Montana State Northern Lights & Skylights Athletics

Dr. Richard Ruetten was the leading player for the Northern Lights basketball team during the 1948-49 season with 347 points, 114 field goals, and 119 free throws averaging 18.3 points per game as the Light's post man. Although an outstanding athlete at NMC, he is probably better known throughout the country as an eminent historian. After leaving NMC, Richard went on to earn a Ph.D. in history and taught at San Diego State University for 30 years before retiring as professor emeritus in 199 1. He received a prestigious Truman Research Associate appointment which led to Quest and Response: Minority Rights and the Truman Administration (1973), a Pulitzer nominated book he co-authored with Donald R. McCoy. University of Montana history professor Robert Lindsay wrote to say "Dick arrived at the University of Oregon to begin his graduate education with what many of his fellow graduate students and some faculty members viewed as weak academic credentials. Part of his undergraduate work included courses taken at an unknown junior college... NMC. They soon changed their minds. By the time Dick received his Ph.D. he was recognized by students and faculty as being one of the future stars in his profession."