Max Worthington Papers, 1926-1990

Series one contains materials and papers accumulated by Max Worthington from his high school years to the late 1980s. A substantial scrapbook of college days includes his sports career and his membership in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Photographs of classmates and fraternity brothers along with newspaper clippings, correspondence, social ephemera and brochures are present. There are numerous newspaper clipping files about the "Golden Bobcats," WWII, athletics and special events at Montana State University, legislation of the 1980s affecting the University system, the career of sports writer Bill Duncan and other diverse subjects. A comprehensive group of military records trace his service in the Naval Reserve on active duty from 1943-1946 in the Pacific Theater during WWII. His recognition as a significant athletic of the 1920-30s is represented by files of programs, tributes, souvenirs and certificates for the Montana State College Hall of Fame, Worthington Arena, and alumni reunions. Files of materials for the 1989 Montana Special Olympics, artwork of a grateful student, a group of Dorothy Worthington's employment records, legislative information of the 1980s, an audio tape interview for the 75th anniversary of the university, retirement party records, a Richard Nixon autograph and a selection of diverse memorabilia completes the series. Groups of materials are arranged in approximate chronological order.

Correspondence collected by Max Worthington has been arranged in chronological order with special files for retirement and Hall of Fame congratulatory letters and a file of letters between Max Worthington and sports writer Bill Duncan.

Collected photographs include posed and candid shots of Max Worthington; athletic events, teams and reunions; university celebrations; WWII snap shots of shipmates, shipboard activities and ports of call. Two booklets of photographs chronicle some of the life in Lae, Papua New Guinea and the Papuan natives while stationed on the U.S.A.T. Sea Barb at Milne Bay, New Guinea with additional pictures of Leyte, the Philippines, and Australia. The final group of photos are in a ring binder which chronicles Max Worthington's 1973 retirement party with friends and colleagues of the university community.