Archives West Finding Aid

May G. Flanagan was born 15 July 1874 in Dubuque, Iowa, to Michael A. and Elizabeth Flanagan. The Flanagans were Fort Benton, Montana, pioneers, arriving in 1868. Since there was no doctor at the fort, her mother returned to Dubuque for May's birth. The Flanagans had three other children, Grace Flanagan Joyce, Virginia E. Flanagan, and Frank Flanagan. May's father worked for T.C. Power and Bro. as a bookkeeper when he first arrived in Fort Benton, and his sister Mary was married to Power. In 1875 Michael founded the first drug store in Fort Benton and later he also served as postmaster. May Flanagan graduated from the Wisconsin State Normal College in Milwaukee and then earned her A.B. degree at Montana State University in Missoula. She also did graduate work at Columbia University in New York City and at the University of California in Berkeley. Flanagan spent her life as an educator. She taught school in Fort Benton and Salt Lake City, served as Chouteau County superintendent of schools for two years, was the first principal of the Highwood High School, served as the Highwood superintendent of grade schools, and was the principal of the Whittier School in Great Falls from 1930 to 1944. She was an active member of the Montana Historical Society and wrote several historical articles that were printed in various publications. She died on 22 Sept. 1958 in Helena.