# List of people from Montana

Montana /mɒnˈtænə/ is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name, derived from the Spanish word montaña (mountain). Montana has several nicknames, including "The Treasure State" and "Big Sky Country", and slogans that include "Land of the Shining Mountains" and more recently, "The Last Best Place". The state ranks fourth in area, but 44th in population, and accordingly has the third-lowest population density in the United States. The economy is primarily based on services, with ranching, wheat farming, oil and coal mining in the east, and lumber, tourism, and hard rock mining in the west. Millions of tourists annually visit Glacier National Park, the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, and three of the five entrances to Yellowstone National Park.

## Academics

Academics from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Stephen E. Ambrose | 1936–2002 | Lived in Helena during retirement | Professor; historian; biographer |
| Ed Bearss | 1923–2020 | Born in Billings | Historian specializing in the American Civil War and World War II; chief historian of the National Park Service (1981–1994); National Park Service Historian Emeritus |
| Judy Blunt | 1954–present | Born near Malta; attended college in and lives in Missoula | Memoirist; associate professor at the University of Montana |
| Dan Flores | 1948–present | Lives in Missoula | Historian and writer on the Western United States; professor and A.B. Hammond Chair in Western History at the University of Montana |
| Malcolm Knowles | 1913–1997 | Born in Livingston | Educator noted for the adoption of the theory of andragogy |
| Norman Maclean | 1902–1990 | Moved to Missoula in 1909 | Author; scholar; dean of students and William Rainey Harper Professor of English at the University of Chicago |
| Janine Pease | 1949–present | Lives on the Crow Indian Reservation | Founded Little Big Horn College |
| Roland Renne | 1905–1989 | President of Montana State College (1943–1964) in Bozeman | Agricultural economics professor; active in Washington, D.C., and overseas agricultural economics work; Democratic candidate for governor of Montana (1964) |
| Clyde Summers | 1918–2010 | Born | Labor lawyer and law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School |
| Lester Thurow | 1938–2016 | Born in Livingston | Rhodes Scholar; economist; former dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management; author of numerous bestsellers on economics; columnist |
| K. Ross Toole | 1920–1981 | Born, raised and college student in Missoula; lived in Missoula and Red Lodge | Historian; history writer; A.B. Hammond Professor of Western History at the University of Montana |
| James Welch | 1940–2003 | Born in Browning; attended college and lived in Missoula | Poet; history writer; taught at the University of Washington, Cornell University, and the University of Montana; 1997 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas |

## Artists

Artists from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Brad Adkins | 1973–present | Born in Kalispell | Artist and curator |
| Anne Appleby | 1954–present | Lives and works part time in Born in Jefferson City | Abstract color field/landscape painter |
| Rudy Autio | 1926–2007 | Born in Butte; attended college in Bozeman; lived and taught in Missoula | Sculptor and ceramicist; professor of ceramics |
| John E. Buck | 1946–present | Lives part-time in Bozeman | Sculptor and printmaker; married to fellow sculptor Deborah Butterfield |
| Deborah Butterfield | 1949–present | Lives part-time in Bozeman | Sculptor who makes horses out of found objects; married to fellow sculptor John E. Buck |
| Russell Chatham | 1939–2019 | Lives near Livingston | Painter; lithographer; writer; restaurateur |
| F. Y. Cory | 1877–1972 | Lived in Helena and on a ranch near Canyon Ferry Lake | Artist and illustrator |
| William Cumming | 1917–2010 | Born in Kalispell | Artist; a founder of the Northwest School |
| Monte Dolack | 1950–present | Born in Great Falls; lives in Missoula | Lithographer; painter; poster artist; watercolorist; one of Montana's most popular and widely known contemporary graphic artists; known for whimsical images of animals (trout swimming in a bathtub, elk with their antlers on fire, etc.) |
| Malcolm Hancock | 1936–1993 | Lived and died in Great Falls | Satirical cartoonist who used the pen name "Mal" |
| Ethel Hays | 1892–1989 | Born in and raised in Billings | Syndicated cartoonist specializing in flapper-themed comic strips |
| Will James | 1892–1942 | Lived his later adult years at Pryor Creek and in Billings | Western artist; author; won the Newbery Medal in 1927 |
| Frank Bird Linderman | 1869–1938 | Lived in Sheridan, Demersville (now Kalispell), Helena, Butte, and Flathead Lake | Western sculptor and writer; Native American ally; Montana State Representative (1903–1905); Montana Assistant Secretary of State (1905–1907) |
| Stan Lynde | 1931–2013 | Born in Billings; raised on sheep ranch near Lodge Grass; attended college in Missoula; lived in last years of his life Helena | Cartoonist who drew the comic strips Rick O'Shay and Latigo; western mystery novelist |
| Edgar Samuel Paxson | 1852–1919 | Moved to Montana at age 20; lived in Deer Lodge, Butte, and Missoula | 19th-century realist painter |
| J. K. Ralston | 1896–1987 | Born in Choteau; lived in Helena, Dawson County, and Billings | Western painter of the American Old West whose primary topics were the American West and images of cowboys and American Indians |
| Kevin Red Star | 1943–present | Born and raised on the Crow Indian Reservation; attended college in Bozeman and Billings; lives in Lodge Grass | Contemporary Native artist; some of his work is in the Smithsonian Institution |
| Winold Reiss | 1886–1953 | Spent significant time in Montana; ashes spread by the Blackfeet along the eastern edge of Glacier National Park | Painter; made over 250 paintings of Native Americans, especially the Blackfeet |
| Charles Marion "C.M." Russell | 1864–1926 | Moved to Montana at age 16; lived in Cascade, and Great Falls | Western painter; storyteller; author; primary topics were the American Old West and images of cowboys and American Indians |
| Robert Scriver | 1914–1999 | Born on the Blackfeet Reservation; lived near Glacier National Park | Sculptor of western themes |
| Peter Voulkos | 1924–2002 | Born, raised, and attended college in Bozeman; lived in Helena | Abstract expressionist ceramicist |

