BOZEMAN – Since his graduation from Montana State University in 1959, Paul Wylie has published three books — with more in progress — though what he has accomplished across his four distinct careers could probably fill at least a couple more.

Wylie, who grew up in White Sulphur Springs before graduating from MSU — then called Montana State College — has worked over the past six decades as a chemical engineer, a lawyer, a historian and an author. For his illustrious career and ongoing support of his alma mater, he will receive an honorary doctorate from MSU at the university’s spring commencement on Friday, May 10.

“Paul Wylie is a stunning example of what an individual can accomplish through dedication, hard work and above all, curiosity,” said MSU President Waded Cruzado. “Throughout his life, he has demonstrated a deep dedication to the state and people of Montana. He has contributed to every element of our land-grant mission through his scholarship and engagement, and his continued support of MSU has opened new opportunities for a new generation of students." 

Wylie, who had heard a suggestion that he may be nominated for an honorary degree, had largely discounted the possibility, so when he heard from Cruzado that the nomination had been approved, he said he nearly fell over.

But for those who nominated Wylie, the honor comes as no surprise at all.

“Paul's contributions to industry, to the law, and to the history of Montana have commanded respect and acclaim in all of these sectors of society,” wrote Mary Murphy, an emeritus professor of MSU’s College of Letters and Science and co-director of the Ivan Doig Center, in a letter nominating Wylie for the honorary degree. “We in the Department of History and Philosophy are extraordinarily pleased to nominate a person who has had the skill, creativity and determination to master three disciplines, who has made a point of supporting the university in a myriad of ways … and who has made a mark on the intellectual life of Montana.”

After graduating with a degree in chemical engineering, Wylie worked as a rocket engineer for three years before becoming a patent examiner. While working full-time for the U.S. Patent Office, he attended law school, taking night classes at American University in Washington, D.C.

His experience with the patent office and his technical background made him a natural fit for practicing patent law, and he spent the next three decades working on everything from intellectual property to patent infringement and royalties. In the 1980s, he served as an expert witness on the high-profile Polaroid v. Kodak case, which centered on the intellectual property behind instant color photography.

Wylie continued to practice law, opening a private practice in California before ultimately returning to his home state in 1990. While he continued to operate as a legal consultant, he also indulged a longtime interest in Montana history, researching and writing historical nonfiction. Collaborating with faculty in the MSU Library’s Archives and Special Collections, he published his first book in 2007: a biography of legendary Montanan Thomas Meagher titled “The Irish General.” Research for that book also led Wylie to write “A Coroner’s Inquest into the Death of Thomas Francis Meagher,” a play that has been performed around Montana, including in the Old Supreme Court Chamber of the Montana State Capitol in Helena and the historic Madison County courthouse in Virginia City.

Wylie connected with his first publisher in part thanks to childhood friend and fellow White Sulphur Springs native, the author Ivan Doig, and recalls the invaluable support he received from MSU.

“I had tremendous help from the MSU Library and from faculty,” Wylie said. “I just got tremendous research support, authoritative comments and encouragement to keep going.” Throughout his years as a writer, Wylie has employed MSU graduate students in the writing and researching processes.

Wylie has since published two other books. “Blood on the Marias,” published in 2016, recounts the 1870 Baker Massacre in which nearly 200 members of the Blackfeet tribe were killed, and “Montana State’s Golden Bobcats” tells the story of the 1929 MSU basketball team that won a national title with coach Schubert Dyche and players Brick Breeden and Max Worthington, alongside other well-known names in Bobcat Athletics history.

Working on “Blood on the Marias” gave Wylie an important introduction to Indigenous history and culture in Montana, he said. In researching and writing the book, he was inspired to support Indigenous students at MSU, specifically in his home college of engineering. As a step toward that goal, he and his wife established the Paul R. and Arlene M. Wylie Student Endowment Fund for Native American Students.

“One of the greatest joys of serving as a college dean is the opportunity to meet and work with outstanding students as well as highly achieved alumni — alumni such as Paul Wylie,” wrote Robert Marley, who served as MSU’s dean of engineering from 2001 to 2013, in a letter supporting Wylie’s honorary doctorate. “[His] stature amongst those who have previously been awarded this honor is extremely high, by achievement and character. Every citizen of Montana can be proud of Paul’s impact and accomplishments and to know he is one of their own.”

The Wylies have also demonstrated continued support of the MSU Library and Bobcat Athletics, and while Paul Wylie’s accomplishments are many, he has still more projects in mind. He is working on a fourth book and hopes his varied career can serve as an inspiration to current and future MSU students to follow their own curiosities.

“I hope students can look at what I’ve done and remember that they don’t have to stay with just one thing,” Wylie said of the legacy he hopes to leave. “I hope someone will say, ‘I can do something different with my life.’”