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Tim and Betty Babcock papers, 1961-1995

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Babcock, Tim, 1919-2015
Title
Tim and Betty Babcock papers
Dates
1961-1995 (inclusive)
Quantity
13.3 linear feet of shelf space
Collection Number
MC 269 (collection)
Summary
Tim Babcock was governor of Montana from 1962 until 1969, an active member in the Republican Party up until his death in 2015, owner of Babcock Trucking Inc., co-owner of the Colonial Hotel, and a mining consultant. This collection consists of records (1961-1969) from Babcock's two terms including Vietnam condolence letters to Montana families, speeches, press releases, six large scrapbooks created by his staff with assistance from his wife, Betty, records of Babcock's administrative assistant Dave Holliday, and a reel to reel tape of campaign ads from Babcock's gubernatorial campaign. Speeches primarily given as governor are also included (1963-1968, 1972). The speeches make up a bulk of the collection and often contain hand written edits. Subject files are included covering topics he addressed as governor, however the subject files also include records of his various businesses (1968-1972, 1991-1996) including Babcock Trucking (court papers, and financial records) and the Colonial Inn (subject files detailing the planning and development of the hotel). Collection includes a number of maps, predominantly relating to the mining industry. Betty Babcock was Tim's wife and was co-owner/manager of the Colonial Inn, a delegate for the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention, and a state representative from 1975 to 1977. Her portion of the collection includes correspondence written to her from the general public on various topics related to the development of the 1972 state constitution including people's support or opposition to various issues discussed during the re-writing of the state constitution (1971-1972), as well as financial and legal documents, press releases, speeches, Betty's notes, and subject files all relating to con-con activity (1972), including the planning and scheduling of tours of the State Capitol for schools and organizations across the state, of which she managed. Also included are correspondence and subject files from the one term she served as a state rep for the 44th Montana Legislative Session, specifically on bills heard during the session and the public's support or opposition (1975).
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 is 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.
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Biographical Note

Tim M. Babcock was born October 27, 1919, in Little Fork, Minnesota to Erwin H. and Olive Babcock, and he came to Montana with his parents when he was a few months old. They settled on a homestead in Dawson County west of Glendive. Tim Babcock attended grade school in Glendive and graduated from Dawson County High School in 1939. After graduating from high school, Babcock moved to California where he was employed by Douglas Aircraft Company for two years. While there he married Betty Lee on September 21, 1941, in Las Vegas. Betty, the daughter of Richard and Katherine Lee, met Babcock in high school. Their first daughter, Lorna Lee, was born in Santa Monica, California. During World War II Babcock served as a combat infantryman for three years. Serving with the 99th Infantry Division, he participated in some of the crucial battles of the European theatre. He received the Bronze Star for valor in the battle for the Remagen Bridge in France. During the war, Betty Babcock lived in Glendive and worked in a ration office. Upon returning to Montana in 1946, Babcock entered the transport business at Miles City. He and his father-in-law, R.E. Lee, started the trucking firm with two trucks. Although Mr. Lee died in 1949, Babcock continued to call the firm Babcock and Lee. The Babcocks lived in Miles City for nine years and their second daughter, Marla Kay, was born there. The family moved to Billings in the mid-1950s as the trucking business expanded. Tim Babcock first entered Montana politics in 1952, seeking election as the Republican candidate for the Montana House of Representatives from Custer County. He was elected and served through the 1953 and 1955 sessions. After moving to Billings, he was twice elected to the House from Yellowstone County, serving during both the 1957 and 1959 sessions. Babcock became close personal friends with Donald G. Nutter and in 1960 the two campaigned together for the offices of Lieutenant Governor and Governor respectively. They were elected and took office in January 1961. Lieutenant Governor Babcock became the governor on January 25, 1962, following an airplane crash that took the life of Governor Nutter. Babcock was sworn in on February 6. In 1964 he was elected to his first full term as Governor. Babcock served as Chairman of the Western States Governors' Conference, Vice Chairman of the National Republican Governors Association, and Chairman of the Board of the Montana Motor Transport Association. He has been a member of Rotary, the Elks, the Shriners, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Boy Scouts, and the Presbyterian Church. He also was involved as a mining industry consultant. On April 7, 2015, Babcock died in Helena of natural causes.

