The Montana State Highway Commission was created in 1913 by the state Legislative Assembly. The original Commission was composed of three members. In 1917 new legislation altered the organization of the Commission by authorizing the appointment of twelve members according to geographic highway districts. Membership was changed again in 1921 to three members appointed by the Governor and in 1941 to five members, also appointed by the Governor. In 1971 the Commission was renamed the Montana Department of Highways, created by Chapter 7 of the Executive Reorganization Act of 1971 and implemented by executive order of the Governor on December 16, 1971. The Department of Highways took over all but the advisory functions of the State Highway Commission.
By 1972, the Department consisted of seven divisions: the Legal Division, Personnel Division, Centralized Services Division, Engineering Division, Motor Pool Division, Gross Vehicle Weight Division, and the Maintenance Division. Each division was headed by an administrator. The Centralized Services Division, Engineering Division, Motor Pool Division, Gross Vehicle Weight Division, and the Maintenance Division were furthered sub-divided into bureaus, headed by Chiefs. In 1991, the Department of Highways became the Department of Transportation.
The Civil Rights Bureau was part of the Personnel Division, which operated under the Director of the Montana Department of Highways/Montana Department of Transportation. The Montana Department of Highways established the Civil Rights Bureau in order to administer the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Program. This program was developed to ensure the adequate direction and administration of funds provided to the MDOH by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration’s Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987. This federal act established that 10% of all federal highway funds be expended to disadvantaged businesses. The goal of the DBE program, as administered by the Civil Rights Bureau, is to ensure that disadvantaged business enterprises have opportunity to participate in the performances of contracts and subcontracts administered by the Montana DOH/ Montana Department of Transportation.
The Civil Rights Bureau remained in effect, with the same goals and activities, as the Department of Highways became the Montana Department of Transportation. Record for both MDOH and MDT are included in this sub-group. Records consist of two versions of the Civil Rights Bureau Manuals; the Department of Highways Civil Rights Bureau Manual (1990), and the Department of Transportation Civil Rights Bureau Manual (1993). Manuals contain EEO/Labor Contract Compliance, as well as DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises)/WBE (Women’s Business Enterprises) Program descriptions and directories. DBE needs assessment surveys and correspondence materials also included.
This collection is arranged into two Series: Subject Files and Correspondence. Both Series are arranged alphabetically. The Correspondence is arranged by districts.
Collection is open for research.
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
In 2024, the various collections of the Montana Department of Transportation were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 492, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog, and to follow best archival practices.
Collections from Montana Department of Transportation's various Divisions and Bureaus that
were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.