Bess Reed papers, 1901-1984

Republican state legislator and a member of the Missoula School District 1 Board of Trustees for 21 years was born in Montgomery, Minnesota, on October 15, 1892. She attended Valley City Teachers College in Valley City, North Dakota, in Domestic Science. On graduation Bess taught school for six years; four years in North Dakota and was principal at Stanford Montana and then on to teach high school chemistry in St. Maries Idaho. When it became evident that her teaching salary was not enough to support herself she decided to give up teaching and went to work for the Milwaukee Road. She worked for the railroad in St. Maries and Spokane, Washington for the next six years. On November 9, 1925 she married Dr. Dallas J. Reed and moved to Missoula shortly thereafter. The couple had one son, Dallas J. Reed, Jr.

From the time Bess arrived in Missoula in 1925, she was committed to public affairs. She led local and state chapters of the PTA (Parent Teachers Association). Bess was the secretary of the Montana Society for Crippled Children for eight years, and Missoula County's Girls State Chairwomen for 19 years. For 17 years she was the executive secretary of the Community Chest (the United Way predecessor) and served on the Board of Directors of the Missoula Chamber of Commerce. As a member of the Missoula Business and Professional Women's Club she was voted Women of the Year in 1952 and was their State President in 1964 and in 1976 was their Women in History in their Statewide Bi-Centennial book. On March 27, 1971, the Missoula Chamber of Commerce declared Bess Reed Day. Altogether Bess worked for the city of Missoula for 52 years.

In her four years in the Legislature 1951-1953 and 1961, Bess took a particular interest in education and health and was an active proponent of the Equal Rights Amendment. She was chairwomen of Education and Public Health, Morals and Safety Committee, Mines and Mining, State Boards and Institutions, Ways and Means, Banking and Insurance, and Conservation and Development. Lands.

Bess Reed died at the age of 91 in Missoula, Montana on June 4, 1984.

Dr. Dallas J. Reed, Missoula chiropractor, was born in Butte, Montana on April 16, 1891. He was employed by the Milwaukee Railroad in 1907 where he worked as a timekeeper. He remained with the railroad company until 1917, when he enlisted in Spokane, Washington and was sent to France. He was first stationed in a French headquarters office, and then saw action with the second division at Chateau Thierry, Belleau Wood and Soissons. In Soissons he was wounded just after going over the top, and was only one of 28 survivors of his company of 238 men. He returned to his employment with the Milwaukee Road in 1919, remaining in the work until 1921, when he entered the National College of Chiropractic in Chicago. After his graduation in 1924, he practiced in Whitehall, Montana for a year, moving to Missoula in 1925. He died on April 29, 1944 after a long illness.