### Photographers

Photographers from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Evelyn Cameron | 1868–1928 | Lived in Terry | Photographer; moved to Terry in the late 19th century with her naturalist husband Ewen; together they took pictures of Montana prairie life |
| Frank Jay Haynes | 1853–1921 | Spent extensive time working in and photographing Montana | Photographer; publisher; entrepreneur; played a major role in documenting the settlement and early history of the Northwest through photographs; official photographer of the Northern Pacific Railway and Yellowstone National Park; operated early transportation concessions in the park from the West Yellowstone area |
| William Henry Jackson | 1843–1942 | Spent extensive time photographing Montana, especially the Yellowstone region | Painter; Civil War and geological survey photographer; explorer of the American West; obtained the first photographs of Fort Ellis and settlements and geological features in the Paradise Valley along the Yellowstone River (1871) |
| Robert C. Lautman | 1923–2009 | Born in Butte; attended college in Bozeman | Architectural photographer with extensive portfolio of buildings of national (U.S.) importance |
| Albert Schlechten | 1876–1961 | Photographer in Bozeman and Anaconda | With his brother Alfred, purchased the Bozeman photography business of Grant and Tippet, which was renamed "Schlechten Brothers"; later went into farming; then owned a photography studio in Anaconda; made large format camera series of photos of Yellowstone National Park |
| Alfred Schlechten | 1877–1970 | Photographer in Bozeman, Montana | With his brother Albert, purchased the Bozeman photography business of Grant and Tippet, which was renamed "Schlechten Brothers"; operated a solo portrait studio (1900–1940s) |
| Chris Schlechten | 19??–197? | Photographer in Bozeman, Montana | Son of Alfred Schlechten; created a spoof college annual at Montana State College (1933); ran a studio in West Yellowstone, Montana, and conducted extensive photography of Yellowstone National Park; took over Schlechten Brothers studio in the 1940s |

## Athletes

Montanans participate in a wide variety of sports, including baseball, basketball, boxing, cycling, football, golf, rodeo, figure skating, skiing, and wrestling.
Athletes from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Gene Davis | 1945–present | Born and raised in Missoula | Olympic freestyle wrestler; bronze medalist at 1976 Summer Olympics |
| Pat Donovan | 1953–present | Attended high school in Helena | National Football League left tackle (1975–1983); four-time Pro Bowler; played in three Super Bowls, winning one |
| Todd Foster | 1967–present | Born in Great Falls | Golden Gloves light welterweight national champion (1987); Olympics competitor (1988); professional boxer |
| Phil Jackson | 1945–present | Born and lived for several years in Deer Lodge | National Basketball Association (NBA) power forward (1968–1980) and head coach (1990–2011); considered one of the Top 10 coaches in NBA history |
| Levi Leipheimer | 1973–present | Born and raised in Butte, Montana | American professional road bicycle racer; won the 2007, 2008 and 2009 editions of the Tour of California, the 2006 Dauphiné Libéré and the 2005 Deutschland Tour |
| Bill Linderman | 1920–1965 | Born in Bridger; raised in Red Lodge | Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world champion All-Around Cowboy (1950 & 1953); elected to ProRodeo Hall of Fame (1979) |
| Sam McCullum | 1952–present | Lived in Kalispell | National Football League wide receiver (1974–1983) |
| Dave McNally | 1942–2002 | Born and lived in Billings | Major League Baseball starting pitcher (1962–1975) |
| Scot Schmidt | 1961–present | Born in Helena | First ever professional extreme skier |
| Lones Wigger | 1937–2017 | Born in Great Falls | Rifle shooter; three-time Olympic medalist—gold and silver in the 1964 Summer Olympics and gold in the 1972 Summer Olympics; once held 80 national championships and 29 world records |

