Interviewer
Diann Wiesner
Files
Description
Lucile Speer reminisces on the final days of the 1971-1972 Montana Constitutional Convention. She notes that higher education issue was solved by a compromise of allowing the Montana Legislature to continue allocating a certain amount of the state’s budget for higher education, but creating a Board of Regents that determined how the money was spent. Speer recalls how a special committee was appointed for planning the final day of the convention with a closing ceremony that was open to the public. She offers a vivid account of how emotions ran high that day due to concerns from members and supporters of the Farm Bureau over changes to the constitution that they felt would hurt farming interests. Speer tells how Governor Forrest Anderson supported the constitution and got it signed before the Farm Bureau could file a suit against it. She recalls how every delegate signed the constitution, but that a number of delegates, particularly those from Eastern Montana, worked with the Farm Bureau to defeat it when it was put to the Montana public for a vote. Speer describes her frustration with Leo Graybill for referring to her as “Mrs.” rather than “Ms.” during the convention proceedings.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Statehood; Speer, Lucile -- Interviews.; Speer, Lucile -- Political activity -- Interviews.; Montana. Constitutional Convention (1971-1972); Montana. Constitution (1972) -- History.; Constitutional history -- Montana.; Montana. Constitution Revision Commission. Anderson, Forrest Howard, 1913-1989. -- Political activity; Graybill, Leo -- Political activity. Johnson, Torrey, 1916- -- Political activity.; Higher education and state -- Montana -- History. Montana. Board of Regents of Higher Education -- History.; Pressure groups -- Montana -- History.; Mineral industries -- Political activity -- Montana -- History.; Farmers -- Political activity -- Montana -- History.; Local elections -- Montana -- History.; Mansfield, Rachel K., 1916- -- Political activity.; Legislative bodies -- Montana -- Committees -- History; Montana -- Politics and government -- 20th century; Montana Farm Bureau; Convention delegates; Holland, David L.; Etchart, Mark; Closing ceremony; Gysler, E.S. "Erv"; Wilson, Archie O.
Original Date
3-24-1981
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Lucile Speer Interviews Oral History Project, OH 046, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula
Digital Publisher
University of Montana--Missoula. Mansfield Library
Rights
Copyright to this collection is held by the interview participants and by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu
Oral History Number
OH 046-010
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 sound cassette (01:00:00 min.) analog + 1 transcript (10 p.: 28 cm.)]
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
00:52:56 minutes
Local Filename
OH_046_010.mp3; OH_046_010.pdf
Citation
Speer, Lucile, "Lucile Speer Interview, March 24, 1981" (1981). Lucile Speer Interviews Oral History Project. 8.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/lucilespeer_interviews/8