Betty Babcock was born Betty Ruth Lee on March 11, 1922, in Aplington, Iowa. Following her mother's death when she was just two, she came to live with relatives in Glendive, Montana. She and her husband built the Colonial Inn hotel, restaurant and convention center in Helena which opened in January 1970, of which she also managed. Betty, like her husband, was heavily involved in politics for many years. She was ran for, and was elected as a delegate from Helena to serve in the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention. She stated that although the final document wasn't perfect, she was anxious to see it ratified. After the Montana Taxpayers Association successfully sued to block spending of a portion of the Con-Con budget on voter education, Betty donated an office in the Colonial Inn, phones, typewriters, and a copier for backers of the proposed document to use as their headquarters for the ratification campaign. She was also elected to the Montana House of Representatives in 1975 and served one term. She continued to play an active role in the Republican Party at both the state and national level throughout her life. Betty helped lead a private fundraising effort for the restoration of the Montana Capitol and was a big supporter of a new building to house the Montana Historical Society. She passed away on August 4, 2013. A closed casket viewing was held in the Capitol building's rotunda for the public to pay respects. She was the first person to lay in state in the capitol rotunda since Gov. Nutter in 1962.

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Content Description

The collection is broken into two sub-groups: Tim Babcock and Betty Babcock.

The collection consists of five accessions, two donated by Governor Babcock and one donated by Randy O. Carlson, one donated by the decedents of Tim and Betty following their passing, and one donated by Betty. The Governor's donations contain subject files (1965-1968), including correspondence, press releases, speeches, and financial records from his two terms as governor and also some personal papers covering various business and personal interests of Tim (1968-1995); and six scrapbooks (1961-1968) containing newspaper clippings, certificates, and photographs, compiled by the Governor's wife and staff and presented to him as a gift. The Carlson donation consists of records of Dave Holliday, the Governor's administrative assistant, and includes correspondence, press releases, speech material, and subject files on such topics as a sales tax and Republican political organizations. There also is a small amount of personal material regarding Holliday's work for the Intermountain News Network. The collection also contains a reel-to-reel audio tape of Babcock's campaign ads (MM29). The Babcock family donation consists of subject files and speeches from Tim Babcock created/collected during his terms as governor (1962-1968), as well as business records (legal, financial, maps) and subject files relating to his various diplomatic and philanthropic activities (1961-1995).

Betty Babcock's donation consists of her papers (correspondence, subject files, notes, press releases, legal files) from the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention and correspondence and subject files she collected and created for the 44th Legislative Session of Montana (1975). (Printed material separated to the Library, photos separated to Photo Archives.)

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

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.

Preferred Citation

Item description and date. Tim and Betty Babcock papers, 1961-1995. Manuscript Collection 269. (Box and Folder numbers). Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged by subgroup and series. Some material housed in Archives Map Case and oversized rolled material see inventory below for more information.

Location of Collection

14:2-6 (boxes 1-8)

Location of Collection

82:8-2 (boxes 9-14)

Location of Collection

91:2-1 (boxes 15-33)

Location of Collection

M3:5-1 (rolled maps)

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

Separated Materials

Artifacts, photographs, and printed material have been transferred to the Museum, Photograph Archives, and Library respectively.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Industries--Montana--Trucking
  • Air--Pollution
  • Campaign funds
  • Civil defense--Montana
  • Constitutional conventions--Montana
  • Education--Montana
  • Elections--Montana
  • Governors spouses--Montana
  • Industries--Montana--Mining
  • Political parties--Montana
  • Sales tax--Montana
  • Taxation

Personal Names

  • Babcock, Betty L. (creator)
  • Babcock, Tim, 1919-2015 (creator)

Geographical Names

  • Knowles Dam (Mont.)
  • United States--Politics and government
  • Wyoming
  • Wyoming--Industries

Finding aid prepared by MHS staff
1996

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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