James C. Garlington was born in 1908. He attended the University of Montana, where he received his law degree in 1930. He founded the law firm of Garlington, Lohn & Robertson in Missoula, Montana.
Garlington ran as a Republican during the campaign for delegateship for the 1972 Constitutional Convention, which was called to revise Montana's 1889 state constitution. Despite opposition Garlington won the position by a narrow margin. His losing opponent, T. Gary Curtis, called for a recount, but that recount showed that Garlington had won the election. Garlington served on the Executive, Education and Natural Resources, and Agriculture committees. He also prepared the ceremony for the signing of the new constitution after it was appvoed by Montana voters in 1972.
After the convention, Garlington returned to his Missoula home and his law practice. He died in 1995.
The collection consists of Garlington's papers from the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention. It contains a daily journal kept by Garlington, his campaign expenditures and some speeches, legal material dealing with the election recount, newspaper articles on the Convention and Missoula delegates, a copy of the Montana revised codes, and correspondence between Garlington and others. Publications in the collection concern the drafting of state constitutions. A voter's guide has short biographies of all Convention delegates.
From the Convention itself are draft proposals and letters of transmittal from committees on the executive, education, natural resource and agriculture, judicial committees, and legislative committees. Also contained in the collection are various member proposals, educational material sponsored by the Society of American Foresters and Office of Public Instruction, a resolution calling for submittal of the proposed constitution to the voters, and highlights of the proposed constitution.
The collection is arranged in five series:
Series I: Journal, 4 folders, 1917-1972
Series II: Correspondence, 2 folders, 1971-1972
Series III: Campaign, 2 folders, 1971
Series IV: Convention, 0.5 linear feet, 1967-1972
Series V: Clippings, 2 folders, 1971-1972
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana-Missoula.
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright not transferred to The University of Montana.
[Name of document or photograph number], James C. Garlington Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.
Gift of James C. Garlington, 1972.
The original processor arranged the collection and prepared a finding aid. In 2004, the collection was minimally rearranged, and a new finding aid was produced with minor revisions to the original.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
This series contains the journal that Garlington kept throughout the Convention, and consists mainly of his notes on each day's events. It includes many copies of minutes, proposals, and other inserts.
This series contains Garlington's correspondence related to the Convention. It contains letters congratulating him on his election, requests to focus on particular issues, and other matters.
This series contains records of Garlington's election, including campaign materials, speeches, the recount challenge, and the financial records from the campaign.
This series contains materials from the Convention, including the activities of committees. It also contains Garlington's appointment certificate and materials about the Convention delegates.
This series contains clippings from Montana newspapers about the Convention and its activities.