Founders' Excellence Awards
by Adrienne Swartz
Summer 2004

Judy Greenwood

Judy Greenwood came to Havre in 1969 along with her husband, Dave. Judy became a faculty member in the Nursing department and Dave joined the Health and Physical Education department as Chairman and Athletic Director. Judy was also employed as a nurse by Northern Montana Hospital. A few years later, she left her teaching and nursing careers to devote time to a successful new business venture in the community, Taco Johns. This business venture grew and expanded to other areas of Montana and North Dakota, carrying with it, Judy’s commitment to Northern. During this same time, Judy and Dave’s family was also growing to include their daughter Kari and son Kraig.

Judy’s continuing interest and involvement with Northern has supported the campus in numerous ways over the years. The Taco John’s cart is visible at almost any college function including alumni activities, athletic events, Foundation gatherings, and many other student centered functions. In addition, she has employed numerous college and high school students over the years. Many of these students attend MSU-Northern and their continued employment makes college a reality for them. Also, the Greenwoods support several scholarships that benefit Northern students including Employee Scholarships, a Nursing Scholarship, a Wrestling Scholarship, and Century Club. Judy has given unselfishly of her time to numerous college projects, serving on the Foundation Board and the Executive Board, where she presently serves as chairperson. Judy and Dave continue to provide the moral and financial support that allows Northern to pursue both short and long-term goals to advance the institution.

In service to the community, Judy has continued her involvement in the medical profession through her participation in several capacities on the Northern Montana Hospital Board, one of them as Chairperson. She is also involved with the Havre Chamber of Commerce supporting Havre Festival Days and other community activities.

Raymond G. Watson

Ray Watson was one of the relatively few children born during the depths of the depression in 1933. He was educated in the Havre Public School system. After his graduation in 1951, he attended Northern Montana College until 1953. After his time at NMC, he worked in the Texas oilfields with his brother-in-law and then in Seattle as a toolmaker for Boeing Aircraft. In 1954, he began his five-year stint in the U.S. Navy as an Electronics Technician and Guided Missileman. In 1957, he married Susan Carson; they lived in the Chincoteague Naval Air Station. In 1959, following honorable discharge from the Navy, Watson returned to college at Montana State College in Bozeman where, in 1961, he received a degree in History with teaching credentials. He began teaching at Havre High School in 1962 and by then, his family had grown to include two children, Deborah and Richard.

In 1966, Watson received his Masters Degree in History at Montana State College in Bozeman and returned to teaching at HHS. He retired in 1990. During his tenure at HHS, Watson worked diligently for the Montana Education Association, serving as President of the Havre Education Association from 1969-1970 and again in 1986-1987. He represented the Havre teachers as a Legislative Chairperson and as a negotiator for teacher contracts. He was appointed to the Montana Education Association Board from 1970-1976 and was Vice President of the North Central District in 1973. He was also appointed to the NMC Advisory Committee/Performance Based Education in 1974 and was a member of the Financial Planning Cadre for the MEA from 1987-1990. From 1976-1988, he worked with American Heritage Tours, taking students from Havre High and other Montana schools to East Coast historical settings for the study of Early American History. Ray was also a charter member of the Fort Assiniboine Historical Society.

Ray was active in local politics serving on the Havre City Council for 13 years. During his tenure, he served as Council President and Chairperson of Finance. He was elected Mayor in 1981, and served a four-year term. As Mayor, Ray oversaw many infrastructure improvements to the city. After retirement from teaching, he entered the world of volunteering. He and Susan moved to Seattle, Washington to assist his brother, Richard and his wife, Mary, who are also graduates of NMC. In 1994, they moved to Denver where they tutored fourth grade math for five years. In 2000, Ray and Susan moved to Great Falls, Montana, where they volunteer at the C.M. Russell Museum and at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Ray and Sue have been asked by the National Park Service to "Ride the Rails" this summer. It is a "Step-On" program and they will promote Montana and the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery.

Gordon T. Obie

Gordon T. Obie was born on a homestead 30 miles north of Joplin, MT in 1917. He enrolled at Northern Montana College in the fall of 1937, working at the Lakeside Dairy for room and board. He would rise by 4:00 a.m. every morning to complete the morning milking before his classes. Wanting to be a famous artist, Gordon enrolled in art and lettering classes at Northern. He says, "My time at NMC exposed me to a wider view of the world and stimulated me to go on to do other things. It was my first stepping stone." After painting signs for a carnival that was in town, Gordon decided to join them and began a lifetime of travel, adventure and, of course, the building of his business, Obie Media.

Gordon started his career as a sign painter in Bozeman, and with some time out for war industries, over the next thirty five years he built the company. In 1961, he sold his company in Montana and moved to Oregon where he formed another company and bought two others. Over the next fifteen years, Gordon purchased 26 companies and had approximately 5,000 billboards in several states. Today, Obie Media is listed as OBIE on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange. A major part of Obie Media operations consists of the advertising on about 12,000 buses in the United States and Canada. By 1976, he had also purchased four radio stations and the Monaco Motor Home Manufacturing Company with Ed King. Ed and Gordon started another company called King/Obie Designs and did the interior décor for supermarkets and restaurants. Gordon retired later that year and his son, Brian, became the CEO of Obie Outdoor Advertising.

Gordon is married to Mildred Heustis Obie of Hingham and they have three children. They live in Eugene, Oregon and are currently in the process of selling their winter home in Arizona and moving back to Oregon on a full-time basis. Gordon and Mildred have traveled to 120 foreign countries over the years. His love of art has been a life long passion and his oil paintings have been displayed in Montana, Arizona, Oregon, Mexico, and Siberia. Now, Gordon uses a computer to paint. If you wish to view the paintings, go to www.seniornet.org and type Gordon Obie in the "search senior net" window. Gordon has also written a book on the Maricopa Indians of Arizona.

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