Monthly Column from The Friends of the Montana Constitution
By Randy Gray
First published in the Helena IR on December 6, 2025
The historic 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention was comprised of delegates, research analysts, other staff and even interns. The Con Con analysts had worked for the Constitutional Reform Commission, Constitutional Convention Commission and the Convention itself, all under brilliant staff director Dale Harris. The analysts were assisted in their research work and service to the various Con Con committees by 18 college interns selected from virtually all of Montana’s colleges and universities. I, a 20-year-old University of Montana sophomore majoring in economics, had the good fortune to be recommended as an intern by my mentor and econ professor, Dr. John Wicks. Upon selection I was assigned to work with the Revenue and Finance Committee and its research analyst, Roger Barber.
Most interns were only five or six years younger than the research analysts. They leveraged the abilities of the analysts to provide reliable and timely input and advice to the Con Con committees. Delegates, staff and interns developed a deep and trusting family-like bond with each other — a solid team for Montana.
Con Con service was one of the highlights of my life. I made lifelong friendships. The Con Con was the Camelot era of Montana history. We interns witnessed the power of reasoned, respectful debate, where listening was as important as talking, where minds were open to other points of view and persuasion. The common purpose of the delegates was to achieve the common good for all Montanans. Of course, it helped that then-serving legislators weren’t eligible to serve as delegates, that delegates sat alphabetically rather than by party and that 19 of the 100 delegates were women.
Among my favorite delegates were:
- Lucile Speer of Missoula, University of Montana librarian, who at 73 was the oldest and one of the wisest delegates. It astounds me that I am now the same age she was then.
- Leo Graybill of my hometown, Great Falls; who was selected president of the Con Con and was a guiding hand in its success.
- Mae Nan Robinson (Ellingson) of Missoula, who at 24 was the youngest delegate.
As an intern I came to understand the Constitution being the foundational document of our great American (and Montana) governmental experiment. That helped me decide to become a lawyer myself. Seeing delegates work so diligently in service of their fellow Montanans inspired me to service as a city commissioner and three-term mayor of Great Falls under the Constitution’s self-rule, charter form of municipal government. Many of the other interns have similarly gone into public service careers.
We were witnesses to the terrific work of the delegates and staff and the subsequent campaign to secure passage by the citizen/voters. We know our Constitution is not a “socialist rag,” as some ill-informed folks have contended. There are a minority out to gut our Constitution, to destroy its protections of individual liberty, right-to-know, and a clean and healthful environment. They would return power exclusively to the rich and powerful.
Our national parks are often referred to as America’s best idea. I think that our 1972 Constitution is Montana’s best idea. The history of our national parks shows intense opposition to the creation of virtually every park. And there are constant ongoing efforts to de-access and defund them, to turn them over to private use and benefit. Every new generation of Americans has to be introduced to their parks and become vigilant in defending them.
This and future generations of Montanans must do the same for our Constitution. The delegates and staff may have created it and the voters adopted it. But WE must step up to preserve its magnificent structure and protections.
Randy Gray, retired Great Falls attorney, is a former city commissioner and 3-term mayor of the Electric City who served as a Montana Constitutional Convention Intern back in 1972. He is also a former chair of CM Russell Museum, former board member and treasurer of Montana Nature Conservancy, current board member of Weissman Hood Biomedical Research Institute, and current advisory board member of both American Prairie and Touro Medical School Montana.