The two-hundredth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence was celebrated in 1976. The American Revolution Bicentennial Commission charged with coordinating and overseeing the nation's commemoration of the event was reorganized as the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) in 1974, creating an agency status of higher visibility and authority headed by a single executive. In Montana the state-wide program planning was overseen by the Montana Historical Society Board of Trustees until July 1974. At that time Governor Thomas Judge created the Montana Bicentennial Administration by executive order as a separate agency operating within the Department of Education. It was established to help prepare the state for the upcoming Bicentennial observance in 1976. Montana was part of Region VIII, which also included North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. On July 1, 1973, Harold G. "Hal" Stearns was named Executive Director of the Montana Bicentennial Administration operating under the Montana Historical Society. He retired as director in July 1976, and was succeeded by John Barrett. An Advisory Council composed of thirty members (from government agencies and the private sector) was appointed by Governor Judge in September 1973, to determine policy for the staff of the Montana Bicentennial Administration. They also functioned under the Montana Historical Society until the creation of the Montana Bicentennial Administration in 1974. BIMONT was the bicentennial project/event computerized calendar system for the state of Montana adopted from BINET, the computerized information system for all the states. The Montana Bicentennial Administration was disbanded in January 1977.