Interviewer
Carol Van Valkenburg
Files
Description
Bob Brown describes some of the many highlights of his 26-year political career serving in both the Montana State House of Representatives and the Senate. He discusses how he first became interested in politics as a young boy, running for student government while attending Montana State University in Bozeman, and meeting Lee Metcalf who gave him advice on how to run a campaign and serve the people of Montana. Brown describes his early years in the House, serving with another young legislator, Dorothy Bradley. He talks about his political mentors including Matt Himsl and Jean Turnage, both of whom advised him, and with whom he served on several committees. Brown discusses some of the important legislation that were introduced, debated and passed while he served in the legislature including the coal moratorium and coal tax, and he shares his opinion about term limits for state legislators and deregulation of utilities in Montana. He tells stories about his fellow legislators and colleagues, including Bruce Crippen, Fred Van Valkenburg, Joe Mazurek, John Mercer, and John Harp. He also describes his relationships and impressions of Montana governors with whom he served including Forrest Anderson, Tom Judge, Ted Schwinden, Stan Stephens, and Marc Racicot. Brown shares his concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump, the future of the Republican Party, and the decrease in bipartisanship both on the national and state level. He concludes by mentioning what he hopes his political legacy will be, and how much he enjoyed being a resident in and a public servant for the state of Montana.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Montana State Legislature; Brown, Robert J. “Bob”; Himsl, Matt; Turnage, Jean, Crippen, Bruce; Bradley, Dorothy; Van Valkenburg, Fred; Mazurek, Joe; Mercer, John; Harp, John; Coal moratorium; Coal tax; Coal trust fund, Montana; Economy, Montana; Taxation, Montana; Deregulation, Utilities; Term limits; Trump, Donald J.; Anderson, Forrest, Judge, Tom; Schwinden, Ted; Stephens, Stan; Racicot, Marc; Republican Party; Montana State University; Metcalf, Lee; Bardanouve, Francis; Political campaigns
Original Date
5-30-2019
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Montana Politics and Politicians Oral History Collection, 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 467-001
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 sound file (02:43:23 min.) digital + 1 transcript (53 p.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
02:43:23 minutes
Local Filename
OH_467_001.mp3; OH_467_001.pdf
Citation
Brown, Bob, "Bob Brown Interview, May 30, 2019" (2019). Montana Politics and Politicians Oral History Collection. 15.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/mtpolitics_oralhistory/15