BOZEMAN — Montana State University announced this week that the name of a local military hero will now have a permanent spot on its campus.
The future Veterans Support Center, which is inside Romney Hall, will be named after Staff Sergeant Travis Atkins.
Atkins lost his life after he threw himself over a suicide bomber in Iraq to protect three of his fellow soldiers in June 2007.
Not only will the Veterans Support Center bear Atkins' name, but it will also undergo an upgrade in size.
Right now, it's about 875 square feet. After the $32 million Romney Hall renovation, it will be at 3,000 square feet.
“We see a grand significance in this. We are able to put the name of a local hero, a Medal of Honor winner, a soldier who sacrifice himself, onto a space inside this historic building,” MSU Service Director Michael Becker said. “We think that’s very special.”
When it is completed in 2022, Romney Hall will house 19 new classrooms with space for 1,000 students.
