Elizabeth Reitell Smith Papers

Elizabeth Reitell Smith Papers, 1953-1987

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Smith, Elizabeth Reitell, 1920-2001
Title: Elizabeth Reitell Smith Papers
Dates: 1953-1987 (inclusive)
19531987
Quantity: 19.5 linear feet
Collection Number: Mss 623
Summary: This collection contains materials relevant to Elizabeth Smith’s work as a Montana wilderness and environmental activist. The bulk of the materials includes research, newsletters, drafts of speeches, position papers and correspondence between 1965 and 1980.
Repository: University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions: Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and the University of Montana--Missoula.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Elizabeth "Liz" Reitell Smith was born on September 11, 1920 in Elmira, New York to Charles and Jane Reitell. Smith graduated from the Lincoln School of Teachers College in New York City in 1937 and graduated from Bennington’s College in Bennington, Vermont in 1941 with a bachelor of arts degree. She majored in theatre design and minored in dance and drama literature. She married playright Adolph Green in 1941, the marriage would ultimately end in divorce. In subsequent years Smith designed costumes for a dance group, spent three years in the Army Air Corps during World War Two, studied art in France and in 1952 met the Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas, and produced his play "Under Milkwood." Smith and Thomas were close until his sudden death in 1953.

Smith was playwright Arthur Miller’s assistant in 1962 when she came to Montana for a Montana Wilderness Society sponsored horse-pack trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The trip inspired an immense passion for the Montana wilderness that led her to a position as the publications director of The University of Montana School of Forestry in Missoula, Montana. After five years in that position, Smith met and married her fourth husband, Eldon Smith, an environmentalist and wildlife biologist for Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana.

For thirteen years, the pair traveled throughout the Western states speaking on the environment. In 1972 they were given the award for Outstanding Environmental Achievement. During those thirteen years, Elizabeth Smith worked as director of the Montana Wilderness Association.

In 1980 she was offered a position as writer/editor at the Columbia River Inter-tribal Fish Commission in Portland, Oregon. She retired in 1986 and returned to Missoula, Montana where she remained involved in environmental issues. Smith died in 2001.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection contains materials relevant to Elizabeth Smith’s work as a Montana wilderness and environmental activist. The bulk of the materials includes research, newsletters, drafts of speeches, position papers and correspondence between 1965 and 1980. Some of the research files also contain handwritten or typed notes. The correspondence mainly focuses on Smith’s wilderness and environmental works but also reflects personal relationships with fellow activists. A small amount of papers relate to Smith’s work as a writer and editor.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright Status unknown.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document or photograph number], Elizabeth Reitell Smith Papers, Archives and Special Collections, The University of Montana—Missoula.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically according to folder titles assigned by the author. Abbreviations were expanded

Custodial History

The collection was in the possession of Laure Pegelly-Drake.

Acquisition Information

The collection was transferred to the archives by Laure Pengelly-Drake in 1996.

