Students and Faculty alike have been part of the University of Idaho’s military history since 1894. From teaching Military Science courses to being part of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) to veterans earning their degrees here at the University of Idaho, the stories of these members of our community are long serving. Due to this extensive history, Special Collections and Archives has several collections relating to either individuals or departments with military connections. One of the newest collections donated and processed to Special Collections this year is the Donald Leon Mills papers.

Donald Leon Mills was born in Port Orchard, Washington, on the 12th of August 1924. Mills first joined the University of Idaho in 1942 and then took a leave of absence from school after six months to join the United States Army in 1943.

He attended Army Specialized Training Program in Syracuse, New York and then finished his training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

As part of the 104th Infantry, Mills was sent to the European Front. He primarily spent time in France and Italy where many of the images in his scrapbooks are set.

Mills was honorably discharged from the United States Army in 1946 and then from the Navy in 1953. Following his return to the United States in 1946, he rejoined the University of Idaho in 1947. Mills would go on to receive a bachelor’s degree in music. In 1961, Mills and his wife, Audrey, would immigrate to Canada. Don Mills passed away last December at the age of 95. The Donald Leon Mills papers includes: 5 scrapbooks, 30+ individual photographs, articles regarding regimental history, and books on the history of the Infantry division. To view additional pieces in the Mills collection, email Special Collections at: libspec@uidaho.edu.