This is a collection of stand-alone interviews, lectures, debates, and speeches pulled together by Archives and Special Collections around the topic of Montana politics. The collection also includes interviews with Montana politicians about national political issues. The interviewees discuss topics such as University of Montana funding, Montana gubernatorial campaigns, Montana community political issues, and the role of the Anaconda Company as well as national issues such as funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. These interviews were conducted from 1993 to 2012. The original interviews are held at Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula.
This collection includes 14 interviews.
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Arnold Olsen Interview, June 22, 1980
Arnold Olsen
Arnold Olsen discusses growing up in Butte, Montana and the effects his upbringing had on his political beliefs. He describes his involvement in World War II, where he was stationed in the Pacific. Olsen also discusses running for Montana Attorney General and for United States ... Read More
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Arthur Deschamps, Jr. Recording, 1985
Arthur Deschamps Jr.
Arthur Deschamps, Jr. records his thoughts on the water vote of September 1985, a vote to decide if the water system in Missoula, Montana, should be under city or private control. In his argument in favor of private control, he discusses the history of water ... Read More
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Burton K. Wheeler Lecture, November 27, 1972
Burton K. Wheeler
Burton K. Wheeler speaks to K. Ross Toole’s Montana history class at the University of Montana about his career in Montana politics, beginning with Democrat and Republican influences on Montana newspapers and the Anaconda Copper Company’s [ACM] influence. Wheeler recalls his reputation as a Communist ... Read More
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Daniel Masse Interview, February 14, 1988
Daniel Masse
Daniel Masse talks with Jon Jerome Warman about his early life in the military abroad as well as his political activism in Missoula and the surrounding area after he returned to the states. He remembers the absolute poverty and fear of citizens in Japan and ... Read More
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Donna Metcalf Interview, November 12, 1993
Donna Metcalf
Donna Metcalf details the life of her late husband, former U.S. Senator Lee Metcalf, in this interview, beginning with his childhood in Corvallis, Montana, and a brief family history. Metcalf talks about her husband’s college life at Stanford, his law practice, and his involvement in ... Read More
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Henry C. (Loble) Keenan Reminiscence, March 2003
Henry C. Keenan
In a self-recorded reminiscence, Henry (Loble) Keenan shares his thoughts about Mike Mansfield, who Keenan met while studying at the University of Montana (UM) in 1935. Keenan recalls putting together a student club at the request of Mansfield to support his proposed run for Congress. ... Read More
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Joseph Bryant "Joe" Reber Interview, April 8, 2004
Joseph Bryant Reber
Joseph “Joe” Reber of Butte, Montana, discusses his appointment as a Montana State Senator in 1968. He recounts his political accomplishments, including carrying the bill that created the Montana Vo-Tech system and initiating the Montana State Constitution Convention of 1972. He describes contract work in ... Read More
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Pat Williams Interview, September 24, 2014
Pat Williams
Pat Williams recalls his battle to obtain funding for the National Endowment for the Arts during his career as a United States senator from Montana. He describes serving on the Select Education subcommittee of the Education Committee from 1979-1997, and fighting to preserve the National ... Read More
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Suzy Hunt Interview, January 5, 2007
Suzy Hunt
Suzy Hunt discusses the life of her friend, Judith “Judi” Larson Chapman. Hunt recalls meeting Chapman in the 1960s, when they were both single mothers lived in married student housing. She describes Chapman’s political activity and knowledge as a Democratic organizer, Chapman’s job as an ... Read More
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Thomas Payne and William Norman Debate, October 31, 9178
Thomas Payne and William Norman
Thomas Payne and William Norman, candidates for Montana Senate district 34, debate the issue of university funding, the effectiveness of a faculty union, and the current Board of Regents system.
This audio has not been transcribed, but a tape counter index is available.
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Thomas Payne Interview, May 21, 1992
Thomas Payne
Thomas Payne discusses the 1952 U.S. presidential and senatorial elections and the international political climate from the 1920s to the 1960s. Payne describes the Korean War, U. S.-Soviet relations, Montana newspapers, and the University of Montana, Missoula during the 1950s. He discusses his opinion of ... Read More
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Tom Haines Interview, February 24, 1982
Tom Haines
Tom Haines discusses his involvement in Montana State politics, starting with his election to Precinct Committee Man of Precinct 12 of Missoula County in 1932. He describes running for state legislature in 1950 and his familiarity with Sam Ford, John Bonner, and Wellington Rankin. Haines ... Read More
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Victor O. "Vic" Reinemer Lecture, March 11, 1979
Victor O. Reinemer
Victor "Vic" Reinemer speaks at the University of Montana to students in K. Ross Toole’s graduate seminar. He discusses the energy crisis, focusing on what he believes to be the causes of the crisis and the tension in decision making between major utility, energy, and ... Read More
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Winfield Page Interview, August 9, 1989
Winfield Page
Winfield Page discusses the political atmosphere of Montana during the mid-1930s. He describes governmental campaigns during the mid-twentieth century and the influential roles that industries like the Anaconda Company played in Montanan politics. Page also discusses the careers of Joseph Dixon and Jerry O’Connell, and ... Read More