## Authors

Authors from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Dorothy Baker | 1907–1968 | Born in Missoula | Novelist |
| Rick Bass | 1958–present | Moved to Yaak Valley, near Troy in 1987; lives in Missoula | Novelist; memoirist; environmental activist |
| B. M. Bower | 1871–1940 | Lived most of her youth near Big Sandy | Author of novels, short stories; and screenplays about the American Old West |
| Richard Brautigan | 1935–1984 | Lived in Paradise Valley during the late 1970s | Novelist; poet; short story writer |
| Tim Cahill | 1944–present | Lives in Livingston | Travel writer; founding editor of Outside magazine |
| Grace Stone Coates | 1881–1976 | Moved to Montana as an adult; lived in Stevensville, Butte, and Martinsdale | Short story writer, novelist; poet; journalist |
| Margaret Craven | 1901–1980 | Born in Helena | Short story writer; novelist; journalist |
| Ivan Doig | 1939–2015 | Born in White Sulphur Springs; raised there and in Pondera County; lived near Choteau | Novelist specializing in Montana and western themes |
| Barbara Ehrenreich | 1941–present | Born and raised in Butte | Columnist; essayist; political activist; feminist |
| A. B. Guthrie Jr. | 1901–1991 | Moved to Montana as an infant; raised in Choteau | Novelist; screenwriter; historian; literary historian; won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1950; grandfather of Eden Atwood |
| Jim Harrison | 1937–2016 | Lives Paradise Valley | Author; poet; essayist; food writer |
| William Hjortsberg | 1941–2017 | Longtime resident of Park County | Novelist; screenwriter |
| Joseph Kinsey Howard | 1906–1951 | Lived in Great Falls | Journalist; historian; author; specialized in the history, culture, and economic circumstances of Montana; Howard's 1943 book, Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome is considered a landmark |
| Richard Hugo | 1923–1982 | Lived in Missoula | Poet; taught creative writing at the University of Montana |
| Dorothy M. Johnson | 1905–1984 | Moved to Whitefish as a child; attended college in, lived in, and taught college in Missoula | Author of American Old West fiction |
| William Kittredge | 1932–2020 | Taught college in Missoula; lived in Missoula since 1969 | Author; professor |
| Craig Lancaster | 1970–present | Long term resident of Billings, which is frequently featured in his novels | Novelist, short story writer, sports writer |
| Mary MacLane | 1902–1918 | Attained international fame in 1902 with her memoir of three months in her life in Butte, The Story of Mary MacLane; referred to Butte throughout the rest of her career and remains a controversial figure there for her mixture of criticism and love for Butte and its people | Pioneering feminist author, film-maker, and media personality |
| Cyra McFadden | 1939–present | Born in Great Falls; lived in Missoula | Novelist; memoirist |
| Thomas McGuane | 1939–present | Moved to Montana in 1968; lived in Paradise Valley and McLeod | Novelist; short story writer; essayist; screenplay writer |
| Maile Meloy | 1972–present | Born and raised in Helena | Fiction writer; sister of Colin Meloy |
| Andrew Nelson | 1893–1975 | Born in Great Falls | Missionary; linguist; lexicographer |
| David Quammen | 1948–present | Moved to and lives in Bozeman since circa 1973 | Fiction, science, and travel writer |
| Christopher Paolini | 1983–present | Raised and lives in Paradise Valley | Fantasy writer |
| James Willard Schultz | 1859–1947 | Lived in Browning, Carroll, and Bozeman; buried on the Blackfeet Reservation | Also known as "Apikuni"; author; explorer; Glacier National Park guide; fur trader; historian of the Blackfoot Indians |
| Wallace Stegner | 1909–1993 | Raised in Great Falls | Historian; novelist; short story writer; environmentalist;, often called "The Dean of Western Writers"; won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1972) |
| Gary Svee | 1943–2019 | Born, raised, and lives in Billings; attended college in Missoula | Journalist; author |

## Business figures
### Architects

Architects from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Fred Brinkman | 1892–1961 | Lived in Kalispell; died in Flathead County | Architect; a dozen of Brinkman's extant works in and around Kalispell have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places |
| Robert Reamer | 1873–1938 | Designed historic buildings in Billings, Helena, Livingston and Gardiner | Architect; most noted for the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park |
| Fred Fielding Willson | 1877–1956 | Born and lived in Bozeman | Architect; designed many buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places |

### Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Charles M. Bair | 1857–1943 | Lived near Billings, Lavina, and Martinsdale | Railroadman; sheep husbandry; philanthropist |
| Mark Britton | 1967–present | Born in Butte; raised in Missoula | Entrepreneur (Expedia, Avvo); venture investor; lawyer |
| Harry W. Child | 1857–1931 | Lived in Helena | Entrepreneur who managed development and ranching companies in Helena; a founder and longtime president of the Yellowstone Park Company |
| Greg Gianforte | 1961–present | Lives in Bozeman | Founder of RightNow Technologies in Bozeman, MT (1997), Montana congressman (2017-21), Montana governor (2021–present) |
| James D. Rogers | 1949?–present | Lives in Billings | President and CEO of Kampgrounds of America (KOA) |
| John D. Ryan | 1864–1933 | Lived in Butte | Copper magnate; president of Anaconda Copper Mining Company; creator of Montana Power Company |
| Ted Turner | 1938–present | Lives on a ranch near Bozeman | Entrepreneur; philanthropist; raises buffalo |
| Dennis Washington | 1934–present | Lives in Missoula | Entrepreneur; industrialist; philanthropist |
| John F. Yancey | 1826–1903 | Buried in Gardiner; substantial business connections there and in Crevice Creek, Montana | Yellowstone National Park concessionaire who operated Yancey's Pleasant Valley Hotel near Tower Junction in Yellowstone (1882–1903) |

