The Montana Historical Society’s Research Historian position was established in 1993 to “provide verification, research, writing, and editing for projects and publications by the Society and cooperating agencies.” The position also served as a representative of the Society at public events, conducted radio and television interviews, and served as a historical consultant.
Among the major projects undertaken by the office were serving as the Society’s consultant with the Montana Heritage Project, the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Advisory Council (later renamed the Montana Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission), and the Virginia City/Nevada City Task Force. A major part of the job also entailed writing and editing text for the Montana history textbook for middle school students; editing interpretive script for museum exhibits; and writing biographical sketches for the “Capital Niches” and nominees for Trustees Awards.
Dave Walter was hired in 1993 as the first Research Historian. He was born in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1943, and graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut in 1965. He then entered the University of Montana as a graduate student. Summers he worked as a seasonal fire guard in Glacier National Park. As a graduate student he worked closely with historian K. Ross Toole, taught undergraduate history classes at the University of Montana and at Flathead Community College, and developed educational materials for schools. Although he never completed the doctoral program, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Montana in 1994. In 1979 he was hired as Reference Librarian at the Montana Historical Society, quickly establishing himself as the authority on Montana History. In 1993, Dave took on the newly created job of Research Historian.
Dave also had a regular history column in Montana, Magazine of the Northern Rockies and the Helena Independent Record . He wrote in-numerable articles in many other publications including Montana, the Magazine of Western History . He initiated and moderated the ever-popular “Jerks in Montana History : Speaking Ill of the Dead” session at the annual Montana History Conference and the "More Quarries of Last Chance Gulch" column in the Helena Independent Record, both of which became published books. He also wrote Christmastime in Montana, Campfire Tales and other books. He conducted many oral history interviews, including a series of interviews on conscientious objectors during World War II, and co-authored Speaking of Montana a guide to oral histories at the Montana Historical Society. Dave Walter died July 19, 2006.
From the guide to the Montana Historical Society. Research Historian records, 1979-2006., 1993-2006, (Montana Historical Society Research Center)
