Zales Ecton
| Zales Nelson Ecton, Sr. | |
 | |
| In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Burton K. Wheeler |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Mike Mansfield |
Montana State Senator
| |
| In office 1937–1946 | |
Montana State Representative
| |
| In office 1933–1937 | |
| Born | April 1, 1898 Weldon, Decatur County |
| Died | March 3, 1961 (aged 62) Bozeman, Montana |
| Resting place | Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bozeman |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Vera B. Harris Ecton (married 1921-1961, his death) |
| Children | Eloise Ecton (full name unavailable) |
| Alma mater | Montana State University at Bozeman |
| Occupation | Rancher |
Military Service
| |
| Service/branch | United States Army (Student Army Training Corps) |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Zales Nelson Ecton (April 1, 1898 – March 3, 1961) was a Republican United States Senator for a single term from 1947 to 1953 for Montana.[1]
Background
Ecton was born in rural Weldon in Decatur County in southern Iowa, to Aaron Smith Ecton (1863-1937) and the former Mary Delphia McVay (1868-1953).[2] In 1907, he moved with his family to Gallatin County, Montana.[3] Ecton attended public schools and enrolled at Montana State University (then College) in Bozeman in Gallatin County. When the country entered World War I, Ecton volunteered for training in the Student Army Training Corps.[4]
After the war. je He attended the University of Chicago law school, but it is unclear if he graduated from law school. He did not engage in the practice law.Cite error: Closing</ref>missing for<ref>tag
In 1921, Ecton married the former Vera B. Harris (1898-1980). The couple had two children, both deceased, Eloise and Zales Ecton, Jr. (1926-2006).[2]
Political career
In 1932, Ecton was elected in a heavily Democratic year and served for four years in the Montana House of Representatives. He moved up to the state Senate, with duties from 1936 to 1946.[2] In 1946, he ran for the Senate seat being vacated by isolationist Democrat Burton K. Wheeler, who had lost the Democratic primary to Montana Supreme Court Justice Leif Erickson. Ecton beat Erickson, 54 to 46 percent. He served in the Senate for one term, having been narrowly defeated for reelection in 1952 by U.S. Representative Mike Mansfield, a Democratic college professor from Great Falls who was the longest-serving Senate Majority Leader from 1961 to 1977.[5] Mansfield successfully bucked the Republican tide at the top of the Eisenhower, who won in Montana in both 1952 and 1956.
While in the Senate, Ecton was assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. He also served on the Post Office and Public Lands committees.[4] I
Later years
Ecton resumed his ranching operation until his death in Bozeman a month before his 63rd birthday. He, his wife, and parents are interred there at Sunset Hills Cemetery. His son is buried in Idaho.[6] Ecton was the first popularly elected Republican senator for Montana since adoption of the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution. A second Republican, Conrad Burns, was not elected to the Senate from Montana until 1988. He served from 1989 to 2007, having been defeated in his bid for a fourth term by the Democrat organic farmer and State Senate President Jon Tester.
References
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedfindagrave - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 “Former U.S. Senator Zales Ecton, 62, Dies,” Great Falls Tribune, March 4, 1961.
- ↑ Kim Allen Scott, “Historical Note.” Zales N. Ecton Papers, 1947-1953, Montana State University, Special Collections and Archival Informatics, 2009.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ecton, Zales N. (Zales Nelson), 1898-1961 - Maybe-Same - Social Networks and Archival Context (snaccooperative.org), accessed July 30, 2021.
- ↑ Billings Gazette Archives. “U.S. Sen. Zales Ecton.” The Billings Gazette, September 10, 2015. https://billingsgazette.com/u-s-sen-zales-ecton/image_f73a3ac2-c121-50d2-abc7-638032947042.html.
- ↑ Zales Nelson Ecton (1898-1961) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed July 31, 2021.
