Archives West Finding Aid

The Quadrangle B, "Quad B", student residences served as housing for women students at Montana State College/University from 1935 until at least 1968 (the name Montana State College was changed to Montana State University after 1965). Built in 1935 using funding from the Federal Public Works project, Quad B was referred to as the Calvin House until about 1944. The Calvin House was named after Kate Calvin, one of the original three professors hired at Montana State College. Kate Calvin taught music at MSC from 1894-1904 and funded her own salary through fees for music lessons. The other two male professors were salaried. Calvin was so successful at her music lesson business she was able to fund the construction of her colonial revival home at 609 S. Grand in Bozeman, and an adjacent boarding house at 613 S. Grand. A Fall 2007 issue of the MSU magazine Mountains and Minds notes that "some of this woman's most lasting contributions involved planning and finding funding for university residence halls, and the old University Home Management House, once located at the corner of Grand and Cleveland."

During World War II, from approximately mid-March 1943 until July of 1944, the women of the Quad B Calvin House were relocated to nearby fraternities and other residences to make room for Army and Air Force members conducting training on the MSC campus.

Quad B continued as a residence for women students after that, and in 1963, the house took part in a "unique experiment," as the "Honor House," in which the women residents lived there 'on their honor,' with no "house-mother in residence." The Honor House continued in this form until at least 1968.

At the time of processing this collection (2024), the Quad housing, including Quad B, is housing for Honors students, both men and women, and should not be confused with the unchaperoned women's "Honor House."