## Clergy

Clergy from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| John Patrick Carroll | 1864–1925 | Lived in Helena | Second Bishop of Helena; Carroll College in Helena is named in his honor |
| Elizabeth Clare Prophet | 1939–2009 | Lived on Royal Teton Ranch near Gardiner, died in Bozeman | New Age religious figure |
| Alexander King Sample | 1960–present | Born in Kalispell, Montana | American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church; twelfth and current Bishop of Marquette, Michigan |
| Daniel Tuttle | 1837–1923 | Spent considerable time in Montana as an Episcopal bishop | Ordained a bishop of the Episcopal Church in 1866; first assignment was first Episcopal Bishop of Montana (1866–1880), a missionary field that included Montana, Utah, and Idaho at the time |
| Sharnael Wolverton | | Born in Montana | Founder of Swiftfire Ministries International |

## Entertainment and performing arts

Montanans participate in many aspects of the entertainment and performing arts fields, including acting, animation, directing, and music.
Entertainers from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Jeff Ament | 1963–present | Born in Havre; raised in Big Sandy; attended college and resides in Missoula | Bassist of Pearl Jam |
| Gary Cooper | 1901–1961 | Born and raised on a ranch near Helena | Actor who specialized in westerns; nominated for five Academy Awards and won twice for Sergeant York (1942) and High Noon (1952) |
| David Lynch | 1946–2025 | Born in Missoula | Film and television director; nominated for four Academy Awards |
| Jean Parker | 1915–2005 | Born in Deer Lodge | Actress; appeared in 70 movies 1932–1966; attended Pasadena schools and graduated from John Muir High School; had a successful career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer MGM Studios |
| Martha Raye | 1916–1994 | Born in Butte | Actress; standards singer; nurse; strong supporter of American military; toured with the United Service Organizations (USO) during World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War; only woman buried in the Special Forces cemetery at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and was buried with full military honors there though never on active duty; known as "Colonel Maggie" to the American military; an honorary Green Beret; awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993 for her lifetime support to the American military |
| Reggie Watts | 1972–present | Raised in Great Falls | Singer, beatboxer, comedian |
| Michelle Williams | 1980–present | Born and raised in Kalispell | Academy Award-nominated actress |

## Journalists

Journalists collect and disseminate information about current events, people, trends, and issues. The following individuals are prominent journalists from Montana.
Journalists from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Chet Huntley | 1911–1974 | Born in Cardwell; attended high school in Whitehall; attended college in Bozeman; died in Big Sky | Television newscaster; co-anchored the evening news program The Huntley-Brinkley Report |
| Brent Musburger | 1939–present | Raised in Billings; lives part-time in Big Timber | Sportscaster; host of The NFL Today (1975–1989) |
| Molly Wood | 1975–present | Born in Helena; attended college and graduated from University of Montana | Technology journalist; host of CNET's video series Always On with CNET TV |

## Military

Prior to statehood in 1889, the U. S. Army played a key role in facilitating settlement via actions against Native Americans, exploration and surveying. During World War I over 40,000 Montanans served in the armed forces, 25% more than any other state on a per-capita basis. Over 1,500 Montanans died in World War I. World War II brought air bases to Montana with the establishment of Malmstrom AFB, Montana in 1941 outside Great Falls, Montana. The Cold War saw the plains of eastern Montana become Minuteman Missile fields. The following individuals were prominent members of the United States armed forces and/or participated in significant military events in Montana.

### Medal of Honor recipients

Medal of Honor recipients from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| William Wylie Galt | 1919–1944 | Native of Geyser, in Judith Basin County | Army captain; Medal of Honor recipient for actions in Italy during World War II; killed in action |
| John McLennon | 1855–1888 | Enlisted at Fort Ellis, near Bozeman; awarded Medal of Honor at Battle of the Big Hole, in southwest Montana | Army sergeant; Medal of Honor recipient for actions in Montana during the Nez Perce War of 1877 |
| John E. Moran | 1856–1930 | Lived and died in Great Falls | Army captain; Medal of Honor recipient for actions during the Philippine–American War in 1900 |
| Laverne Parrish | 1918–1945 | Raised in Pablo and Ronan | Army Tech 4 (medic); Medal of Honor recipient for actions in the Philippines during World War II; killed in action |
| Leo J. Powers | 1909–1967 | From Madison County | Army private first class; Medal of Honor recipient for actions in Italy during the Battle of Monte Cassino |
| Donald J. Ruhl | 1923–1945 | Raised near Columbus | Marine private first class; Medal of Honor recipient for actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima; killed in action |
| Henry Schauer | 1918–1997 | From Scobey | Army private first class; Medal of Honor recipient for actions in Italy during World War II |
| Cornelius C. Smith | 1869–1936 | Moved to Helena in 1888; joined the Montana National Guard in 1889 | Army corporal; Medal of Honor recipient for actions in South Dakota during the Sioux Wars of 1891 |

