Max Baucus, Montana’s longest-serving U.S.senator, is now America's ambassador to China, but a significant portion of his legacy will remain with the University of Montana.

On Wednesday, April 10, Baucus announced he would donate his official papers to UM’s Archives and Special Collections. In addition, the Baucus Institute for Public Policy and Service will be established at the UM School of Law if approved by the state Board of Regents.

UM Vice President for Integrated Communications Peggy Kuhr said the university was excited to receive the Baucus papers in the Mansfield library.

"We're very excited that Ambassador Baucus has decided that he plans to deposit his official papers in the University of Montana's archives and special collections in our library," Kuhr said. "In addition, to help pay for the cataloging and archiving of all of those documents, Ambassador Baucus is donating $850,000, which comes from his campaign funds, a donation he is allowed to make. We're excited that this donation is coming to the University of Montana Foundation."

Kuhr said Baucus chose to honor the University of Montana with these donations because of his long relationship with the institution and the UM Law School.

"All of our congressional delegation, at the time that we were building and renovating the law school, they all helped to secure funding for the project," Kuhr said. "He is also very familiar with many UM Law School graduates who have been nominated for numerous positions with state and federal government. We're looking forward to having students and scholars see those papers in the future."

The planned Baucus Institute for Public Policy and Service will be nonpartisan and cross-disciplinary. It will be placed at the School of Law, where Baucus was a member of the board of visitors. The institute will be funded through private contributions. It will include the creation of a Baucus Fellows Program, open to both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a new lecture series.

UM Vice President for Integrated Communications Peggy Kuhr

 

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