Introduction
Mildred Leigh (1902-1997) was a teacher and administrator from Illinois who gained most of her renown at Montana State College in Bozeman, Montana, as the director of Hamilton Hall and the Student Union. She was active in the Bozeman community. She received an honorary doctorate from MSU, and the Leigh Lounge in the Student Union Building was dedicated to her.
Early life
Mildred Leigh (born Mildred Josephine Leigh, June 1, 1902—December 16, 1997) was born in Fairview Township, Fulton County, Illinois to Walter A. Leigh and Lacie Olive Gentle Leigh. Her parents were farmers and had also been born in Fairview.
Education
In 1925, Mildred graduated from Cornell College, Iowa, with a degree in home economics. In 1932, she earned a master's degree from the University of Chicago.
Career
After beginning her career as a teacher in Tennessee, she moved to Bozeman and began teaching institution management at Montana State College (now Montana State University) in 1930. She was also the staff director of Hamilton Hall, the "women's freshman dormitory and the only dormitory on campus" during this time. In 1946, she became the director of the Student Union. As director, she planned kitchen and dining facilities, and the Student Union Building designated the Leigh Lounge in her honor in 1990.
Later life
Upon retirement, Leigh volunteered as the first business manager of the Bozeman Symphony Society. In the late 1960s, Leigh's sister, Marjorie Ann, moved to Bozeman and lived with Leigh in a house on Durston Road. The pair later moved into an apartment closer to town. Montana State University awarded her an honorary doctorate in 1977. She died in Bozeman on December 16, 1997.