Remembering Dr. Joe McDonald

I want to thank Mr. Wyman McDonald for his recent letter commemorating his late cousin, Dr. Joe McDonald. Wyman’s letter referenced their ancestral connection to Scottish trapper Angus McDonald. I want to add my own perspective because just the memory of Joe McDonald brings a smile to my face.

I consider Joe McDonald as Montana’s greatest educator. He helped to create Two Eagle River School and the Salish Kootenai College. As a teacher and coach, he guided individual students to success. But as a college president, Joe McDonald shaped our community, state and nation.

The degrees given to SKC graduates are tickets towards changing and improving the lives of thousands of people. Students from across Montana have earned degrees and returned to their communities as professionals in a field or trade. These gifts to future generations bear a direct link to one man, Joe McDonald.

My perspective of Joe McDonald is inextricably tied to the memory of his late wife, Sherry. She dedicated countless hours to running the Ronan Food Bank, providing food resources to hundreds of people. I also know that members of Joe McDonald’s family helped pass the bond measure that built Ronan’s Middle School and performing arts center.

The gift of community-building is a gift to everybody. The world will always be in need of more people like Joe McDonald. Like his ancestor Angus McDonald, Joe McDonald’s life is historically significant to the entire Northwest.

Thank you, Wyman, for bringing a smile to my face.

– David Daniels

Missoula