1941 Alum James Kelly Impacts Tech Students Today

For James Leo Kelly, service was always an important part of his life.

James was born in Boulder, Montana, in 1917, but grew up in Dillon. After high school he attended the Teacher's College in Dillon for two years, then transferred to the Montana School of Mines in 1937, studying Mining Engineering. At school he was passionate about his fraternity, Sigma Rho, the Copper Guards service organization and basketball. At 6'3", he had a bit of an advantage.

Ten days after graduation in 1941, James found himself in the Army. He served in Europe in World War II, including at Omaha Beach and the Rhine River Bridge. After the war, he worked for the Anaconda Company for 35 years, eventually as Chief Geologist, and had the opportunity to travel the world. He met and married Rose Marie Castagna of Tombstone, Arizona, in 1954. They spent 52 years together.

When the time came for James and Rose to plan their estate giving, they thought of his alma mater and wanted to help students like them experience the extraordinary opportunities that the Montana Tech Foundation can bring. They established the James L. & Rose M. Kelly Endowed Scholarship with a major gift. The scholarship supports students who graduated from a Montana high school, have financial need and plan to enroll in an engineering discipline.

James Kelly spent his life exploring and giving to others, and with his and Rose's planned estate gift, their legacy will continue to support students for years to come.

To start a conversation about establishing a legacy gift at Montana Tech, please contact Luke Meyer, MSPR at 406-496-4144 or lmeyer@mtech.edu.