Montana State celebrates community connections as part of presidential inauguration events

BOZEMAN - Montana State University celebrated connections to communities and its land-grant mission last week with events held as part of the inauguration of the university's 13th president, Brock F. Tessman.

On Thursday morning, Tessman - along with his family and MSU deans, administrators, student leaders and others - traveled to a business and elementary school in Three Forks, a university research farm near Bozeman and the home of a longtime Bobcat family.

The morning kicked off at the Sacajawea Hotel in Three Forks, where Tessman and others visited with community members. In attendance were Christina and Jon Kamps, both MSU graduates - Christina in 2001 with a degree in business marketing and Jon in 1996 with a degree in animal science. They look back fondly on their MSU days, and the university still shapes them, Jon Kamps said.

As a student at MSU, he "met so many people from all over the state and country and still keep in contact with some of them," which he noted was a good opportunity for growth.

Christina Kamps noted that her professors and advisers set her up well for her career. She added that the couple have been football season ticket holders for close to 20 years, and they traveled to Nashville in January to cheer on the 'Cats at the Football Championship Subdivision championship game, which MSU won 35-34 in overtime.

"We're proud to be MSU grads," she said. "It's huge to be proud of the school you attended."

While in Three Forks, Tessman, his wife, Kristin, and their daughters, Frances and Leona, also visited Three Forks Elementary School. There, they met with a class of about 20 fifth grade students and a class of about 15 fourth grade students.

"Our job as a university is to be here for you guys," Tessman told the fifth graders after asking them questions, including what their favorite subjects are. "No matter what you want to do - if you want to work with your hands in the trades, we can do that, or if you want to go into science and work as a research professor or a scientist - we can do that, too. And it will be a ton of fun."

"You are all welcome to campus anytime," Kristin Tessman told the kids. "There is lots to do and see, and it's open to everybody."

Tessman and the group next traveled to MSU's Arthur H. Post Agronomy Farm, where they talked with MSU researchers and staff members and learned about work being conducted by the College of Agriculture, Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU Extension and others.

Displays at the event focused on Montana agriculture and agriculture resources; varieties of spring wheat, barley and winter wheat; the Montana Local Government Center; Montana Veterinary Medicine Program; the Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Program; Montana 4-H; MSU Department of Agricultural Education; the Montana Schutter Diagnostic Laboratory; family consumer sciences and aging; precision agriculture; and other research and outreach programs.

Agriculture has been and will continue to be the heart of MSU, Tessman told the crowd packed into a Post farm workshop.

"It's really meaningful to be here," Tessman said. "If you want to connect with the heart and soul of Montana State University, and with the heart and soul of Montana, there's no better place to be than one of our farms.

"We can do anything we set our minds to," Tessman continued. "Anything is possible when we work hard, together."

For its final stop of the morning, the group traveled to the Bozeman-area home of longtime MSU supporters Larry and Kathleen Aasheim.

There, the couple - along with other members of the Aasheim family - welcomed the group, and Larry Aasheim and his brother, Ron, spoke about what the university means to them and to their family. Larry and Ron's dad, Torlief Aasheim, was an alumnus and former MSU staff member, and multiple generations of his family followed in his footsteps and graduated from MSU.

Larry Aasheim - who graduated from MSU in 1969 with a degree in economics - recounted how his grandfather left Norway in 1907 and immigrated to northeast Montana, where he claimed a 160-acre plot under the Homestead Act. Two years later, his wife joined him. The couple lived in a sod house and raised their five sons there; Torlief Aasheim, born in 1913, was the youngest.

Torlief Aasheim eventually enrolled at Montana State, where he received bachelor's and master's degrees in agronomy. He later worked for MSU and eventually became the director of MSU Extension. After his retirement, he remained deeply committed to MSU and was known as a strong Bobcat fan and tireless volunteer.

Larry Aasheim said that, in a way, he and his brother owe their very existence to Montana State.

"Without the land-grant mission, I'm not sure my dad would have gone to college and met my mom," Larry Aasheim said.

Ron Aasheim called MSU the "foundation" of their family.

"This place has really shaped us," he said.

He recalled a story about the Aasheim gate on 11th Avenue on the west side of campus, which Torlief Aasheim and his four brothers funded in 1997 to honor their parents and their family's homesteading agricultural heritage. Ron Aasheim said that what many people might not know is that Torlief Aasheim was initially hesitant about naming the gate after their family. He was ultimately persuaded to do so after then-president Michael P. Malone encouraged him to think of the landmark as one that would signify gates of opportunities for future generations of students.

Tessman said hearing the family's stories reminded him of the importance of MSU's mission.

"I couldn't imagine this day being complete without hearing some of these stories," Tessman said. "This is the place where you can come, work hard and earn a chance at success."