Paul and Arlene Wylie Family papers, 1832-2025

Paul R. Wylie, or Nick Wylie, was born in Montana in 1936 to Paul R. Wylie Sr (1899-1987), and Alice H. (Allice Hazel) (Dredge) Wylie (1904-2007). His nickname (Nick) is derived from St. Nicholas because he was born on Christmas day. Paul grew up in White Sulphur Springs, Montana and graduated from Montana State College (MSC, now Montana State University (MSU)) in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering. After graduating, he worked as a rocket engineer for Morton Thiokol in Utah. He then moved to Washington D.C., where he worked as an examiner for the U.S. Patent office and obtained his law degree from American University in 1965. He worked as a patent lawyer in Utah, New Jersey, California, and Montana. He worked in corporate practice until 1981 then started a private practice, which he operated until his retirement. One of his major cases in private practice was to present as an expert witness in the 1980's Polaroid v. Kodak case which involved determining the measure of financial damages owed to Polaroid by Kodak for infringement of their patents on instant color photography. He married Arlene Marie (Klem) Wylie in Los Angeles, California, in 1982. They have two sons, John Michael Wylie (1984-) and Thomas Robert Wylie (1986-). Paul Wylie also has a daughter (Lynne Catherine Wylie (1966-)) from a previous marriage to Susanne Frances Cleevely. Paul Wylie and Arlene returned to Montana in 1990. After retiring from legal practice, Paul R. Wylie began researching Montana history and produced three books, The Irish General in 2007, Blood on the Marias in 2016, and Montana State's Golden Bobcats in 2022. Paul was awarded an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from MSU in 2024.

Arlene Marie (Klem) Wylie was born 23 May 1948 in Los Angeles California to Paul M. Klem (1905-1978) and Vesta A. (Petersen) Klem (1913-1986). She attended San Gabriel High School, Pasadena City College, California State Northridge, and California State Los Angeles. She worked as a registered nurse (RN), at Long Beach Memorial, and in allergy, orthopedics, and cardiology practices in Beverly Hills, California. After her retirement, she volunteered for the non-profit Liberty Place in Whitehall, Montana. In 1998, Arlene and 4 others began Bosom Buddies, a support community for women with breast cancer. The community helped build the Cancer Support Community Montana (CSCMT) in 2004 which (as of 2020) has another chapter in Missoula and resource centers throughout Montana. Arlene served as secretary on the CSCMT board. In 2011, she and her husband (Paul Wylie) also established the Paul R. and Arlene M. Wylie Scholarship fund, which supports Native American students pursuing degrees in engineering at MSU.

Paul R. Wylie (Paul Richter) Sr. (1899-1987) was the son of John M. (John McCartney) Wylie (1857-1937) and Minnie C. (Wilhemina Carolina) (Richter) Wylie (1865-1937). Paul Wylie Sr. attended MSC (now MSU) where he enlisted in the Student Army Training Corps. After serving in World War I, he graduated from Iowa State College in 1923. He held graduate degrees in education from MSC and the University of Southern California. Throughout his life, Paul Sr. experimented with photography. His photographs record trips taken with classmates, ranch life, and daily life in places where he lived in Montana and California. He worked as the superintendent of schools in Clyde Park, Montana, and spent at least one summer working as a ranger in Yellowstone National Park. In addition to his work in education, he was also a supervisor at the Dupont Chemical Plant in Waynesborough, Virginia (1928-1931), and the state director of the Farmers Home Administration (1957-1962). In 1931, Paul and his wife Alice moved to Bozeman, Montana, to operate the Wylie Ranch was owned by his father. After Paul's father (John M. Wylie) died in 1937, the ranch was left to his oldest child, Mary Wylie, and entrusted to support John Wylie's youngest daughter, Betty Wylie. In 1949 they sold the Bozeman ranch, and the proceeds went into a trust to support Betty. In 1950 Paul purchased another ranch in White Sulphur Springs, Montana, where he had been superintendent of schools since 1942. In 1981 Paul and Alice moved to Seal Beach, California, where they lived until Paul Wylie's death in 1987.

Alice H. (Alice Hazel) (Dredge) Wylie (1904-2007) was the daughter of Homer Percy Dredge and Elma Freeman Dredge and was born in Sandstone, Minnesota. She obtained her teaching credentials at St. Cloud Normal School (now St. Cloud State University) in Minnesota, and taught elementary school in Duluth, Minnesota. She Met Paul R. Wylie when they were both working summer jobs in Yellowstone National Park--Alice while she was teaching in Duluth, and Paul while he was Superintendent in Clyde Park, Montana. They were married in 1929 and had two children, Robert (1934-1980) and Paul Jr. "Nick." The family moved to White Sulphur Springs, and Alice taught at the elementary school until 1952. Alice was also an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the Gold Chapter of P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization), the Order of the Eastern Star, and the Presbyterian church. In 1990 Alice moved from Seal Beach, California back to Bozeman, Montana, where she lived until her death in 2007.

Other members of the Wylie and Richter families were important to the history of Montana and Yellowstone National Park. Christen Richter (1824-1889), a German immigrant, was the brewmaster and part owner of the first brewery in Montana: Gilbert Brewery in Virginia City, founded in 1864. He was married to Mary Ann (Ecker) Richter, also a German immigrant. Their daughter, Mrs. T. H. Vincent (Lora Mary Richter) recorded her remembrance of a trip into Yellowstone in 1882 when she was 19 years old. John M. (John McCartney) Wylie (1857-1937) established the Wylie Ranch in Bozeman, Montana, and also owned stock in the Chicago and Mexico Coffee and Fruit Company in Mexico. The ranch used the 5Y brand which was later also used on Paul R. Wylie's ranch in White Sulphur Springs. W. W. (William Wallace) Wylie (1848-1930), John M. Wylie's brother, established the Wylie Permanent Camp Company in Yellowstone National Park in 1893 and operated the camps and the Wylie Way Stations until 1905. He also had camps in Zion National Park in Utah. In addition to running camps in Yellowstone and Zion National Parks, W.W. Wylie was also the first Montana Territory superintendent of schools. Robert H. (Harold) "Gus" Wylie (1904-1986), John M. Wylie's son, and brother of Paul R. Wylie Sr., was a ranger in Yellowstone National Park.