Processing Note

The processor arranged the folders in alphabetical order.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1/1	Absaroka – Beartooth Miscellaneous
1/2	Absaroka – Beartooth Montana Outdoors articles	undated
1/3	Absaroka-Beartooth, Wilderness Society Trip	1973
1/4	Absaroka-Beartooth, Forest Service Field Hearings	1974
1/5	Absaroka-Beartooth, Forest Service Publications
1/6	Absaroka-Beartooth, Ruth Koch>
1/7	Absaroka-Beartooth, Livingston ‘Tempest’
1/7	Absaroka-Beartooth, Maps
1/8	Absaroka-Beartooth, Mineral Survey	1975
1/9	Absaroka-Beartooth, Bob Anderson Study
1/10	Absaroka-Beartooth, Clippings
1/11	Absaroka-Beartooth "Corridor"	1976-1980
2/1	Air Pollution
2/2	Alaska
2/3	Aldrich, American Motors Conservation Award	1965
2/4	Alice Creek I
2/5	Alice Creek II
2/6	American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
2/7	American Wilderness Alliance
2/8	Applegate, Rick
2/9	Applegate, Rick and Independent Record affair	1975
2/10	Arrowleaf Project	1976-1980
3/1	Articles, miscellaneous
3/2	Ecology of Badgers on the Snake River Birds of Prey Natural Area,draft and editing
3/3	Baucus
3/4	"Bearhead," Thomas Swaney
3/5	Beaver Creek, Brelsford subdivision	1974-1977
3/6	Beaverhead Forest
3/7	Beautification, billboards, Missoula, etc. Remnant file
3/8	Behan, Rick
3/9	Big Sky Development at Lone Mountain
3/10	Bighorn Canyon
4/1	Bitterroot – Bolle Report
4/2	Bitterroot Logging
4/3	Bitterroot Logging
4/4	Black Mesa
4/5	Blue Ribbon Rivers Advisory Committee
4/6	Blue Ribbon Rivers Committee correspondence
4/7	BMA [Bob Marshall Alliance] clippings	1979
4/8	BMA [Bob Marshall Alliance] clippings	1980
4/9	BMA [Bob Marshall Alliance] clippings continued	1980
4/10	BMA [Bob Marshall Alliance] "itself"
4/11	BMA [Bob Marshall Alliance], Consolidated Georex Geophysics exploration permit	1979-1980
5/1	BMA [Bob Marshall Alliance], Consolidated Georex Geophysics exploration permit, letters in response to Forest Service progress report	1980
5/2	BMA [Bob Marshall Alliance], Deep Creek
5/3	BMA [Bob Marshall Alliance], miscellaneous publications
5/4	BMA, Liz’s Montana Wilderness Alliance convention speech	1979
5/5	BMA [Bob Marshall Alliance], Rainbow Resources
6/1	Bob Marshall Wilderness
6/2	Bolle, Arnold
6/3	Bozeman Environmental Task Force	1970
6/4	Bridger Pines Subdivision
6/5	Buck Creek – Yellow Mule
7/1	BLM [Bureau of Land Management] , Areas of Critical Environmental Concern Guidelines	1979
7/2	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Advisory Boards (general)
7/3	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], State Advisory Board	1971
7/4	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], State Advisory Board	1972
7/5	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], State Advisory Board	1970-1977
7/6	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], State Advisory Board	1975
7/7	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Advisory Board	1978-1979
7/8	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Billings District
7/9	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Butte District
8/1	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Butte District
8/2	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], classifications
8/3	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], coal leasing
8/4	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Dillon District
8/5	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Fuelco Gas Pipeline
8/6	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], grazing miscellaneous
8/7	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], grazing fee
9/1	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Lewiston District
9/2	BLM[Bureau of Land Management], Madison Unit
9/3	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Malta District
9/4	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Maps
9/5	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Miles City Disrict
9/6	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], miscellaneous
9/7	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], miscellaneous
9/8	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], not main file