### Montana territorial period

Military from Montana territorial and pre-territorial period :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Sitting Bull | 1831?–1890 | Spent significant portions of his life in southeastern Montana | Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux holy man who led his people during years of resistance to United States government policies; vision of soldiers falling into camp was significant to fighters in the Battle of the Little Bighorn |
| Gustavus Cheyney Doane | 1840–1892 | Stationed at Fort Ellis and buried in Bozeman | U.S. Army Cavalry captain; explorer; inventor; Civil War soldier who played a prominent role in the exploration of Yellowstone National Park as a member of the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition |
| Looking Glass | 1832?–1877 | Principal architect of the military campaign for his people through much of western Montana during the Nez Perce War | War leader of the Nez Perce; initially opposed going to war with the whites |
| Wooden Leg | 1858–1940 | Spent significant portions of his life in southeastern Montana | Northern Cheyenne warrior who fought in the Battle of the Little Bighorn and several other battles in the late 1800s |
| William F. Raynolds | 1820–1894 | Led Raynolds Expedition (1859–1860) to the Yellowstone River and Bighorn Canyon; Raynolds Pass named in his honor | U.S. Army Colonel; explorer; engineer; Mexican War and Civil War officer; member of the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers |
| Marcus Reno | 1834–1889 | Buried in the Custer National Cemetery (1967) with honors, on the Little Bighorn Battlefield | Career military officer in the American Civil War and in the Black Hills War against the Lakota (Sioux) and Northern Cheyenne; had significant role in the Battle of Little Big Horn |
| White Bird | 18??–1892 | Led the military campaign for his people through much of western Montana during the Nez Perce War | War leader of the Lamátta band of the Nez Perce; led his band to and stayed in Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada |
| Little Wolf | 1820?–1904 | Born in and spent most of his life in southeastern Montana | Leader of the Northern Cheyenne; was not present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn but played roles preceding and after it; led his people in many other battles and the Northern Cheyenne Exodus |

### State of Montana

Military from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Hiram M. Chittenden | 1858–1917 | Built North Entrance Road and Roosevelt Arch in Yellowstone (Gardiner) | Seattle district engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers; in Yellowstone (1891–1892, 1899–1906) |
| Thomas Patrick Gerrity | 1913–1968 | Born in Harlowton | United States Air Force general; commander of the Air Force Logistics Command |
| Jay L. Johnson | 1946–present | Born in Great Falls | Naval pilot; 26th Chief of Naval Operations (1996–2000) |
| Nels Running | 1941–present | Born and raised in Frenchtown | Air Force major general; Vietnam War veteran; awarded 7 Distinguished Flying Crosses |
| U.S. Grant Sharp | 1906–2001 | Born in Chinook; raised in Fort Benton | United States Navy admiral; Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT) (1963–1964); Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Command (CINCPAC) (1964–1968); related to Ulysses S. Grant by marriage |

