Montana labor news., 1938-11-24
SCHOOL OF MINES IS
0vER-(R0WDED AND
IN NEED OF TOOLS

0AhAtot11 49, 6A*N(AAN 1ktAAA6 CT
the foot of Big Butte on the western
outskirts of the city, it seems to per-
sonify the spirit of the mineral in
dustry-an industry of vital import
ance to the state of Montana.
We say the institution is unique.
Unique because, first of all, it is in
the greatest mining camp on earth,
the campus is only a rifle-shot dis
lance from some $50 shafts which
lead down to more than 1900 miles
of underground workings, some of
them 400 feet beneath the surface.
Other mining schools are from 10 to
500 miles away from mines of any
consequence. Second, the students
have an opportunity to work in these
mines, getting their experience the
hard way, under actual working
conditions. Third, within a radius
of 100 miles, the students have ac-
cess to practically every type of
geological formation known to man.
No other mining school in the world
is so fortunately situated, nor has
such fine opportunities to turn out
the kind of engineer demanded by
industry, an engineer whose techni-
cal training is backed by working
experience, experience gained before
graduation.
Is it any wonder, then, that its
graduates make names for them
selves wherever they go to work?
Or that the school is gaining in
recognition year by year as one of
the worlds leading mining schools?
Or that we in Butte are justly proud
of u only institution of higher
learning?
We knew all this in a vague sort
of way, but it was brought home to
us vigorously the other day in talk
ing to a School of Mines graduate.
All School of Mines graduates seem
to have one thing in common: they
will talk by the hour about their
school, they boast about it, they give
you facts and figures, about so-and-
so in Bolivia and so-and-so in Utah
and Alaska, and Chile, and South
Africa. 1t is sort of like talking to
a combination statistical chart and
Cooks tour. We wanted informa-
ton so we listened.
We learned that the School of
Mines gives Bachelor of Science de-
grees in Mining Engineering, Metal
lurgical Engineering, and Geological
Engineering, and that it gives a gem
eral course for Freshmen who want
to take their first year of college
work in Butte. We learned that
graduate students could work there
for a Master of Science degree. We
were told that in the school year,
1937-1938, the school had 373 resi-
dent students, of whom So were
taking the general course (35 girls,
and IS taking graduate work. Facts
and figures were fired at us like
machine-gun fire and most of them
bounced off, because we are not so
good at facts and figures. They kind
of leave us cold.
So we complimented the graduate,
told him he had a nice school, and
that we were glad it was getting
along in such fine fashion. Then
came the bombshell. "Sure," said
he, lit gets along fine. Turns out
good men. It's a wonder the place
is able to run at all, the buildings
are overcrowded, the professors are
u%nderpaid and overWorked, there
isn't enough equipment; all this in
face of the fact that each year more
and more students are attracted to
the school. All l can say is, it's a
miracle that the school does the
good job it does. They could use
two or three times the amount Of
money they get. If the place is to
continue to grow, to be of service
to the state, something will have to
be done"
That was news to US. We told
him we kind of doubted his tale of
woe. We thought he was going to
blow up when we told him that.
Finally he claimed down. "All right"
said he, don't take my word for it.
Why don't you 60 up to the school
and get the dope on it? Find out
for yourself. See DR.. Thomson. He's
the president up there. Go around
and talk to the profs. Visit the
classes. Look around. I'll bet you
five bucks you come away agreeing
with me-" We said, Fine, Well do
that" And we did. This series of
articles tells what we found out.
We arrived at the School of Mines
one morning at eight o'clock, just as
the mine whistles on the Hill were
sounding off. About $50 students
arrived with us. We wandered
about, looking in the Museum at all
kinds of minerals, and down in the
model room where they keep nu-
merous scale models of veins and
mines and mine workings. We got
tangled up in some tunnels (all the
buildings r connected by tunnels)
but about nine o'clock We went up
to see DR.. Thomson. DR.. Thomson
is a busy man like everybody else
in the school, but when he found
out what we wanted he dropped
everything and listened.
We told him what the graduate
had said. Asked him if it were true,