10/1	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], miscellaneous
10/2	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Missouri River management
10/3	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Moose
10/4	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], National Advisory Board
11/1	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], off road vehicles
11/2	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Organic Act
11/3	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Mike Penfield
11/4	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Primitive Areas
11/5	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Pryor and Mystic Mountains
11/6	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], range abuse
11/7	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Wilderness I
12/1	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Wilderness II
12/2	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Wilderness III
12/3	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Wilderness IV
12/4	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Final Wilderness Inventory	1980
12/5	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Instant Study Areas
13/1	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Wilderness, Intensive Inventory, Lewistown and Miles City
13/2	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Wilderness Interim Management Policiy
13/3	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Wilderness, Overthrust Belt Accelerated Inventory
13/4	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Wilderness, Overthrust Belt Accelerated Review
13/5	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Wilderness miscellaneous	1979-1980
13/6	BLM [Bureau of Land Management], Wilderness miscellaneous
13/7	Candidate Areas – Rare II
13/8	President Carter
13/9	Cartoons
13/10	Ceder-Bassett
39/1	Centennial Mountains Wilderness Study 1987
14/1	CPI [Center for the Public Interest]
14/2	Chlordane – Gallatine Valley
14/3	Clark Fork Hearings	1966
14/4	Clark, Will
14/5	Cnare, Ed	1968-1969
14/6	Colorado Gulch
14/7	Colstrip 3 and 4
14/8	Conservation, miscellaneous
14/9	Corps of Engineers
15/1	Cougar
15/2	Cougar – active
15/3	Cougar, notes and background
15/4	Coyote
15/5	Cross Creek Protection Agency
15/6	Cunningham, Bill
15/7	Cunningham, Bill
15/8	Dams – Grand Canyon
15/9	Dams – Libby
15/10	Dams – Miscellaneous
15/11	Dams – Miscellaneous clippings
15/12	Dams – Reichle	1965-1967
16/1	Dams – Sun Butte	1965-1968
16/2	Darwin Ranch	1977-1980
16/3	Defenders of Wildlife
16/4	Dillon – Clyde Park
16/5	Dobson, Ed
16/6	Dunkle, Frank
16/7	Eagles – Wyoming
16/8	Earth Day	1970
16/9	Elections – Montana and General
16/10	Elkhorn Wilderness
16/11	Endangered American Wilderness Bill	1977
16/12	Endangered Species Act	1973-1979
16/13	EIC [Environmental Information Center]	1974-1975
16/14	EIC [Environmental Information Center]	1976-1978
17/1	EIC [Environmental Information Center]	1978-1981
39/2	Environmental Law
17/2	EPA [Environmental Policy Act] – Montana
17/3	EPA [Environmental Policy Act] Lawsuit
17/4	EPA [Environmental Policy Act] clippings
17/5	EPA [Environmental Policy Act] – national
17/6	EQC [Environmental Quality Council] – First Annual Report	1973
17/7	EQC [Environmental Quality Council], First Annual Report, miscellaneous drafts
17/8	EQC [Environmental Quality Council], First Annual Report, miscellaneous drafts
18/1	EQC [Environmental Quality Council] – Montana
18/2	EQC [Environmental Quality Council], Second Annual Report
18/3	Farm Bureau
18/4	Field, Chris
18/5	File Disposal
18/6	Fire Lab – Editorial Jobs
18/7	FWS [Fish and Wildlife Service] – Land and water conservation projects
18/8	Foley, Bill
18/9	Forest Management – general
18/10	Forest Management – Montana
18/11	Forest Service – "Lassie," "Smokey," and "Aesthetics"
19/1	Forestry School and UM publications
19/2	Forestry School brochure	1965
19/3	Franconia [New Hampshire] – reference material
19/4	Franconia – The Plan	1967-1969
19/5	Franconia – [Master Plan]
19/6	Franconia – [preliminary notes]
19/7	Franconia
19/8	Fraternities	1960-1964
19/9	Freedom of Information Act