## Pioneers (pre-1900)

Prior to 1850, Montana was unsettled territory. Much of the state was part of a much larger Dakota Territory in 1863 and the westernmost portion of the state became part of the Oregon Territory in 1848. The territory was the realm of fur traders and Native Americans. The first European settlements were Christian missions in the western part of the state (1821). A fur trading settlement at Fort Benton on the Missouri River was established in 1847. In the 1850s, pioneers traveling along the Mormon and Oregon Trails started moving north into the Beaverhead River country establishing Montana's first cattle ranches. Gold was first discovered in Montana at Gold Creek near present day Garrison, Montana in 1852. Major gold strikes were made at Alder Gulch, Montana in 1864 spawning present day Virginia City, Montana and Bannack, Montana, the first territorial capital. In 1883 the Northern Pacific Railway completed its transcontinental route across Montana followed by the Great Northern Railway in 1893. From the first gold strikes to the beginning of the 20th century, pioneers flowed into Montana to establish mines, cattle ranches, lumber mills, banks, mercantiles, tourism, Yellowstone National Park and farms across the state. The following individuals played a prominent role in this pioneer period of Montana history.
Pioneers (pre–1900) from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| John Bozeman | 1835–1867 | Lived in Bozeman and Deer Lodge | Entrepreneur; established the Bozeman Trail (1863), a cutoff route from the Oregon Trail in Wyoming to Bannack, Montana; guided miners to Virginia City through the Gallatin Valley; established town of Bozeman in Gallatin Valley |
| Seth Bullock | 1849–1919 | Lived in Helena | Entrepreneur; lawman; legislator; Montana territorial senator, sheriff of Lewis and Clark County, Montana, hardware store owner, hotel owner and sheriff in Deadwood, South Dakota |
| William A. Clark | 1839–1925 | Lived in Bannack, Deer Lodge, and Butte | Entrepreneur; Copper King; banker; railroader; United States Senator (1899–1900, 1901–1907) |
| Marcus Daly | 1841–1900 | Lived in Butte | Entrepreneur; Copper King; horse breeder |
| Pierre-Jean De Smet | 1801–1873 | Established Christian missions in Flathead Valley and Bitterroot Valley of Montana | Belgian Roman Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits); missionary work among the Native Americans of the Western United States in the mid-19th century |
| Morgan Earp | 1851–1882 | Lived in Butte (1877–1880); law officer there (1879–1880) | Brother of Deputy U.S. Marshals Virgil and Wyatt Earp; participated in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral |
| Truman C. Everts | 1816–1901 | Lived in Helena | Member of the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition exploring the area which later became Yellowstone National Park; became lost for 37 days during the 1870 expedition and later wrote about his experiences for Scribner's Monthly; appointed Assessor of Internal Revenue for the Montana Territory by President Abraham Lincoln (1864–1870) |
| F. Augustus Heinze | 1869–1914 | Lived in Butte | Entrepreneur; Copper King |
| Calamity Jane | 1852–1903 | Lived in Miles City, Livingston and Paradise Valley | Also known as "Martha Jane Cannary Burke"; frontierswoman; professional scout; acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok; fighter of Native American Indians |
| Liver-Eating Johnson | 1824?–1900 | Lived near Alder Gulch and Red Lodge | Mountain man of the American Old West; inspiration for the film Jeremiah Johnson (1972) |
| Conrad Kohrs | 1869–1914 | Lived near Deer Lodge | Cattle baron; the home ranch near Deer Lodge, Montana is now the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site |
| Nathaniel P. Langford | 1832–1911 | Lived in Helena | Explorer; businessman; bureaucrat; vigilante; historian; played an important role in the early years of the Montana gold fields, territorial government and the creation of Yellowstone National Park; appointed Collector of Internal Revenue and National Bank Examiner for the Montana Territorial government (1864–1869) |
| Sol Star | 1840–1917 | Lived in Helena | Businessman; bureaucrat; he served as territorial auditor and personal secretary to the governor; partnered with Seth Bullock in a hardware store in Deadwood, South Dakota by the promise of business stemming from the gold rush |
| Nelson Story | 1838–1926 | Lived near and in Bozeman | Cattle rancher and "Cattle King"; gold miner; vigilante; led first major cattle drive from Texas into Montana (1866) along the Bozeman Trail, which inspired Lonesome Dove |
| Henry D. Washburn | 1832–1871 | Lived in Helena | Led the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition to explore what would become Yellowstone National Park; Mount Washburn, located within the park, is named for him; surveyor general of Montana in 1869 and served until his death (1869–1871) U.S. Representative from Indiana; general in the Union Army during the American Civil War |
| Lester S. Willson | 1839–1919 | Lived in and buried in Bozeman | U.S. Civil War officer in the Union Army; Assistant Quartermaster General of New York; Montana merchant and politician in Bozeman, Montana |

## Politicians

Montana became a territory on May 26, 1864. The territorial government was first formed at the first territorial capital Bannack. Later the territorial capital was moved to Virginia City (1865), and Helena (1875). On November 8, 1889, Montana became a state and Helena remained the capital. During the territorial period, most senior government positions were appointed by the U.S. President. Once Montana became a state, elections were held for state and federal offices. The U.S. President still appointed judges to the federal courts in Montana. Prominent Montana politicians include the longest serving Senate Majority Leader, Senator Mike Mansfield and first woman Congresswoman, Jeannette Rankin.

### State legislators

The Montana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Montana. It is composed of the 100-member Montana House of Representatives and the 50-member Montana Senate.

### Judges

Judges from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| James F. Battin | 1925–1996 | Raised, attended college, and died in Billings | United States Representative from Montana (1961–1969); judge for United States District Court for the District of Montana (1969–1990, chief judge from 1978) |
| James R. Browning | 1918–2012 | Born in Great Falls; raised in Belt; attended college in Bozeman and law school in Missoula | Judge on United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit |
| Karla M. Gray | 1947–2017 | Lived in Butte and Helena | Second female justice and first female chief justice of the Montana Supreme Court (1991–2008, chief justice 2000–2008) |
| Sidney Runyan Thomas | 1953–present | Born, raised and attended college in Bozeman; attended law school in Missoula | Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; professor |

