Michael Malone - (1940-1998)
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I. Career at Montana State University Michael Malone first came to Montana in 1967 after serving as Assistant Professor of History at Texas A&M University. After coming to Montana, he was appointed as
Assistant Professor of History at Montana State University. Malone held many positions at the university from 1967 until 1998. From that day forward, Malone
moved up the ranks at the university. Next, he became the Associate Professor of History and then held the position as Head of the Department of History and Philosophy. He
served as Dean of Graduate Studies from 1979 to 1988. His next position was that of director of the Burton K. Wheeler Center. In 1988, Malone became Interim Vice President
for Academic Affairs at the university. He served as Interim Vice President until 1991 when he was appointed President of Montana State University. He held that position and also
that of Professor of History until his death in 1998. II. Career as and Author Malone enjoyed writing about the history of the American West. Throughout his life he
had written nine books and twenty articles. A tenth book, which was to be published in 2002 was still under contract to Yale, had been in the works at the time of his death. It was
said that this book was going to reconceptualize the history of the American West from Other works of his included his well-known biography of the state, Montana: A History of Two Centuries, and The Battle for Butte
. Other titles by Malone include The American West: A Twentieth-Century History, Montana: A Contemporary Profile, and James J. Hill: Empire Builder of the Northwest (The Oklahoma Western Biographies, Vol 12)
. For his book The Battle of Butte, he received the Emil and Kathleen Sick Award in Western History and Biography from the University of Washington. His book The American West: A Twentieth-Century History
earned the spot of the main selection for in the History Book Club for Christmas in 1989. III. Family Life Michael Malone was the only child of John and Delores Malone, but has three
half-brothers and one half-sister. He was born on April 18, 1940 in Pomeroy, Washington. His parents took in Michael's half-siblings after their parents were killed in an accident.
Michael Malone was not only the President of MSU but also a husband and a father. In April 1983, Michael married Kathleen Campbell. His family included his daughter Molly, son Thomas, and three stepchildren.
IV. Awards, Distinctions and Education Malone achieved his B.A. in history from Gonzaga University in 1962. This was done with highest honors from the college. He went onto get his PhD from Washington State
University in 1966. His PhD was in American studies. His studies at Washington State led up to his position as Assistant Professor of History at Texas A&M University.
Michael Malone was also a popular lecturer in his lifetime. He traveled to places such as St. Paul, and Colorado to lecture to universities and various societies. His career also took
him to places such as the University of Oslo in Norway and Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. Malone was also invited to lecture at the William Andrews Clark
Memorial Library Seminar at the University of California in 1975. Montana has shown its gratitude for Malone's work by presenting him with many
prestigious awards. Two of those honors are The Montana Award in the Humanities and Merriam Award in Regional Literature. Both The Missoulian and the Great Falls Tribune
have named him as one of the most influential and outstanding Montanans of the century. V. Death
On December 21, 1998 Montana State University lost its most influential president. Michael Malone died from a heart attack while driving home from Gallatin Field in Belgrade.
He had been in Pullman, Washington visiting WSU. Washington State had been trying to get Malone to apply for the position of president at the university. Malone said that he
was not interested and that he was committed to MSU. After his death, Governor Marc Racicot ordered that all flags on state buildings be flown at half-staff. State
Superintendent Nancy Keenan was quoted as saying, "I thought, 'This can't be true.'…I'm deeply saddened." When she heard the news about Malone's death.
After his death, Malone's family and friends remembered him as a very likable and talented man. Although he was the president of MSU, he was said to always joke about how his
"honest profession" was that of a history teacher. He would never act as if he was better then other people but always make them feel like a friend. Although most Montanans
never knew Michael Malone personally, they would agree that our state lost a great asset who can never be replaced. VI. List of Works Montana Century: 1999
This essay was submitted by a student of Steve Gardiner, a teacher at Billings Senior High School in Billings, Montana.
Montana: A Contemporary Profile: 1996
James J. Hill : Empire Builder of the Northwest: 1996
The American West: A Twentieth Century History: 1989
The Battle for Butte: Mining and Politics on the Northern Frontier: 1981
Montana: A History of Two Centuries: 1976, revised in 1991
Ben Ross and the New Deal in Idaho: 1970
The Montana Past: An Anthology: 1969 (Reissued in 1973 as Montana's Past: Selected Essays)