An exclusive interview with Don the donut man

Norm Asbjornson Hall is blanketed in early morning sunlight and the scent of coffee brewing every Friday – and at the center of the hall stands custodian Donald Aamold as he waits for the stream of students to come in and snag a donut. He stands with four dozen donuts and a smile.

Aamold is a third-generation Montanan who grew up in the tiny town of Hobson, which according to the World Population Review has 195 residents in 2023. There was limited work opportunity in a town like Hobson; however, many residents worked at the nearby yogo sapphire mine in Central Montana. 

Aamold worked as a loader operator and as a security guard in the winter. The mine could only operate until the water froze, as they could no longer wash out the sapphires, he said. Since the equipment needed to be protected from people shooting it up, Aamold was hired as security. However, the company soon faced financial difficulty, and Aamold lost his job. 

In response, he started working as a security patrol officer in Bozeman almost 38 years ago. After getting married, he started working as a night-time custodian for Walmart, but after 13 years, he would end up working for MSU. Aamold was looking out for his daughter when taking a position at MSU, as after five years of service, she would have six credits waived each semester, he said. 

Aamold spent two years at what is now MSU Billings, double majoring in art and math. However, he struggled with dyslexia and, at the time, there were no programs for dyslexic individuals, so he was very supportive of his daughter continuing her education at MSU. She achieved this feat by graduating in 2019 with a degree in photography.

Aamold has a passion for learning and has been able to continue his education by working for MSU, he said. "I am 63 years old, and I love the opportunity to learn new things every day," he said. Aamold can learn from resources available at the school and from speaking to students. "I enjoyed listening to the students and hearing about their interests. That is one of the best things about working here. I've learned everything from stem cells to people trying to make silicon-carbon batteries," Aamold said. 

It all started with him going into Granny's Gourmet Donuts in the morning to pick up a donut or two and sitting on Norm's third floor to savor the donut and some chai before his shift started. Aamold explained that while there, he met a young couple named Wyatt and Sara, who were studying mechanical and chemical engineering. Soon he started bringing the young couple donuts, and the number of donuts being bought rose significantly with other people joining in on the conversations. 

However, Aamold ran into some health problems when he came down with double pneumonia, which led to a diagnosis of diabetes. "I no longer eat that much sugar, but I still enjoy watching people smile when they get a donut," he said. 

Wyatt and Sara have since graduated and moved on; however, the amount of donuts has continued to rise. Aamold distributes four dozen donuts every Friday starting around 7:30 a.m. and they are typically gone by 8 a.m. "I have found that the students love the sprinkle donuts, so I make sure to get some specialty donuts," he said. Four dozen donuts cost about forty dollars. When questioned about the expense, Don said, "Forty dollars doesn't really bother me. It's worth it to see smiles."

Don is incredibly caring, and the employees of Norm's coffee house agreed. "Don goes above and beyond in all aspects. As a resource and a valued team member, he is incredible," said Victoria Welch, the floor supervisor of Norm. Sophomore student Jessie Tuggey said, "Don is such a vibe and sets a happy tone for everything."

So next time you are in Norm at 7:30 a.m. on a Friday say hi to Don and maybe even talk with him about your day.