University of Montana: Institutional Mythology and Historical Reality Finding aid prepared by Patrick Swart This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West: http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/cc-attr.shtml http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv585875 11