Montana Commissioner Of Higher Education (Lawrence Pettit) Records, 1971-1979
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Montana. Commissioner of Higher Education
- Title
- Montana Commissioner Of Higher Education (Lawrence Pettit) Records
- Dates
- 1971-1979 (inclusive)19711979
- Quantity
- .7 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- RS 218
- Summary
- The Montana Commissioner of Higher Education administers the University System. Records (1971-1979) include Commissioner Lawrence Pettit's correspondence, organizational materials, press releases, speeches, subject files, and legislative files; and a report (1977) by the Board of Education reviewing the work of the commissioner, including his response. [Printed material transferred to Library.]
- Repository
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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
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Collection 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.
Historical Note
The Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education was established by Article X of the Montana Constitution of 1972. Before that time the executive head of higher education was the executive secretary of the Montana University System. According to the 1972 Constitution, the Board of Regents of Higher Education was to appoint the commissioner and "prescribe his term and duties." The commissioner serves as executive secretary of the Board and as an ex-officio member, as do the governor and the superintendent of Public Instruction. Duties of the commissioner include executing, administering, and interpreting the policies, decisions, and rules of the Board of Regents; acting as chairman of the Council of Presidents; initiating and coordinating reviews of academic programs; controlling inter-unit matters such as budgets, curricula, research, etc.; representing the Board and University System to the legislature and its committees; hearing appeals from students in the University System; and acting as the state certifying officer for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. The first Commissioner of Higher Education was Lawrence K. Pettit who was appointed in 1973. Pettit, who was born in Lewistown, Montana, in 1937, was an associate professor of political science at Pennsylvania State University and then chairman of political science at Montana State University in Bozeman. In 1969 he left this position to serve as gubernatorial campaign manager for his brother-in-law, Thomas L. Judge. Pettit resigned as commissioner in January 1979. The Montana Educational Broadcasting Commission was created by the legislature in 1974 to "promote, establish, operate and maintain facilities to provide noncommercial educational programs to educational institutions and the general public of the State of Montana." The MEBC was composed of five members appointed by the governor and three ex-officio members including the Commissioner of Higher Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Director of the Department of Administration. The MEBC was abolished in 1977.
Content Description
This collection contains records of the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education including general correspondence (1971-1978) with the Governor's Office, newspaper editors, and others; and interoffice correspondence (1973-1979) arranged by Board of Regents, commissioner's staff, and Montana University System presidents and staff. A portion of the correspondence is from the Commissioner's legal staff responding to questions on legal matters. The collection also includes news releases; organizational materials; a report (1977) by the Board reviewing the work of the commissioner and the commissioner's reply; statements and speeches (1973-1979) made by Lawrence K. Pettit as commissioner; subject files (1973-1979), including legislation, and the Montana Educational Broadcasting Commission; miscellany; and clippings. Printed materials have been transferred to the Library.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Use
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society 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.
Preferred Citation
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.
Administrative Information
Return to TopDetailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
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General Correspondence
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Description: Governor's OfficeDates: 1971-1977Container: Box/Folder 1 / 1
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Description: Letters to the editorDates: 1974-1978, undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1 / 2
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Description: Chronological (correspondents include Commission on Post-Secondary Education, Mike Mansfield, Montana Attorney General, Polly Holmes, Dorothy Bradley, Jack Gunderson, Cornie Thiessen, Gertrude Lindgren, Chet Ross, Legislative Auditor, Harriett Meloy, Francis Bardanouve, Neil J. Lynch, Division of Workers' Compensation, State Board of Nursing, State Board of Personnel Appeals, Administrative Code Committee, Legislative Auditor)Dates: 1974-1978Container: Box/Folder 1 / 3
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Interoffice Correspondence
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Description: Board of Regents of Higher EducationDates: 1973-1979Container: Box/Folder 1 / 4
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Description: Commissioner of Higher Education staffDates: 1973-1979Container: Box/Folder 1 / 5
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Description: Montana University System presidents, faculty, and staffDates: 1973-1979Container: Box/Folder 1 / 6
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Press Releases
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Description: Miscellaneous (re vote of confidence for Lawrence K. Pettit, energy conservation, role and scope for university units, Law School accreditation, autonomy of Board of Regents, University System accounting procedures, Pettit's resignation)Dates: 1974-1978Container: Box/Folder 1 / 7
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Organization
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Description: Organizational chart; descriptions of authority, staff and budget; duties of commissionerDates: 1973-1976Container: Box/Folder 1 / 8
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Printed Materials
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Description: List of printed materials transferred to the LibraryDates:Container: Box/Folder 1 / 9
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Reports
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Description: "Report of the Committee to Review the Commissioner," and "Commissioner Pettit's response to the Report of the Review Committee"Dates: 1977Container: Box/Folder 1 / 10
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Speeches
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Description: Lawrence K. Pettit statements and speeches to Board of Regents, Montana Press Association, Legislative Finance Committee, etc. (re role of commissioner, state of higher education in Montana, etc.)Dates: 1973-1979, undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1 / 11
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Subject Files
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Description: Legislation (legislative summaries for commissioner, Board of Regents)Dates: 1978, undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1 / 12
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Description: Montana Educational Broadcasting CommissionDates: 1973-1979Container: Box/Folder 2 / 1-2
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Description: Lawrence K. Pettit employment (includes vitae)Dates: 1979Container: Box/Folder 2 / 3
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Miscellany
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Description: Miscellaneous (includes Six-Mill Levy Committee minutes; explanation of Board of Regents contingency fund; agenda for workshop on reorganization of the University System; "Answers to some anticipated questions and criticisms"; description of new Board of Regents; etc.)Dates: 1975-1976, undatedContainer: Box/Folder 2 / 4
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Clippings
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Description: Lawrence K. PettitDates: 1973-1979Container: Box/Folder 2 / 5
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Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Education
- Television In Education
