D.J. Shults Brotherhood Scholarship

After graduating from Big Sandy High School in Montana, Dosia J. Shults first attended the University of Montana in 1926 where he participated in football and basketball and joined the Montana Beta Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He left UM in 1928 when he ran out of money and reportedly arrived in Hettinger, North Dakota with only $7.50. By the time he returned to UM in 1932, D.J. Shults owned seven weekly newspapers. A staff member at the UM School of Journalism is quoted as saying; “We soon came to realize that he knew more about the weekly newspapers than we did, so we used his expertise in teaching other students.” After graduation, D.J. returned to Hettinger, N.D., to continue his publishing career and was a beloved member of his community where he owned and published the Adams County Record and was subsequently chosen as the President of the North Dakota Press Association. D.J. Shults continued to own and publish the Adams County Record for over 50 years. This newspaper continues to be published to this day. Beyond being a UM Alumni, longtime publisher, and beloved community member, D.J. was a Veteran of WWII where he served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 – 1946 achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

As a tribute to the positive fraternal experience he had during his undergraduate years, D.J. Shults endowed a scholarship with the University of Montana Foundation in 1981 to be awarded to undergraduate members of the Montana Beta Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. His scholarship is an enduring testament to his legacy and commitment to the ideals of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Montana Beta.