The first three decades of the 20th century were rowdy ones on the college campus. Bozeman had a large red-light district by 1900, alcohol was plentiful and cheap, and there was little in the way of organized entertainment such as theaters to occupy the student body. President Reid spent much of his presidency cracking down on dancing, drinking, gambling, and prostitution by students. James R. Reid resigned for health reasons in 1904, and was succeeded as president by Dr. James M. Hamilton, an economist. Reid met Ella Holden while traveling in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1902. He moved to Montreal in 1904 and married her. The couple had two children. The Reids moved to Riverside, California, in 1919. James Reid died in Riverside on December 6, 1937.