MTLMC245.xml Guide to the Montana Cattlemen's Association records 1957-1980 Montana Cattlemen's Association records Finding aid prepared by MTHS staff Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Montana Historical Society Library & Archives 1993
Helena, MT
Finding aid encoded by Ellie Arguimbau with assistance by Cuadra Assoc. 2004 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard 2nd Edition) Montana Historical SocietyLibrary & Archives MC 245 Montana Cattlemen's Association Montana Cattlemen's Association records 1957-1980 2.5 linear feet The Montana Cattlemen's Association is a beef cattle ranchers' organization. Collection (1957-1980) includes correspondence (1958-1980), subject files (1957-1981), organizational records and membership materials (1957-1980), financial records (1972-1978), newsletters, printed materials, and clippings. [The bulk of the material are from 1972-1980 with very little documentation of the 1959-1971 period]. 13:1-2 English

The Montana Cattlemen's Association, International (MCA) was founded in 1957 to represent the exclusive interests of beef cattle producers in the state. Many of the founding members of MCA had belonged to the more broad-based Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSA) but formed the new organization in order to represent cattlemen, particularly those with smaller herds, more adequately. MCA also differed from MSA over how to control the spread of brucellosis in cattle. The Stockmen favored the state's program of extensive testing of herds, while the Cattlemen favored a less intrusive method involving vaccination. Over the years the activities of this non-profit organization have included publication of newsletters and a monthly magazine; lobbying the state legislature and the U.S. Congress; research services; and efforts to market cattle abroad. Governance of the organization is through the annual convention, district meetings, and board of directors meetings. In 1964 MCA helped initiate a class-action anti-trust suit against supermarket retailers A. & P., Kroger's, and Safeway for price-fixing in the purchase of beef. Cattle ranchers finally won the suit. Among the presidents of MCA were Jack Toole, Art Watson, I.H. Halverson, Sid Fraser, Swede Schlesinger, Charles Bascom, Eugene Walker, Stan Booth, and Paul Ringling. Beginning in 1972 the administrative end of the organization was run by an executive secretary, Alice Fryslie.

Records. 2.5 linear feet. 1957-1980. Records of the Montana Cattlemen's Association consist of general correspondence (1958-1980), primarily between Executive Secretary Alice Fryslie and MCA officers and members, and government officials, allied organizations, and others. Financial records (1972-1978) consist of financial statements, bills and statements, and miscellany. Organizational records (1957-1980) include bylaws, annual reports of the corporation, membership lists, and minutes of the board of directors and of the annual business meeting. The major portion of the collection consists of a subject file (1957-1981) including materials on the anti-trust law suit, brucellosis control, convention preparations, land use, landowner-sportsmen relations, legislation, marketing, predator control, federal lobbying trips, water resources, and wilderness. There are also subject files on a variety of related organizations. Miscellaneous material includes membership questionnaires on political and policy issues. [There is very little documentation of the 1959-1971 period.]

This collection is arranged into seven series.

Collection open for research.

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.

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Library & Archives. Helena, Montana.

Acquisition information available upon request.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.

Montana Cattlemen's Association Cattle Raising Cattle--Diseases Lobying Predatory Animals--Control Water-supply Wilderness areas Montana agriculture Detailed Description of the Collection

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

General Correspondence 1 / 1-7 Miscellaneous 1958-1980 Financial Records 1 / 8 Bills and statements 1974-1976 1 / 9 Bills and statements: anti-trust suit 1976 1 / 10 Financial statements 1972-1978 1 / 11 Miscellaneous 1974-1976 Press Releases 1 / 12 Miscellaneous 1958, 1973-1975 Organization 1 / 13 Bylaws 1957, 1973 1 / 14-15 Membership lists 1958-1980 2 / 1 Minutes of board of directors meetings [scattered] 1958-1959 2 / 2-3 Minutes of board of directors, executive board, and general membership meetings 1973-1980 2 / 4 Resolutions 1957-1978 2 / 5 Miscellaneous (includes annual report of the corporation, lists of directors) 1968-1979 Subject Files 2 / 6 160-acre limitation 1977 2 / 7-8 Anti-trust suit: Bray vs. Safeway, et al. 1968, 1973-1976 2 / 9 Beef imports, exports, and prices 1957-1978 2 / 10 Brucellosis (includes transcript of unidentified conference) 1958-1976 2 / 11 Computerized brand registration project 1974 2 / 12 Consumer Federation of America 1978 2 / 13 Conventions [scattered] 1958-1969 2 / 14-17 Convention planning 1972-1976 3 / 1-3 Convention planning 1977-1981 3 / 4 District meeting planning 1958, 1974-1975 3 / 5 Executive secretary position 1972-1978 3 / 6 Feedlot pollution 1972 3 / 7 Herd Health Seminar 1975-1976 3 / 8 Land Use Committee 1977-1978 3 / 9 Landowner Relations/Sportsmen Access Advisory Council 1972-1981 3 / 10-13 Legislation 1973-1979 3 / 14 Legislative social seminar 1979, 1981 3 / 15 Livestock and Dairy Industry Leadership Task Force 1975-1978 3 / 16 Marketing and foreign trade 1974-1980 3 / 17 Medicine Lake Wildlife Refuge Policy Action Committee 1973-1974 3 / 18 Membership promotions 1957-1978 3 / 19 Montana Cattlemen's Association International Foundation 1976 3 / 20 Montana Dept. of Livestock/Montana Board of Livestock 1973-1976 3 / 21 Montana Governor's Ad Hoc Committee of Farm Organizations and Commodity Groups 1972-1978 4 / 1 Montana Media (firm) 1977 4 / 2 Montana Rangeland Resources Committee 1977-1979 4 / 3 Montana Trade Showcase 1976 4 / 4 People-to-People trip to Europe and Soviet Union 1978 4 / 5 Position statements, research proposals, etc. 1973-1977 4 / 6 Predator, pest, and disease control 1975-1978 4 / 7 Rural development issues 1977 4 / 8 Scholarships 1976 4 / 9 United States Forest Service 1976 4 / 10-13 Washington, D.C. annual lobbying trip 1976-1978 4 / 14 Water resources 1975-1978 4 / 15 Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture 1975 4 / 16 Western Environmental Trade Association (WETA) 1977-1978 4 / 17 Western Governors' Conference on Agriculture 1974 4 / 18 Western Governors' Policy Council (includes "Imple- mentation plan for the Agricultural Resources Policy Office) 1977 4 / 19 Wilderness and RARE II issues (re wilderness designation and U.S. Forest Service's Roadless Area Review and Evaluation program) 1974-1979 Miscellany 5 / 1 "Land fraud" (allegation by "A Cherokee Indian" that much of state land is held fraudulently) circa 1973 5 / 2 Logo undated 5 / 3 Mailing lists (includes news media, other ranch organizations, government agencies, veterinarians, and feed lot operators) undated 5 / 4 Material for Montana Cattleman articles 1959, 1975-1977 5 / 5-7 Membership questionnaires 1974-1977 5 / 8 Statistics 1978 Clippings 5 / 9 Miscellaneous 1959-1979