The Mansfield Mall is located between the University Center and the Mansfield Library. The area includes grassy knolls, several trees and a statue of revered statesman Mike Mansfield and his wife, Maureen. The statue sculpted by artist Terry Murphy, a Helena native, and was installed and dedicated in 2000.
Mike Mansfield earned a bachelor's degree from UM in 1933 and a master's degree in history in 1934. He stayed on at the University, working in administration and teaching Latin American and Far Eastern history until 1942. He has remained a history professor on permanent tenure at UM for more than five decades.
First elected to the U.S. Congress in 1942, Mansfield served five terms as a representative and four terms in the U.S. Senate, where he was majority leader from 1961 to 1976. He was Ambassador to Japan from 1976 to 1988 and currently is an adviser to American and Asian leaders on issues affecting the Pacific Rim and American-Asian relations.