Northern Receives Two Major Gifts
By Amber Gilge
Summer 2005

MSU-Northern is pleased to announce the largest private contribution in the history of the University. Wilbur and Ila Hensler, currently of Missoula, have given the MSUN Foundation 1.2 million dollars in an irrevocable trust designated to the College of Technical Sciences (COTS) for equipment. The trust will be placed in a permanent endowment with the earnings each year being used to purchase equipment for the College of Technical Sciences.

"We at Northern are very appreciative of what the Hensler's have done. This gift not only provides funding to purchase equipment needed this year for the opening of our new Applied Technology Center, but students in the future will continue to reap benefits through the proceeds of the trust," said Greg Kegel, Dean of the COTS.

A determining factor in Hensler's decision to bequeath money to Northern was the possibility of a state match for funding. A portion of the trust will receive matching money from state funding in an effort to revitalize existing two-year programs. This will provide updated, state-of-the-art equipment for student use.

"This contribution is exactly what the University needs to purchase new equipment that will keep our programs on the cutting edge of technology. In appreciation of this very generous gift, we are naming the auditorium in our new Applied Technology Center the Hensler auditorium," said Kegel.

Kegel has been instrumental in writing proposals and working with the Henslers to determine how the money should be spent. The goal is to purchase items that will continue to be used by future students at Northern. Items that will be purchased include a chassis dynamometer and dynamometer test cell, a coordinate measuring machine, a 5 axis machining center, advanced fluid power trainers, a WaterJet cutting machine, and SmartCar Trainers. Additions will help attract more students to Northern's technical programs to produce graduates to meet the industries' demand for highly qualified workers.

Hensler was born in Comertown, Montana, and graduated from Comertown High School. After graduation, he served in the army and was located in the South Pacific. From 1946-1948 he attended Northern Montana College. Shortly after Wilbur and Ila were married, the Henslers established Wagner Tractor Company in Havre. They expanded the business and created Northern Manufacturing where they designed and built Big Bud Tractors. The Henslers have now chosen to invest in the future of Montana through MSUN.

"We are very excited for young people as they prepare to enter the workforce. Northern provides quality programs and any way that we can help prepare students today and tomorrow by providing funds for state-of-the art equipment is our way of having an impact on Montana's future," said the Henslers.

According to Ron Harmon, who purchased Northern Manufacturing from the Henslers in 1974, "The Henslers are terrific people. Wilbur is a great businessman who has been very successful and whose word and handshake are as good as any contract. I think it's great that they have chosen to come back to their roots and invest in the youth of this community."

MSUN's first foundation president, Dr. Clark Grimm and his wife Sally, have established a planned gift of $540,000.00. This is the third major gift the Grimm's have established with the MSU-Northern Foundation.

Sally and Clark now reside in Missouri but continue to support MSUN with their unrestricted gifts. "We believe in the opportunities Northern provides the young people of Montana. We know our unrestricted gift will be used for the benefit of educating and training students in the future:"
 
 

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