Alumni Plaza with Spirit the Bobcat

Completed in October of 2009, Alumni Plaza was organized and funded by the Alumni Association to create a place to instill pride and provide a focal point for spirit on campus. The Bobcat was selected as MSU’s mascot in 1916 for its cunning intelligence, athletic prowess and independent spirit. These attributes are elegantly reflected in Spirit, the plaza’s centerpiece, a bronze sculpture named for Montana State’s first bobcat. The plaza has been designed to include seating, decorative pavers, landscaping featuring native Montana flora, and massive boulders that provide a natural setting for the bronze. The sculpture was created by artist and storyteller Bob Stayton (1951 Alumnus) and the bronze casting provided by Jack Muir (1970 Alumnus).