Women's Center/ McGill Hall

Building plans and construction for the Women’s Center began in the early 1950s. Much of the correspondence regarding the building involved the University of Montana President Carl McFarland. Subpar conditions in the Old Gym (built 1903) sparked discussion about building a Women’s Center, which would hold a new gymnasium for female students. Since the 1940s, there had been complaints about a number of problems with the building. During the winter, the Old Gym was freezing cold. Staff members felt that a lack of privacy--resulting from the limited number of showers in the locker room and the need to use a public stairwell--discouraged women's enrollment in physical education courses. At the same time, the physical education curriculum increasingly focused on strength and general health, preparing physical education instructors not only to teach in the school system, but also to collaborate with recreation centers and the military.

The Women’s Center also would house another program for female students: the Home Economics major. This field promoted a systematic view of household management. Home economics experts stressed the importance of health and adapting to new technology. The Montana Home Economics Association argued that educators had placed too much emphasis on science and mathematics in the 1950s. As a result, few young women were going on to teach Home Economics in Montana's schools. The new Women's Center was intended to house both the physical education and the home economics programs, thereby increasing the university's ability to prepare teachers in these fields.

On September 23, 1953, the Women’s Center had its dedication ceremony. At this event, Rose McClure Aronson and Marilyn Foster gave speeches in which they emphasized the importance of women students throughout UM’s history. The Women’s Center provided modern facilities for physical education and home economics. It boasted a ventilation system in the gym, a food lab, and an acoustic ceiling. Inside the building, there was a model home for demonstrations. The gym accommodated basketball, volleyball, badminton, and many other sports. The Women’s Center emphasized a sense of community and comfort. The building’s lounge was a popular place for students to gather, even outside of school hours. The Home Economics Club, which operated out of the Women’s Center, held fundraisers and hosted special events. 

The Women’s Center continued to serve home economics and physical education majors through the early 1980s. During the latter 1980s, the home economics program began to see declining enrollment. Students’ interest in courses that focused on topics like cooking diminished. In response, the home economics department premiered new offerings on subjects like business, special education, and merchandising. Home economics gradually became absorbed by the education department, losing its designation as a major by 1988. Meanwhile, in the 1970s and 1980s several other buildings on campus, such as the Student Recreation Center and the Adams Center, were built or renovated. Physical education relocated from the Women’s Center to these other buildings. In 1984 the Women’s Center was renamed “McGill Hall,” after Dr. Caroline McGill, a pioneering female physician in Montana. 

Today, McGill Hall is home to a number of programs and provides space for courses on media arts, child development, and health. Although there are no longer gym classes in McGill Hall, students still attend classes on Health and Human Performance there. The University of Montana continues to offer women students many opportunities for physical activity, including co-ed activities courses at the Fitness and Recreation Center and around Missoula. The University also features a limited number of women-only courses, like “Women’s Beginning Weight Training.” Members of the public can view the outside of McGill Hall at any time, as the University of Montana Campus is open to the community. Access to the building’s interior is limited. UM offers periodic tours of campus to prospective students and alumni. 

75th Anniversary Reunion Record: 1913-1988 The Department of Home Economics. Missoula, Montana. The University of Montana, 1988.

Activities (ACT), University of Montana Course Catalog. 2019. Accessed December 1, 2019. https://catalog.umt.edu/course-pages/act.

"Approval Granted for U Buildings." Missoulian (Missoula) March 26 1952, 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/349301604/

Briscoe, Emma H. The Montana Home Economics Association, 1920-1978. Missoula, Montana. Montana Home Economics Association, 1978.

“Department of Home Economics Newsletter Fall 1980,” 1980. Box 1, Folder 5, University of Montana Department of Home Economics Records, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana.

Elias, Megan J. “No Place Like Home: A Survey of American Home Economics History.” History Compass, vol. 9, no. 1, (January 2011), pp. 97 - 105. https://tinyurl.com/vd9kh9j

Facilities, The University of Montana. Accessed December 1, 2019. https://www.umt.edu/crec/about/facilities/default.php.

Labs and Centers, School of Integrative Physiology and Athletic Training. Accessed December 1, 2019. http://health.umt.edu/ipat/labs_and_centers/default.php.

Map of McGill Hall, The University of Montana. Accessed December 1, 2019. https://map.umt.edu/place/48#18/46.86242/-113.98363.

University History Research Guide: Introduction to UM History, University of Montana, November 17th 2019. Accessed December 1, 2019. https://libguides.lib.umt.edu/umhistory

University of Montana Department of Home Economics Records, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana.

University of Montana Office of the President Records. Box 101, Folder: “Women’s Center.” Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana

Verbrugge, Martha H. Active Bodies: A History of Women's Physical Education in Twentieth-Century America. New York, New York. Oxford University Press, 2012. https://tinyurl.com/uke66oz

Visit, University of Montana Admissions. Accessed December 1, 2019. https://admissions.umt.edu/visit/default.php

“Women’s Center- Ground Breaking and Dedication.” University of Montana Office of the President Records, Box 101. Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana.

“Women’s Center.” University of Montana Office of the President Records, Box 101. Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana.