Wellington, J. W. (Joseph W.)

A native of Harlowtown, Mont., Joseph W. "Duke" Wellington was the son of Mr. and Mrs. LeClaire Wellington. He received his degree in agricultural education from Montana State University in 1929. He was the quarterback for the Bobcat football team for three years as well as being a member of the track team. From 1930 to 1936, Wellington taught vocational education and coached at Smith-Hughes. The following two years he worked on the family ranch in Harlowtown. He returned to education from 1938 to 1939 teaching vocational agriculture and coaching at Broadwater County High School in Townsend, Mont. He married Mabel Morton in 1932, and they had one daughter, Barbara. In 1940, he began his thirty-two year career in the Bureau of Indian Affairs as the agricultural instructor at Stewart Indian School at Carson City, Nev. He then became the supervisor of livestock and farming for the BIA for seventeen western states before becoming the superintendent of the Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy reservations in 1947. While at Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy, Wellington emphasized strong public relations and the utilization of a natural resources program and developed a range fencing program. He moved to North Dakota seven years later and was the superintendent of the Standing Rock reservation at Fort Yates, N.D.. After recovering from a heart attack in 1956, he became the superintendent of the Indian School at Wahpeton, N.D., where he stayed until he retired in 1972.

From the description of J.W. "Duke" Wellington papers, 1876-1974. (Montana State University Bozeman Library). WorldCat record id: 71054836

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