### Political leaders and activists

Political leaders and activists from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Elouise P. Cobell | 1946–2011 | Born and lived on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation | Accountant; banker; rancher; lead plaintiff in Cobell v. Salazar, a successful $3.4 billion class action settlement on behalf of Native Americans against the federal government |
| Plenty Coups | 1848–1932 | Born in Montana, possibly near Billings; lived in south-central Montana most of his life; spent later years near Pryor | Chief of the Mountain Crows, or Apsáalooke, band of the Crow Nation |
| Ella J. Knowles Haskell | 1860–1911 | Moved to Montana from New Hampshire after finishing college; lived and worked in Helena, Butte, and then Glendive | Pioneer of women's rights in Montana; teacher; first woman to practice law in Montana and the first woman ever to plead a case before the U.S. Circuit Court; first woman to run for state Attorney General |
| George Horse-Capture | 1937–2013 | Graduated from high school in Butte; taught college in Great Falls | Anthropologist; writer; political activist; participated in the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island |
| Chief Joseph | 1840–1904 | Led his people through much of western Montana during the Nez Perce War, eventually surrendering in the Bear Paw Mountains, close to the Canada–US border | Chief of the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce; humanitarian; peacemaker |
| Denise Juneau | 1967–present | Lived in Billings, Browning, Bozeman, Missoula, and Helena | Teacher; Montana State Superintendent of Public Instruction; head of Montana Office of Public Instruction; first American Indian woman to be elected to statewide executive office in Montana; member of Mandan and Hidatsa tribes |
| Daniel Kemmis | 1946–present | Born and raised in eastern Montana; attended law school in Missoula | Author; lawyer; speaker and minority leader of the Montana House of Representatives (1983–1985); mayor of Missoula (1990–1996) |
| Thomas Leforge | 1850–1931 | Moved to Virginia City as a teen | Montana militiaman; scout; camp follower; often lived with the Crow Nation; author of historical account Memoirs of a White Crow Indian |
| Mike Mansfield | 1903–2001 | Moved to Great Falls as at a very young age; attended college in Butte and Missoula | Served in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps; miner; professor; Senator (1953–1977); longest serving Senate Majority Leader (1961–1977); ambassador to Japan (1977–1988) |
| Earl Old Person | 1929–2021 | Born and lived on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation | Chief of the Blackfoot Confederacy |
| Marc Racicot | 1948–present | Born in Thompson Falls; raised in Miles City and Libby | Governor of Montana (1993–2001); chairman of the Republican National Committee (2002–2003); lawyer |
| Jeannette Rankin | 1880–1973 | Born near and attended college in Missoula | First female member of the United States Congress (1917–1919, 1941–1943); only member of Congress to vote against United States entry into World War II; sister of Wellington D. Rankin |
| Wellington D. Rankin | 1884–1966 | Born near and attended college in Missoula | Attorney; Montana Attorney General (1920–26); landowner; brother of Jeannette Rankin |
| William V. Roth Jr. | 1921–2003 | Born in Great Falls; raised in Helena | US Senator from Delaware (1971–2001); namesake of Roth IRA |
| Jacob Thorkelson | 1876–1945 | Moved to Montana as an adult in 1913; lived in Dillon | Navigator, medical doctor, reserve naval officer, United States Representative from Montana (1939–1941) |
| Carl Venne | 1946–2009 | Born in Helena; raised and lived on the Crow Indian Reservation | Chairman of the Crow Nation (2002–2009) |
| Burton K. Wheeler | 1876–1945 | Settled in Butte after losing his belongings in a poker game during a train stop in Butte while on the way to Seattle, Washington | Lawyer and United States Senator from Montana (1923–1947) |
| Bill Yellowtail | 1948–present | Born in Wyola; lived in Helena and Bozeman | Administrator; member of Montana Senate (1985–1993); member of the Crow Nation |
| Robert Yellowtail | 1889?–1988 | Born and raised in Lodge Grass | Lawyer; Indian leader; member of the Crow Nation |

## Recreationalists

Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun". Since the late 1800s, Montana has been a mecca for fly fishing, hunting, hiking, climbing and other recreations. The following individuals are prominent in the recreational history of Montana.
Recreationalists from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Conrad Anker | 1962–present | Lives in Bozeman | Rock climber, mountaineer, and author famous for his challenging ascents in the high Himalaya and Antarctica |
| Dan Bailey | 1904–1982 | Lived in Livingston | Fly-shop owner; innovative fly developer; staunch Western conservationist |
| George F. Grant | 1906–2008 | Born and lived in Butte | Angler; innovative fly developer; author; conservationist; active for many years on the Big Hole River |
| Alex Lowe | 1958–1999 | Lived in Bozeman | Mountain climber; American Alpine Club's Underhill Award (1995); The North Face climbing team; mountain peak near Bozeman named in his honor |
| Bob Marshall | 1901–1939 | Worked near Missoula; Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana named in his honor | Forester; wilderness advocate; co-founder of The Wilderness Society |
| Frank B. Wynn | 1859–1922 | Died in Glacier National Park; spent considerable time climbing in Montana | Psychologist; environmental conservationist and alpinist; credited with many first ascents in Glacier National Park |

