Dr. Milton W. Durham (1914-1992) served as a regent of Washington State University from 1955-1967 and as president of the Board of Regents in 1957 and 1958. A surgeon and veteran of the United States Air Force, Durham practiced and resided in Spokane where he also served as the Spokane member of the Cougar Boosters. Durham was named WSU’s first “Father of the Year” in October 1958. In 1964 the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges awarded him “outstanding regent of the United States,” the same year he published a
Durham attended Lincoln High School in Tacoma, WA and later received his medical training at the University of Oregon, graduating in 1939. Durham served in the Air Force during WWII where he ended his service as a lieutenant colonel in charge of the administration and professional operation of 56 hospitals.
Durham was an amateur radio enthusiast and broadcasted under the call sign W7AQG. He was active in Republican politics in Spokane and campaigned for Eisenhower in the 1952 Presidential election. He was on good terms with Washington Governor Arthur B. Langlie who ultimately appointed Durham to the WSU Board of Regents.
Milton W. Durham’s papers consist of three boxes of professional correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, diplomas and certificates, and manuscript material. Items in the collection relate primarily to Durham’s position as member of the WSU Board of Regents and to his military service. There are a smaller number of items related to his personal and family relations and to his career as a practicing surgeon in Spokane, WA.
This collection is unprocessed and does not yet have a formal arrangement.
This collection is open and available for research use. Please note that photographs associated with Durham's military service may include disturbing images of men wounded in combat
Copyright restrictions apply. Unpublished writings and photographs authored by Durham will come into the public domain in 2062. Much of the material in the collection has unknown authorship.
[Item description] in the Milton W. Durham papers (MS2024.27)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Milton Durham passed this collection onto his daughter, Dana Durham, who in turn donated it to MASC.
Gift of Dana Durham.
No additional accruals are expected.
Preliminary processing and appraisal by Will Gregg.
Washington State University Board of Regents Records, 1960-1990
Washington State University Board of Regents Minutes, 1891-2021
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Below is a list of the general contents of each box in the collection.