History

Billings Polytechnic Institute was founded by brothers Lewis and Ernest Eaton with the support of the Congregational Church.  Described as a “practical industrial school for the Northwest,” Billings Polytechnic began classes in 1910.  Students received a practical education as they operated a dairy farm, a produce garden, a small refinery, and a milling company which produced cereals and pancake flour.  These operations provided “fresh vegetables, fruit, eggs, milk, cream, and butter” for the dormitories. James J. Hill contributed 25,000 toward land to expand the campus and get it out of Billings.  Theodore Roosevelt said of the school, “This is the kind of school that builds character and trains for the highest type of leadership.” 

The 1939 Poly lists five colleges under the Polytechnic aegis: a technical/opportunity college, the Billings Business College, the conservatory of music, the academy, and the liberal arts college, which at the time was offered cooperatively with Intermountain Union College.

The 1939 Poly shows a college enrollment of around 100, with another 37 in the technical school and more than 200 in the business college.  In addition to the regular literary, dramatic and musical societies, Polytechnic students were active in academic or social organizations such as Eagles, Kappa Chi, Pioneers, and Pi Alpha Pi—organizations responsible for most campus events.

Beginning in 1936, Intermountain Union College shared the Polytechnic campus, and the two schools shared the liberal arts program.  In 1947 the schools formally merged and adopted the name Rocky Mountain College.