## Scientists

Scientists from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Loren Acton | since 1936 | Born in Lewistown; attended college in Bozeman | Physicist and astronaut who flew on Space Shuttle mission STS-51-F as a payload specialist; unsuccessful candidate for the Montana legislature in 2006; physics professor at Montana State University |
| Willy Burgdorfer | 1925–2014 | Lived in Hamilton | Medical entomologist; discovered the bacterial pathogen that causes Lyme disease, a spirochete which was named Borrelia burgdorferi in his honor; worked for many years at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory (RML) in Hamilton, a U.S. National Institutes of Health research facility |
| Don G. Despain | since 1940 | Lives in Bozeman | Botanist; plant ecologist; fire behavior specialist; specializes in the flora of Yellowstone National Park |
| George Bird Grinnell | 1849–1938 | Significant contributions to the preservation of Glacier National Park and bison in Montana; Grinnell Glacier named in his honor | Anthropologist; historian; naturalist; writer; associate of James Willard Schultz |
| Torey Hayden | since 1951 | Born in Livingston; attended high school in Billings | Child psychologist; non-fiction author; special education teacher |
| Maurice Hilleman | 1919–2005 | Born and raised near Miles City; attended college in Bozeman | Microbiologist who developed over three dozen vacciness; credited with saving more lives than any other scientist of the 20th century; Robert Gallo described him as "the most successful vaccinologist in history" |
| Lester Hogan | 1920–2008 | Born and raised in Great Falls; attended college in Bozeman | Physicist and a pioneer in microwave and semiconductor technology |
| Norman Jefferis "Jeff" Holter | 1914–1983 | Born attended college, and died in Helena | Biophysicist; invented the Holter monitor; awarded the Laufman-Greatbatch Prize for his contributions to medical technology by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation in 1979 |
| Leroy Hood | since 1938 | Born in Missoula | Biologist; physician; biochemist; Lemelson–MIT Prize recipient; member of National Inventors Hall of Fame |
| Jack Horner | since 1946 | Born in Shelby; attended college in and resides in Bozeman | Paleontologist; discovered and named Maiasaura, providing the first clear evidence that some dinosaurs cared for their young; technical advisor for all of the Jurassic Park films, including being partial inspiration for the character Dr. Alan Grant |
| Howard Taylor Ricketts | 1871–1910 | Worked in the Bitterroot Valley on Rocky Mountain spotted fever | Bacteriologist; pathogen causing Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Rickettsia rickettsii was named after him |
| Harold Urey | 1893–1981 | Studied zoology in Missoula | Won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934 |
| Irving Weissman | since 1939 | Born and studied science in Great Falls | Professor at Stanford University; director of the Stanford Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine |

## Others

Other people from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Walter Breuning | 1896–2011 | Moved to Montana at age 18; lived and died in Great Falls | Supercentenarian; lived to age 114; at one time the world's oldest living man |
| Alma Smith Jacobs | 1916–1997 | Born in Lewistown; grew up in Great Falls; lived in Helena; died in Bozeman | Librarian; head of Great Falls Public Library (1954–1973); first African American Montana State Librarian (1973–1981) |
| Greg Mortenson | since 1957 | Lives in Bozeman | Mountain climber; philanthropist |
| Huck Seed | since 1969 | Grew up in Corvallis | Professional poker player |
| Susan Wicklund | since 1954 | Lives in Livingston | Physician; operated women's clinics in Bozeman and Livingston |
* Dustin Lind, director of hitting and assistant hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants

## Infamous Montanans

Infamous people from Montana :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Kyle Aaron Boyle | 1977–2006 | Born and raised in Whitefish | Mass murderer responsible for Seattle's Capitol Hill massacre |
| W. A. Boyle | 1904–1985 | Born and raised in Bald Butte, Montana; later lived in other parts of Montana | President of United Mine Workers of America union (1963–1972); later convicted in a murder case that also involved embezzlement |
| Ted Kaczynski | 1942–2023 | Lived near Lincoln at the time of his capture | Domestic terrorist known as the Unabomber |
| Harvey "Kid Curry" Logan | 1867–1904 | Spent several years in various parts of Montana, especially in what is now Chouteau County and Phillips County | Outlaw; circumstances of death disputed |
| Henry Plummer | 1832–1864 | Lived in Bannack, then part of Idaho Territory | Sheriff/outlaw of Bannack; hanged by vigilantes |
| Russell Eugene Weston | since 1956 | Lived in Rimini most of his adult life prior to his arrest | Committed to a mental institution after the 1998 United States Capitol shootings |

## Fictional Montanans

Fictional Montanans :
| Name | Lifetime | Montana connection | Comments |
| Violet Beauregarde | Not stated | Born and raised in Miles City per the 1971 film but in other adaptations is stated as being from two different cities in Georgia | Fictional character in the Roald Dahl children's books Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, and the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) film adaptations |
| Peggy Hill | since 1965 | Born on a cattle ranch in Montana | Fictional character in the animated series King of the Hill |
| Lindsay Monroe | Not stated | Born and raised in Bozeman | Fictional character from the CBS crime drama CSI: NY |
| Catherine Willows | since 1963 | CBS biography originally stated she was from Bozeman; later it was changed to Las Vegas, Nevada | Fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |