Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Montana Department of Public Instruction Records, 1893-1967
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Montana Department of Public Instruction
- Title
- Montana Department of Public Instruction Records
- Dates
- 1893-1967 (inclusive)18931967
- Quantity
- 5.5 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- RS 140
- Summary
- These Department of Public Instruction records (1893-1967) consist primarily of a subject files concerning the State Board of Education, the Board of Regents, the University System, and state institutions. (Architectural blueprints of buildings at several colleges and institutions are in oversize folders.)
- 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 NoteReturn to Top
In 1864, two years before the first school district was organized in Virginia City, Montana Territory, the position of "school commissioner" was created with the responsibility of reporting to the governor on matters relating to education in the territory. The office remained until the 1872 Montana Territorial Assembly passed a school law which provided that the guidance of the territory's schools be placed under a superintendent of public instruction. The Constitution made the position of superintendent elective. At the same time the Constitution also placed the newly created state's higher education system under the direction of the State Board of Education, composed of the superintendent of public instruction, the governor, the attorney general, and eight other members appointed by the governor. The State Board of Education was made responsible for the determination of educational programs and policy, preparation of budgets, financing of current operations, personnel administration, and planning and financing of physical facilities. Beginning in 1959 the State Board of Education became ex officio the Board of Regents. A Department of Public Instruction, under the superintendent's direction, was created by the Montana Legislative Assembly in 1959, "for the purpose of the staff and administration of the duties and services of the superintendent of public instruction." This legislation made legal the name which had been used informally by the superintendent's office for many years.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Record consist primarily of subject files, organized into three sections. Section one consists of materials kept by the superintendent relating to meetings of the State Board of Education (1914, 1948-1967) and of the State Board of Education, ex officio Board of Regents (1959-1965). These materials include correspondence of the Board concerning the meetings, agendas, complete texts of some resolutions ummarized in the minutes, and documents mentioned but not reproduced in the minutes. Section two consists of files relating to the five sections of the University of Montana (1895-1959). These are arranged first by college regardless of current name used, and then roughly chronologically within each college. The files include information concerning several disputes between faculty and administration within the colleges. Section three consists of files relating to state educational institutions, including the School for the Deaf and Blind (1893-1963), the State Industrial School at Miles City (1942), the State Orphan's Home at Twin Bridges (1947), and Vocational Rehabilitation (1954-1958). Architectural blueprints of buildings at several state colleges and institutions have been placed in oversize folders. Bylaws (1921) of the Board of Education are in the Miscellany series.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society 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 Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Subject Files (re meetings of State Board of Education) Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 1 | Montana State Board of Education meetings |
1914 June |
1 / 2-8 | Montana State Board of Education meetings |
1948-1949 |
1 / 9-15 | Montana State Board of Education meetings (includes
dismissal of Northern Montana College President G.H. Van de Bogart, July 1950) |
1950 |
1 / 16-24 | Montana State Board of Education meetings (includes
dismissal of Carl Horn from Montana State Industrial School, April 1951) |
1951 |
1 / 25-72 | Montana State Board of Education meetings |
1952-1956 |
2 / 1-87 | Montana State Board of Education meetings |
1956-1964 |
2 / 88-95 | Montana State Board of Education meetings (includes
building of C.M. Russell High School. Building plans are in Oversize Folder) |
1965 |
3 / 1-14 | Montana State Board of Education meetings |
1966-1967 |
3 / 15-24 | Montana State Board of Education, ex officio Montana
University System Board of Regents, meetings |
1959-1961 |
3 / 25-30 | Montana State Board of Education, ex officio Montana
University System Board of Regents, meetings (includes controversy re Northern Montana
College President L.O. Brockmann, March-May 1962) |
1962 |
3 / 31-42 | Montana State Board of Education, ex officio Montana
University System Board of Regents, meetings |
1963-1964 |
3 / 43-45 | Montana State Board of Education, ex officio Montana
University System Board of Regents, meetings (includes curriculum proposals of Montana
State University, Missoula) |
1965 January-April |
3 / 46 | Montana State Board of Education, ex officio Montana
University System Board of Regents, meetings (includes controversy between Northern
Montana College President Joseph R. Crowley and Education Division Director George C.
