Archives West Finding Aid

The Montana Environmental Health Association (MEHA) formerly known as the Montana Association of Sanitarians (MAS) was organized September 7, 1951 in Bozeman, Montana. In October, 1970 the association changed its name from the Montana Association of Sanitarians (MAS) to the Montana Environmental Health Association (MEHA).

The founding members of MAS included members from Bozeman, Great Falls, Billings, Miles City, Missoula, Glasgow, Helena, and Lewistown. These members represented an assortment of institutions that included the Dairy Division of the Montana Department of Agriculture, Food and Drugs of the Montana Department of Health, the Montana Extension Service, and Montana State College. The association’s objectives and purposes largely pertained to professional development. Other important objectives included fostering and promoting high quality and performance standards. These objectives were to be accomplished through instructional courses, inter-agency cooperation, standardization of code interpretation and certification of members meeting education and experience qualifications. Social intercourse among members and furtherance of economic and social conditions of the members were also part of the objectives and purposes. The conferences were sponsored by MSC and the Montana State Board of Health and other state associations.

Dr. William G. Walter was born November 1, 1914 in Lake Placid, N.Y. Walter received his B.S. and M.S. in bacteriology from Cornell University in 1938 and 1941. In 1952, he received his Ph.D. in bacteriology and public health from Michigan State College. He joined Montana State College (MSC) in 1942 and was a professor of Botany, Bacteriology, and Microbiology at Montana State University (MSU). He served as the head of the Montana State University’s Botany and Microbiology Department 1968-1977. Dr. Walter served as Acting Vice President of Academic Affairs 1977-1979. He retired from MSU June 30, 1980. One of the founding fifteen members of the MAS, Walter played a key role in planning and conducting the annual educational conferences Dr. Walter served on several committees in the MAS national organization, the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). In 1962, he served as president of the NEHA and in 1976 he was awarded the NEHA Editors Award. Walter died January 13, 2000 in Bozeman, Montana.