Little League Baseball lost an icon and a legend in the spring of 2017, with the passing of Jim Scown. Scown was a career Butte miner who was well known for his work at Northwest Little League in Butte. He served as the league president for 26 years from 1970 to 1995. In 1988, the Northwest Little League field on Copper Street was renovated and named “Scown Field” in his honor. In 2016, Montana Little League District 2 created the Jim Scown Distinguished Little League Graduate Award in his honor.
Mr. Scown helped begin girls’ Little League softball in Montana in 1974. He was the first league president to provide girls’ softball in the Pacific Northwest, and he is credited with being a pioneer of the sport. During his tenure as president, the girls’ teams at Northwest won nine state titles. Scown served as an officer of District 2 Little League for 21 years. He served many years as a coach of all sports at the grade school level in Butte schools. Scown’s tenure at the Northwest Little League began in 1954 as an umpire. He started coaching in 1965 with the Ossello’s club. During his own playing days, Scown participated in fast pitch softball. In 2005, Scown was inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the Butte Buzzies football team. In addition to his work pioneering girls’ fast pitch softball in Montana, Scown developed the venue known as “Scown Field” in Butte. Once a mine dump, under the shadows of the Anselmo Mine Headframe, Mr. Scown persevered throughout the years using volunteer labor, neighborhood improvement programs, and all of his heart, to create a “field of dreams” that youngsters in the State of Montana can play Little League Baseball and Softball. The facility is the host to the 2017 Little League Baseball Championship Tournament. “Whether it be in Little League, school sports, or in the community, Jim was a champion for improving the opportunities and lives of all children and our community no matter what your name was, where you lived, or how rich or poor your family was,” Miller said. “His hard work, determination, and vision set the bar high for others to strive to live up to.”
Many of Mr. Scown’s former players have come back to the program to volunteer and help spread Little League’s message of character, loyalty, and courage. The Jim Scown Distinguished Little League Graduate Award was created in order to recognize those individuals who have come back to the program to help the pro-gram continue to flourish. Additionally, the award honors those that live out the examples of character, loyalty, and courage in their everyday lives. Establishing this award is just a small down payment on all the thanks that the former and current participants in Montana Little League District 2 owes to this man. It was once said that “Heroes are remembered, Legends live forever!” Jim Scown is a legend we are fortunate to have benefitted from.
Mike Davis - Great Falls Americans Little League - Great Falls
Montana Little League District 2 is proud to honor Mike Davis of Great Falls as the 2025 recipient of the Jim Scown Distinguished Little League Graduate Award. Established in memory of Jim Scown, a true pioneer of Montana Little League, the award reflects Jim’s lifelong belief that the greatest measure of the game is found in the people it shapes. Jim’s decades of service were marked by a powerful tradition—former players returning as adults to give back to the league that helped raise them. That same spirit lives on through this award and through Mike Davis.
The Jim Scown Distinguished Little League Graduate Award recognizes volunteers who once played Little League and later returned to serve, while living out the core virtues the program instills: Courage, Character, and Loyalty. Mike Davis exemplifies those values in every sense. Mike played his Little league career in Washington state. For more than 30 years, he has dedicated himself to coaching in the Great Falls American Little League, committing countless hours to teaching the game and, more importantly, teaching life lessons that extend far beyond the diamond.
Known affectionately as a “player’s coach,” Mike has had a lasting impact on the lives of hundreds of young athletes. Former players consistently speak of his unique ability to inspire kids to work harder, compete with purpose, and believe in themselves. Under his guidance, players learned resilience, teamwork, and accountability—all while having fun. Mike understood that joy is essential to growth, and he made the game of baseball a place where kids wanted to be, learn, and give their best effort.
Through his unwavering commitment and positive influence, Mike Davis embodies the legacy Jim Scown envisioned—former Little Leaguers returning to serve, lead, and give back. Montana District 2 Little League is honored to recognize Mike’s extraordinary service and lasting impact by naming him the recipient of the 2025 Jim Scown Distinguished Little League Graduate Award. His dedication has strengthened the league, enriched the community, and shaped generations of young people for the better.
THE
JIM SCOWN
DISTINGUISHED LITTLE LEAGUE GRADUATE AWARD
2016
Meg Murphy
Butte
2017
Keith Marr
Great Falls
2018
Max Cannon
Missoula
2019
Terry Galle
Anaconda
2022
Jim LeProwse
Butte
2023
Jennifer McEwen
Butte
2024
Tim Gray
Missoula
Brandon Scown, Tim Gray, Keith Miller (DA)
2025
Mike Davis
Great Falls
Brandon Scown, Dominic Scown, Mike Davis, Keith Miller (DA)