19/10	Friends of the Earth (FOE) and League of Conservation Voters	1970-1974
19/11	Gallatin Elk
19/12	Gallatin National Forest
19/13	Gallatin National Forest – North Bridgers
19/14	Garbage
19/15	Garland, Cecil
19/16	"Garrison’s Desperate Trial," by Clarence Gordon and Elizabeth Hannum [Smith], Missoulian	1966
20/1	Garrison Phosphate – clippings
20/2	Garrison Phosphate
20/3	Glaciation Map
20/4	Gladwin Hill
20/5	Gleason, Ken and Alice
20/6	Gonsior (Falcon Project)
20/7	Great Bear area of Montana
20/8	Greenpeace
20/9	Grizzly in Glacier
20/10	Handgun Control
20/11	Hathaway, Stanley K.
20/12	Hell’s Canyon Preservation Council	1968-1970
20/13	High Country News
20/14	"Historical Resources Identification and Location Study – Garnet Mining District" byDennis Daley and Jim Mohler
20/15	Hodder, Richard
20/16	"Homo tremuloides and the Agency Image" by W. Leslie Pengelly and Elizabeth Hannum [Smith]	1965
21/1	Human Interest and Montana History
21/2	"Humane" fund for animals, clippings and other
21/3	Hutterites
21/4	Hyalite (Maxey property)
21/5	Indian Ridge
21/6	Karst
21/7	Kimble, Gary
21/8	Laitala, Lee
21/9	Language
21/10	Land Development, Montana
21/11	Lavender, David
21/12	Legislature, Big Sky	1971
21/13	Legislature, HB 66, Environmental Policy Act	1971
21/14	Legislature, HB 33, Environmental Protection Act	1971
21/15	Legislature, HB 298, McDonough	1971
39/3	Legislature, HB 243 and 244, Mining	1971
21/16	Legislature, Pesticide Bills	1971
21/17	Legislature, Rivers Bills	1971
21/18	Legislature, Stream preservation and water rights	1971
21/19	Legislature, miscellaneous	1971
21/20	Legislature, bills and testimony	1974
22/1	Legislature	1975
22/2	Legislatures
22/3	Letters to editors
22/4	Lewis, Anthony and Larson, Roy
22/5	Life, Creation of
22/6	Lincoln Back Country	1963-1967
22/7	Lincoln Back Country	1968-1972
22/8	"Conquest of the Land through 7,000 Years" by W.C. Lowdermilk	1953
22/9	Lubrecht Lab
22/10	Lubrecht Forest
23/1	Lubrecht (Wirth job)	1969
23/2	Macinko, George
23/3	Madison-Gallatin Alliance
23/4	Man to Land Ethics
23/5	Man versus Man
23/6	Man versus Nature
23/7	McCartin, Jim
23/8	McKelvey, Mavis and Bob
23/9	Melcher, John
23/10	Metcalf, Lee
23/11	Metcalf – Wilderness Study Bill
23/12	Middle Fork Flathead
24/1	Mill Creek
24/2	Milner, Doris and Kelsey
24/3	Mining Laws
24/4	Mission Mountains
39/4	Mission Mountain Tribal Wilderness Management Proposal	1978
24/5	Missoula Mall
24/6	Missouri River I
24/7	Missouri River II
24/8	Missouri River III
25/1	Missouri River, Fort Benton IV
25/2	Missouri River V
25/3	Missouri River VI
25/4	Missouri River VII
25/5	Missouri River
26/1	Montana
26/2	Montana State Park System
26/3	Montana State University Building Program (North Hill Park)	1970
26/4	Montana State University
26/5	Montana’s Recreation Challenge
26/6	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]
26/7	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1962-1964
27/1	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1965
27/2	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1966-1968
27/3	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1969
27/4	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1970
27/5	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1971-1972
27/6	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1973
27/7	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1974
27/8	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1975
27/9	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1976
27/10	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1977
28/1	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1978
28/2	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1979
28/3	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1980
28/4	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association]	1981
28/5	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association], Back Country
28/6	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association], Legal and Education Fund
29/1	MWA [Montana Wilderness Association], Scapegoat	1964
29/2	Montana Wildlife Federation	1970-1975
29/3	Morris, Mel
29/4	Multiple Use Administrator	1964-1966
