The University of Montana
Grizzly Lifetime Honors Award

Established in 2018, the Grizzly Lifetime Honors Award pays tribute and gives recognition to supporters of Grizzly Athletics who are not eligible for the Grizzly Hall of Fame, which includes athletes and coaches only.

Mission & Criteria (PDF)
Nomination Form (PDF)

**❧ GRIZZLY LIFETIME HONORS AWARD RECIPIENTS ❧**

2018 Steve Hackney		The first-ever recipient of the Grizzly Lifetime Honors Award (2018) Served as Montana’s Head Equipment Manager for 30 years from 1981-2010. UM’s Hackney Athletic Equipment Center named in his honor following his 2010 retirement Graduated from UM in 1972 with a degree in HPE, with an emphasis in Athletic Training and Physical Therapy
2019 Robert "Doc" Curry		Began a nearly four-decade career as Director of Montana’ Student Health Service and football team doctor in 1960 and officially retired in 1990, but stayed involved with Grizzly Athletics until 2005. Cared for, monitored, and advised innumerable Grizzly athletes on health and human performance issues, and also mentored and trained the Grizzly Athletic Training staff. His UM legacy was forever cemented in 1999 when UM President Dr. George Dennison named his former workplace the Curry Health Center.
2021 Gary Hughes		Hughes is a committed 35-year veteran of the University of Montana Athletic Department and a prolific servant to the Missoula community. Originally hired in 1966, Hughes began his career as UM’s ticket office manager, gameday program manager, and oversaw the Century Club, the precursor to today’s GSA. From 1994 to his retirement in 2000 Hughes served as an Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations, managing all events and ticketing for the Adams Center and Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Has also served for organizations such as the International Olympic Committee, Sentinel Kiwanis of Missoula, Destination Missoula Sports Commission, Montana Special Olympics, and the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame.
2022 Bill Schwanke		“Grizzly” Bill Schwanke is a Missoula native who graduated from UM with a journalism degree in 1967. He was editor of the Montana Kaimin from 1965-66, and became the Sports Information Director for Grizzly Athletics after graduating. In 1971 Schwanke became the sports director at KYLT radio and served as the play-by-play broadcaster for Montana football and basketball until 1988, where he was instrumental in developing the Montana Sports Radio Network. From 1988 to 1991 he served as the assistant director of the Grizzly Athletic Association (now the GSA), and continued broadcasting through 1993. From 1991 to 1997 he served as the Assistant Director for Marketing and Media Relations for Grizzly Athletics, starting the corporate sponsorship program at UM and developing the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame. He later served as the executive director of the GAA until 2001, working to raise funds, put on golf tournaments, auctions, and re-establishing the “M Club” for former student-athletes. He also worked as an editor, writer, and videographer for the Missoulian until 2010. In the community, Schwanke served as the American Legion Baseball chairman, served on the Board of Directors at Larchmont Golf Course, the Target Range school board, as a trustee for the Community Medical Center Foundation, and on his church council for many years.
2023 The Dennis, Phyllis, Kyle, and Kevin Washington family		Missoula businessman Dennis Washington, his wife Phyllis, and their two sons Kyle and Kevin have been active supporters and generous philanthropists for Grizzly Athletics and the University of Montana for decades. In August of 1985 Mr. Washington and employees of the Washington Corporations provided a $1 million lead gift to begin construction on what is now Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Since then, the family has continued that legacy of support. In 2017, Montana opened a new, state-of-the-art training and locker room facility, now named the Washington-Grizzly Champions Center, with a $7 million lead gift from Kyle and Kevin Washington on behalf of the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation. The family also continues to support athletics through scholarships for student-athletes and a lead gift for the new Grizzly Indoor Practice Facility.
2024 George M. Dennison		George Dennison (1935-2017) was the longest-serving president in the history of his alma mater, The University of Montana. Between 1990-2010, the Montana native presided over a time of explosive growth for the university and Grizzly Athletics, a period that saw UM win its first national championship in 1995, and its second in 2001. During his tenure Montana won a total of 40 Big Sky Championships, including 15 in football and 13 in women's basketball. He also helped start the women's soccer program, which won three conference titles in his time and has since gone on to be one of the most successful teams in Grizzly Athletics. Grizzly football advanced to the 1-AA/FCS national title game seven times in that period and qualified for the playoffs in 17 consecutive years while posting a 17-4 record over rival Montana State and never suffering a losing season. Men's basketball won a combined 10 regular season and tournament Big Sky championships in that time and saw the Griz post a win over Nevada in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the last Big Sky team to win a game in the "Big Dance" as of his induction. Dennison also helped Montana build its athletic facilities to become some of the best in the FCS. During his tenure UM expanded Washington-Grizzly Stadium capacity from 12,500 to its current 25,217. He also helped administer the remodeling of the Adams Center. In the 2006-2007 school year, UM won the Sterling Savings and Loan Presidents Cup, recognizing the most well-rounded athletic department in the conference – a first for Montana. During his tenure, Dennison oversaw a nearly 50 percent growth in enrollment at UM and increased the campus endowment from $17.3 million to $120 million.