Frank “Frog” Hull, a native of Deer Lodge, Montana, was a 1958 graduate of Western Montana College (WMC) with a Bachelor of Science in secondary education. He later earned his master’s in education from Western Montana College in 1960 and a writing endorsement from the University of Washington.
After graduating from Powell County High School in 1951, Hull enrolled at Western. He took a break from college and enlisted in the U.S. Army. After his discharge, he returned to WMC. At Western, he participated in football, basketball and baseball.
Hull was very active in extracurricular activities as well. Hull was active in M-Club and served as club president his senior year. He was a member of the Wescolite staff demonstrating his writing prowess.
He emceed many campus events exhibiting his talents as a song and dance man and his quick-witted ability to create a song or poem instantaneously! This trait entertained many throughout his life. Hull donned face paint and danced with the bulls as a rodeo clown at the first Montana Western rodeo.
After graduation from Western, he embarked on a 25-year career as an educator at Beaverhead County High School (BCHS) in Dillon, Montana. Hull taught English and journalism and was advisor for the school newspaper.
His ability to dissect poetry and prose to help his students understand was truly a gift. Hull used literature to teach life’s lessons and connect the past with the present. He would often break into song or play the harmonica in class to set the tone of what was to come during the lesson.
Away from his duties at BCHS, Hull was a juvenile probation officer, a city judge, a a high school basketball and football official, Big Sky Conference and Frontier Conference football official, a conference officials’ supervisor, a motivational speaker, Elks club steward, hardware store specialist, and dance band musician in the group “The Generation Gap.”
His many awards and honors include the Gold Key Award for Journalism, Outstanding Journalism Teacher of the Year, Western Montana College Outstanding Alumni, Montana Officials’ Association Hall of Fame, American Legion 50 Years of Service Award, Jaycee Distinguished Service Award and White Hat Coalition’s Distinguished Service Award.
When Hull wasn’t volunteering for community events, like the Jaycees, D.A.R.E, Governor’s Task Force, Beaverhead Golf Course, American Legion, Elks, or playing music for fundraisers, he was active in community theatre, playing roles in “The Odd Couple,” “The Fantastiks,” “Arsenic and Old Lace,” and “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”
No matter where Hull was in life, he remained a loyal Bulldog and an ardent supporter of Western. His years of support included contributing to the planning of the first Bulldog Athletic Association Dinner and Auction now called the Booster Bash.
Hull and his wife, Yvonne, were married for 62 years. They are proud parents of six children who also share their devotion for Montana Western. Hull passed away June 29, 2018.
In 2018, his family created the Frank “Frog” Hull Scholarship. The annual award is $1,000 and will be presented to a student majoring in English with great potential, financial need and a minimum GPA of 3.0. Additional criteria for the scholarship is a student who volunteers to support his/her broader community on and off campus while demonstrating excellent leadership.