29/5	"The Multiple Use Administrator" by Arnold Bolle and Elizabeth Hannum [Smith]
29/6	Multiple Use articles
29/7	Mussehl, Tom
29/8	National Wildlife Federation
29/9	National Wildlife Refuge System
29/10	NRDC [Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.]	1975-1981
29/11	Newspaper Directory – Montana
29/12	New Yorker – Miscellaneous including cats
29/13	New Yorker – Miscellaneous articles
30/1	New Yorker "Greening of America
30/2	New Yorker Nuclear Series
30/3	New Yorker "Passage to Ararat"
30/4	New Yorker "Time of Illusion"
30/5	NPRC [Northern Plains Resource Council]
30/6	Northwest Citizens for Wilderness
30/7	NRAG [Northern Rockies Action Group]
30/8	Nukes
30/9	Obituaries
31/1	Off-road vehicles
31/2	Oil and gas leasing – Forest Service
31/3	Outfitters’ brochures
31/4	Passion – utilitarianism
31/5	Pesticides and herbicides
31/6	Pesticides, Idaho and Montana spray programs	1964
31/7	Pesticides, Liability in commercial applications
31/8	Pesticides, newsclippings	1964
31/9	Pesticides, spray program, salmon newsclippings
31/10	Pheasants – Wiegand and Mussehl
32/1	Pioneer Mountains
32/2	Porcupine – Buffalo Horn
32/3	Population – general
32/4	Predator control
32/5	Pryor Mountains
32/6	Public Lands
33/1	Public Land Law Review
33/2	Public Land Law Review Commission
33/3	Rahm, Neal
33/4	Range Management and Grazing
39/5	RARE II "Nonwilderness" areas and California case	1980
39/6	Red Rocks National Wildlife Refuge – wilderness proposal	1973-1974
33/5	Recreation Miscellaneous
33/6	Recreation Planning – Lubrecht Conference	1965
33/7	Recreation Planning Conference	1967
33/8	Rice Paddies
33/9	ROMCOE – Hilliard Award and other citations	1972
33/10	Roys, Perry and Billings Packing Plant
33/11	Science Complex, first building, justification
33/12	Scientific Writing – Teaching Manual
33/13	Scientific Writing for the General Public
33/14	Scientific Writing Workshop
34/1	Seattle
34/2	Seattle City Light
34/3	Sentz, Gene
34/4	South Fork Swan Creek
34/5	Southwest – Canyonlands and other
34/6	Speech – Arch Erskine Award	1975
34/7	Speech – BLM Primitive Area Program	1971
34/8	Speech – Faculty Women’s Club	1965
34/9	Speech – Coal Statement, BLM	1972
34/10	Speech – Havre, AAUW	1969
34/11	Stankey, Hendee, Lucas
34/12	Stern, Carlos
34/13	Sutton, Ann and Myron
34/14	Terranova [Patton, Pab and Kitle]
35/1	Thoresen, Nels [American Motors Conservation Award]	1978
35/2	Timber and Forest Management	1971-1972
35/3	Timber Industry in Montana	1966
35/4	Timber Supply Act clippings	1969-1973
35/5	Timber Supply Act	1969-1970
35/6	Valley of Fire presentation narrative
35/7	Valley of Fire [final manuscript]
35/8	"Nutrient Value of Range Forages as Effected by the Environment," Wambolt
35/9	Watt, James [Secretary of Interior, clippings]
35/10	Weed Control, herbicides, etc.
36/1	Weed Law, copies of proposed act	1968
36/2	Weeds, MWF policy, etc.
36/3	Weisel, George and Thula
36/4	Western Association of Fish and Game Commissioners
36/5	Western Montana Fish and Game Association
36/6	White, Lynn
36/7	White Tail Ranch	1963-1969
36/8	White Tail Ranch	1970-1973
36/9	WHOA [Wild Horse Organized Assistance, Inc.]
37/1	Wilderness Act	1964-1966
37/2	Wilderness Acts – states
37/3	Wilderness – Executive Order	1971
39/7	Wilderness – Inventories
37/4	Wilderness – lawsuits
37/5	Wilderness, miscellaneous
37/6	Wilderness – quotes
37/7	Wilderness Society, Eagle Cap Trip	1968
37/8	Wilderness Society – miscellaneous
37/9	Wilderness Society – Teton Yellowstone Trip	1968
37/10	Wilderness Society – "Way to the Wilderness"	1964-1977
37/11	Wilderness Society – Western Regional Office
38/1	"Wilderness Spruce"
38/2	Wildflower Plates
38/3	Wild Horse and Burro Act
38/4	Wildlife – miscellaneous
38/5	Wildlife Society – Northwest Section
38/6	Wild Rivers
38/7	Williams, Pat
38/8	Wirth, Theodore
38/9	Yellowstone Park – including elk
38/10	Yellowstone River	1977

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Environmental protection -- Montana.

Corporate Names

Montana Wilderness Association.

Geographical Names

Montana--Environmental conditions.

Occupations

Women environmentalists --Montana.

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