Ackerlund) |
1965 April |
3 / 47 | Montana State Board of Education, ex officio Montana
University System Board of Regents, meetings (includes founding of Glacier College in
Kalispell; controversy between Eastern Montana College President H.L. Steele and
Professor Pat Ryan) |
1965 June |
3 / 48-49 | Montana State Board of Education, ex officio Montana
University System Board of Regents, meetings |
1965 July-December |
Subject Files (re Montana University System) Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3 / 50 | Eastern Montana State Normal School, Billings |
1941-1946 |
3 / 51-52 | Eastern Montana College of Educaton, Billings |
1952-1959 |
3 / 53 | Eastern Montana College of Educaton, Billings: "An
Evaluation of the Student Teaching Program as Conducted at the YMCA." |
1957 |
3 / 54 | Eastern Montana College of Educaton, Billings:
foreign languages |
1955-1956 |
3 / 55 | Eastern Montana College of Educaton, Billings:
"Information Prepared for Advisory Committee of the Chamber of Commerce." |
1956 October |
3 / 56-58 | Montana State College of Agriculture and Mechanic
Arts, Bozeman: investigation by Board of Education re creamery (includes testimony of
R.W. Clark, attached exhibits, and report of special committee) |
1908-1911 |
3 / 59 | Montana State College, Bozeman: budget explanations |
1932 |
3 / 60 | Montana State College, Bozeman |
1941-1948 |
4 / 1-4 | Montana State College, Bozeman |
1952-1955 |
4 / 5-8 | Montana State Normal School, Dillon (includes survey
of other states' normal schools, 1900) |
1895-1902 |
4 / 9-11 | Montana State Normal College, Dillon |
1903-1908 |
4 / 12-13 | Montana State Normal College, Dillon: Karl
Reidelsberger dismissal case (includes petitions, letters, transcript of hearing, and
report) |
1907-1908 |
4 / 15-16 | Montana State Normal College, Dillon |
1909-1914 |
4 / 17 | Montana State Normal College, Dillon |
1941, 1946 |
4 / 18 | Montana State Normal College, Dillon: Exceptional
Child Program |
1943-1944, 1956 |
4 / 19 | Western Montana College of Education, Dillon |
1952-1959 |
4 / 20-24 | Montana State School of Mines, Butte |
1894-1948 |
4 / 25-27 | Montana State University, Missoula (architectural
blueprints in Oversize Folder) |
1935-1957 |
4 / 25-29 | Montana State University, Missoula (includes "Report
to National Council for Accreditation on University of Montana, Missoula, Montana",
1958) |
1935-1959 |
4 / 30 | Montana State University, Missoula: "Financial Report
of Business Manager." |
1932 |
4 / 31-35 | Montana State University, Missoula: investigation of
President George F. Simmons (includes correspondence, complaints, clippings, analysis
of Kathleen Schroeder's testimony in Paul Phillips case, and statements of E.A.
Atkinson and J.P. Rowe) |
1936-1940 |
4 / 36-38 | Montana State University, Missoula: investigation of
President George F. Simmons (exhibits #1-56) |
1939-1940 |
5 / 1 | Montana State University, Missoula: field house bonds |
1952-1953 |
5 / 2 | Montana State University, Missoula: revenue bond |
1956 |
5 / 3 | Montana State University, Missoula: Frank DuMas file |
1958-1959 |
5 / 4 | Montana State University, Missoula: Leslie Fiedler
case and "Neils Report" |
1958-1960 |
5 / 5-7 | Montana State University, Missoula: Carl McFarland
case (includes "pro" and "anti" letters) |
1958 |
5 / 8 | Montana State University, Missoula: presidency |
1958-1959 |
5 / 9-10 | Northern Montana College, Havre |
1929-1959 |
5 / 11-12 | University of Montana (System) |
1930-1956 |
5 / 13 | University of Montana Faculty Council minutes |
1951-1954, 1957 |
5 / 14 | University of Montana Committee on Basic Curricula
minutes |
1952 |
5 / 15 | University Budget Committee |
1958-1959 |
5 / 16 | Montana Deaf and Dumb Asylum, Boulder |
1893-1897 |
5 / 17 | Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, Boulder |
1898-1913 |
5 / 18 | Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, Boulder: re
alleged mismanagement |
1900 |
5 / 19 | Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, Boulder:
applications for presidency |
1912 |
5 / 20 | Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, Boulder and
Great Falls |
1921-1926, 1935-1962 |
5 / 21 | Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, Great Falls:
construction and specifications (architectural blueprints in Oversize Folder) |
1935 |
5 / 22 | Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, Great Falls:
evaluation of school by Dr. Romaine Mackie |
1955-1956 |
5 / 24 | Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, Great Falls:
dismissal of music teacher Mary Callahan |
1952 |
5 / 25 | Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, Great Falls |
1963 |
5 / 26 | Montana State Industrial School, Miles City: report
of committee |
1942 |
5 / 27 | Montana State Orphans Home, Twin Bridges (1935
architectural blueprints in Oversize Folder) |
1947 |
5 / 28 | Montana Vocational Rehabilitation Bureau |
1954-1958 |
Miscellany Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 29 | Montana State Board of Education bylaws |
1921 |
5 / 30 | List of photographs transferred to Photo Archives |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Academic freedom--Montana
- Deaf--Education--Montana
- Deaf--Institutional care--Montana
- Education--Curriculum--Montana
- Education--Montana
- High schools--Montana
- Public schools--Montana
- School management and organization--Montana
- Schools--Centralization--Montana
- Teachers colleges--Montana
- Universities and colleges--Montana