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NEW DSU FACILITIES DEDICATED
HONORING G. DONALD MONTGOMERY

(Madison, October 24, 1998) Saturday was "G. Donald Montgomery Day" at the Dakota State University campus and about twenty-five members of Dr. Montgomery's extended family came to celebrate the event. Dr. G. Donald Montgomery, or "Monty" as his friends call him, is the retired California dentist, born in Alexandria, SD, who has become the Dakota State University Foundation's largest single contributor. The University foundation chose October 24^th and declared the day in his honor and then held a celebration formally dedicating the facilities Dr. Montgomery has supported. Members of the campus community, the foundation board and the Madison community also attended.

The 96 year-old philanthropist, uncle to George Loomer of the Furniture Factory and great-uncle to Connie Sinclair of Montgomery Furniture, was unable to personally attend the celebration due to ill health. Standing in for Dr. Montgomery was Dr. Carl Franklin, retired Dean of the University of Southern California Law School. Dr. Franklin and Dr. Montgomery have been close friends for more than twenty-years.

The morning began with a dedication of the Marian James Montgomery Memorial Plaza, located between the DSU Trojan Center and East Hall. Marian James is the late wife of G. Donald Montgomery. From there the group moved to the memorial to Donald James Montgomery, son of the couple who was killed in an automobile accident during his senior year of college. The memorial sits at the edge of the new parking lot being constructed with donations from Dr. Montgomery.

A reception was held in the new Montgomery Lounge, located in Heston Hall, DSU's administration building. The Lounge is used primarily by the Admissions Department to meet with prospective students and their families. A celebratory luncheon was then held in the Brinker Conference room, named for an earlier DSU donor.

Dr. Jerald A. Tunheim, Dakota State’s president, said, "The importance of Dr. Montgomery’s contributions goes well beyond monetary value alone. He has generously provided substantial sums at a critical moment in DSU’s history. Those contributions have forever changed the destiny of this University."

A specially commissioned portrait of Dr. Montgomery, by Madison artist John Green, was unveiled at lunch. The portrait will hang in the Heston Hall Montgomery Lounge. Dr. Montgomery offered his own surprise to the program by adding more than $100,000 to his scholarship fund. The contribution was delivered to Dr. Tunheim by Dr. Carl Franklin and will substantially increase the value of the G. Donald & Marian James Montgomery Endowment, already one of Dakota State's largest.

"Dr. Montgomery is one of those rare donors who gives not to raise his own self-importance but to raise the sights and lives of others," said Marty Gallanter, DSU Foundation Director. "We are very proud that the Montgomery family name has become a permanent part of our campus."