University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
The University of Montana--Missoula
Missoula, MT 59812
406-243-2053
http://www.lib.umt.edu/asc
library.archives@umontana.edu
Mss
041
Billings, Harry, 1913-1990
Harry Billings
Montana Power Company Collection
1939-1970
0.75 linear feet
2 boxes
Harry Billings was a newspaper editor in
Helena, Montana. The collection documents his allegations that the Montana
Power Company took part in unfair actions, including rate increases, tax cuts,
and overcharges. The materials were used by Russell L. Doty, Jr., in the course
of his research for his master's thesis in political science at the University
of Montana--Missoula.
Materials are in
English
Biographical Note
Harry L. Billings was born in Somers, Montana, in 1913; his father
worked in the lumber mill. His mother was a homesteader and early day
schoolteacher in the Hot Springs, Montana, area where he was raised. He was a
graduate of Thompson Falls High School and earned a degree in journalism from
the University of Montana--Missoula in 1933. His wife, Gretchen Garber
Billings, was a native of Whitefish, Montana, whose grandparents homesteaded in
the Plains area in the mid-1880s. The Billings jointly edited the farmer-labor
owned newspaper
The People's Voice in Helena, Montana, from 1946 to 1969,
resigning after a lengthy dispute with organized labor over support of the
Vietnam War. Billings opposed American involvement in Korea and Vietnam. As
managing editor of
The People's Voice, in the 1950s and 1960s, Billings took
the Montana Power Company to task for rate increases, tax cuts, and overcharges
that Billings and others felt were unfair actions on the Company's part. During
the Montana sales tax fight of 1971, Harry coordinated the successful
opposition to enactment of the proposed tax, and then spent two and one half
years as Director of Education and Research for the Montana State AFL-CIO. He
was also a member of the Montanan Bicentennial advisory council in the
mid-1970s and in 1983 was awarded the University of Montana's distinguished
alumni award.
The Billings retired first to their home in Thompson Falls and then
moved full-time to Apache Junction, Ariz., when Harry began suffering
respiratory problems. He died on April 23, 1990.
Russell L. Doty, Jr. served in the Montana State House of
Representatives for Great Falls, Cascade County. He earned an M.A. in Political
Science from the University of Montana--Missoula in 1970.
The collection documents Billings' allegations that the Montana Power
Company took part in unfair actions, including rate increases, tax cuts, and
overcharges. The materials were used by Russell L. Doty, Jr., in the course of
his research for his master's thesis in political science at the University of
Montana--Missoula. The collection contains correspondence, clippings, articles,
reports, legal papers, and notes produced by Billings and collected by him in
the course of his research on the Montana Power Company. Frequent
correspondents include Mrs. S. Rae Logan, Senator Lee Metcalf, and Vic
Reinemer. Reports in the collection were produced by the Montana Power Company,
the Montana Public Service Commission, and the Federal Power Commission.
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], Harry Billings Montana Power
Company Collection, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library,
The University of Montana-Missoula.
The materials were in Harry Billings' possession until about 1970,
when they were acquired by Russell L. Doty, Jr. as research materials for his
1970 M.A. thesis in Political Science at the University of Montana,
Consumers' Council: Countervailing Power to Montana
Power?
Gift of Harry Billings through Russell L. Doty, Jr., ca. 1970.
The original processor arranged the collection and produced a brief
finding aid. In 2004, the finding aid was expanded and encoded.
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.
Logan,
Rae, 1885-1970--Correspondence
Metcalf,
Lee, 1911-1978--Correspondence
Reinemer,
Vic, 1923---Correspondence
Doty,
Russell L.
Montana
Power Company--Corrupt practices
University
of Montana--Missoula--Alumni and alumnae
United
States. Federal Power Commission
Montana
Power Company
Montana
Public Service Commission
Montana--Politics and government--20th
century
Corruption investigation --
Montana
Public utilities--Corrupt
practices--Montana
Montana
Labor
History
Journalism
Civic
Activism
Newspaper editors -- Montana--Helena
Political activists -- Montana--Helena
1/1
Correspondence
1949-1957
1/2
Correspondence
1960-1970
1/3
Clippings,
Congressional Record
1963-1964
1/4
People's Voice
1949-1968
1/5
Clippings
1940-1964
1/6
Clippings
1965-1969
1/7
Court briefs
1939-1964
1/8
Montana Senate report
1939
1/9
Federal Power Commission
hearings
1950-1965
1/10
Montana Public Service Commission,
briefs and exhibits
1953
1/11
Montana Legislature
1965
1/12
News releases
1964
1/13
Montana Power Company
reports
1953-1965
1/14
Harry Billings news
stories
undated
1/15
Research materials
1951-1968
2/1
[Handwritten notes]
undated
2/2
Pacific Northwest Power Bulletin and
ECIC Newsletter
1964-1968
2/3
Articles, flyers,
brochures
1940-1968
2/4
Montana Power Company, claim sheets
to state of Montana
Acquired by Russell Doty for his research.
1968