Montana Board of Institutions records, 1963-1979
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Montana. Board of Institutions
- Title
- Montana Board of Institutions records
- Dates
- 1963-1979 (inclusive)19631979
- Quantity
- 0.4 linear feet
- Collection Number
- RS 506 (Formerly RS 91)
- Summary
- This collection is a subgroup (Former Board) of the Montana Department of Corrections records. The Montana State Board of Public Institutions, later named Board of Institutions, was established in 1963 as the official administrator of nine Montana state institutions providing care and rehabilitation to state residents requiring institutional care. This Board was terminated in 1979. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Department of Corrections records. This collection consists of the records of the Board of Public Institutions (1963-1965), Montana Board of Public Institutions (1965), and Montana Board of Institutions (1965-1979). The records consist of minutes books (July 1, 1963-July 10, 1967 and August 14, 1967-May 21, 1979) and an index to minutes (July 1, 1963-July 11, 1977).
- Repository
-
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Collection open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical Note
The Montana State Board of Public Institutions was established in 1963, along with the Department of Institutions, as the official administrator of nine Montana state institutions providing care and rehabilitation to state residents requiring institutional care. The institutions governed at the time the Board was established included: the Montana Children's Center, the State Soldier's Home (Montana Veterans Home), the Montana State Hospital (Warm Springs State Hospital), the State Training School and Hospital (Boulder River School and Hospital), the State Industrial School for Boys (Pine Hills School), the State Vocational School for Girls (Mountain View School), Montana State Tuberculosis Sanitarium (Galen State Hospital), the State Prison, and the Montana Center for the Aged.
Members of the Board were appointed by the Governor, and Dr. H.T. Caraway, M.D. was elected as it's first chairman. The establishment of this Board led to the replacement of governor-appointed local Advisory Boards for the separate institutions, with Boards appointed locally by the institutions themselves. The Board was later known as the Board of Institutions of the Department of Public Institutions (later the Department of Institutions). Included in the minutes are references to additional institutions that were governed by the Board in later years. These "new" institutions included: the Eastmont Training Center, the Division of Mental Hygiene, and the Swan River Youth Forest Camp. The Board was abolished in 1979.
Content Description
This collection consists of the records of the Board of Public Institutions (1963-1965), Montana Board of Public Institutions (1965), and Montana Board of Institutions (1965-1979). The records consist of minutes books (July 1, 1963-July 10, 1967 and August 14, 1967-May 21, 1979) and an index to minutes (July 1, 1963-July 11, 1977).
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Use
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives. The Library & Archives does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.
Preferred Citation
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Library & Archives, Helena, Montana.
Administrative Information
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by series.
Location of Collection
20:2-2Processing Note
In 2025, the various collections of the Montana Department of Corrections and its predecessor agencies were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 506, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog, and to follow best archival practices.
Collections from Montana Department of Corrections' various Divisions, State Institutions, and Boards that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into this collection, RS 506. Rather than reprocessing over 1,100 linear feet of Corrections materials, MTHS staff decided to keep the past arrangement of those collections/finding aids, and provide access to them via links through the central finding aid. This decision has allowed the MTHS archival staff to maintain intellectual control over the collection, while removing the need to reprocess it. It also keeps State Agency finding aids at manageable sizes. Please read the scope and content note carefully to determine if this subgroup/sub-subgroup pertains to your research needs.
Acquisition Information
Acquisition information is available upon request.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
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Minutes
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Description: "Index to minutes"Dates: 1963 July - 1977 JulyContainer: Box/Folder 1 / 1
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Description: "Minutes"Dates: 1963 July- 1967 July, 1973Container: Box/Folder 1 / 2
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Description: "Minutes"Dates: 1967 August - 1979 MayContainer: Box/Folder 1 / 3
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Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Asylums--Montana
- Correctional institutions--Montana
- Institutional care--Montana
- Public hospitals--Montana
- Reformatories--Montana
