Skip to main content

Montana Legislative Assembly (36th: 1959) records

 Collection
Identifier: LR-36

Scope and Contents

The collection includes the minutes of the House Fish and Game Special Investigating Committee, the House Special Committee to Investigate Expenditures for the Governor's Mansion, the House Special Committee to Investigate the Consolidating of Boards, Bureaus and Departments, the Special Committee to Investigate the Pardons and Paroles Board, and the Special Investigating Committee on Elective Offices; reports of the Special Committee to Investigate the Purchasing Department, of the Special Committee to Investigate the Salaries Paid to Administrative Heads of Boards, Bureaus, and Commissions, and the Special Investigating Committee on the Highway Department; minutes and reports of House and Senate standing committees; House and Senate bills, resolutions and memorials; House joint memorials (re continued operation of a Montana system of free television broadcasting; construction of Yellowstone Dam; construction of Libby Dam; teaching conservation in public schools; proclamation of Youth Honor Day; Absaroka-Yankee Jim Project; construction of Glacier View Dam; transmountain division of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River; utilization of Fort Missoula; pension of World War I veterans; continuation of federal income tax on income individuals; and establishment of federal Indian policy); and Senate joint memorials (re precluding the closing of high-frequency booster television stations; preservation of recreational fishery resources of the Madison River Valley; investigation of control and use of the Missouri Basin waters and power; and promotion of a good business climate). The collection also contains miscellany material including the exhibit regarding Public Employee System of Montana.

Dates

  • Creation: 1959

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Biographical / Historical

The Montana State Legislature is made up of two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Constitution of Montana limits the size of the Senate to no fewer than 40 and no more than 50 members and the size of the House of Representatives to no fewer than 80 and no more than 100 members. Each house is responsible for choosing its officers, creating committees and establishing its own rules. The Montana Legislature meets for 90 days every odd numbered year, beginning the first Monday in January, or the following Wednesday if the first Monday is New Years Day. The first State Legislature convened on November 23, 1889, fifteen days after Montana became a state. Each following Legislature has been numbered sequentially.

The 36th Montana Legislature met from January 5th to March 5th, 1959. The leaders of the Senate were Paul Cannon (D-President), David James (D-President Pro Tempore), David James (D-Majority Leader), and Rex Hibbs (R-Minority Leader). The leaders of the House were John MacDonald (D-Speaker), John Emmons (D-Speaker Pro Tempore), Charles Cerovski (D-Majority Leader), and Sumner Gerard (R-Minority Leader).

Sources: The Constitution of the State of Montana as adopted by the Constitutional Convention March 22, 1972, and as ratified by the people, June 6, 1972, referendum no. 68, http://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca_toc/Constitution.htm; "Organization of the Montana Legislature," The Montana Legislature, http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/About-the-Legislature/organization.asp; “Montana Legislative Leadership 1889 – Present” http://leg.mt.gov/css/About-the-Legislature/Facts-and-Statistics/leadership-through-history.asp

Extent

3 linear feet

Abstract

Collection contains records (1959) of the Montana 36th Legislative Assembly including minutes of the House Special Committees; reports of Special Committees; minutes and reports of House and Senate standing committees; House and Senate bills, resolutions, memorials, joint resolutions and memorials; and miscellany. [OVERSIZE MATERIAL: map case; multimedia: MM 1]

Arrangement

The collection is organized into four series, House and Senate Joint Committees, House of Representatives, Senate, and Miscellany.

The series House and Senate Joint Committees is organized into one subseries, Joint Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically by committee name and thereunder chronologically).

The series House of Representatives is organized into ten subseries, House Standing Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically by committee name and thereunder chronologically) , House Special Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically by committee name and thereunder chronologically), House Bills (arranged numerically by bill number), Reports of Special Committees (arranged chronologically), House Resolutions (arranged numerically by bill number), House Joint Resolutions (arranged numerically by bill number), House Memorials (arranged numerically by bill number), House Joint Memorials (arranged numerically by bill number), Status Sheets of House Bills (arranged chronologically), and House Journals (arranged chronologically).

The series Senate is organized into eight subseries, Senate Standing Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically by committee name and thereunder chronologically), Senate Bills (arranged numerically by bill number), Senate Resolutions (arranged numerically by bill number), Senate Joint Resolutions (arranged numerically by bill number), Senate Joint Memorials (arranged numerically by bill number), Senate Confirmation Resolutions (arranged chronologically), Status Sheets of Senate Bills (arranged chronologically), and Senate Journals (arranged chronologically).

Physical Location

51:6-4

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Acquisition information available upon request.

Separated Materials

OVERSIZE MATERIAL: map Case; multimedia: MM1

Processing Information

Bill Summers processed the collection in 1986.

Title
Guide to the Montana Legislative Assembly (36th: 1959) records, 1959
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Bill Summers, 1986
Date
2006
Description rules
Finding Aid Based On Dacs ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition )
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Repository Details

Part of the Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives Repository

Contact:
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201 United States
406-444-2681
406-444-2696 (Fax)