Zales Ecton
Encyclopedia
Zales Nelson Ecton was a rare Republican
United States senator from Montana
, having served from 1947 to 1953.
Ecton was born in Weldon
, Decatur County, Iowa
. He moved with his family to Gallatin County, Montana
, when he was nine years old. He attended the Gallatin County public schools, the then Montana State College (later Montana State University) at Bozeman
and the University of Chicago
law school. In 1921, he became a rancher and gained interests in grain and livestock
.
Entering politics, he was a member of the Montana state House from 1933 to 1937 and the Montana state senate from 1937 to 1946. In 1946, he ran for the Montana
United States Senate
seat which was being vacated by Democrat Burton K. Wheeler
, who had lost the Democratic primary.
As part of the Republican takeover of the Senate in 1946, Ecton defeated Democratic state Supreme Court Justice Leif Erickson by a vote of 54% to 46%. He served in the Senate for one term, having been narrowly defeated for reelection in 1952 by Mike Mansfield
, a Democratic college professor and Far Eastern expert. Ecton resumed his ranching business and died in Bozeman.
Ecton was the last Republican U.S. senator from Montana until the election in 1988 of Conrad Burns
, who served from 1989 to 2007.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
United States senator from Montana
Montana
Montana 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,...
, having served from 1947 to 1953.
Ecton was born in Weldon
Weldon, Iowa
Weldon is a city in Clarke and Decatur Counties of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 145 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Weldon is located at ....
, Decatur County, Iowa
Decatur County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 8,457 in the county, with a population density of . There were 3,834 housing units, of which 3,223 were occupied.-2000 census:...
. He moved with his family to Gallatin County, Montana
Gallatin County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Gallatin National Forest * Yellowstone National Park -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 67,831 people, 26,323 households, and 16,188 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 29,489 housing units...
, when he was nine years old. He attended the Gallatin County public schools, the then Montana State College (later Montana State University) at Bozeman
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
and the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
law school. In 1921, he became a rancher and gained interests in grain and livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
.
Entering politics, he was a member of the Montana state House from 1933 to 1937 and the Montana state senate from 1937 to 1946. In 1946, he ran for the Montana
Montana
Montana 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,...
United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat which was being vacated by Democrat Burton K. Wheeler
Burton K. Wheeler
Burton Kendall Wheeler was an American politician of the Democratic Party and a United States Senator from 1923 until 1947.-Early life:...
, who had lost the Democratic primary.
As part of the Republican takeover of the Senate in 1946, Ecton defeated Democratic state Supreme Court Justice Leif Erickson by a vote of 54% to 46%. He served in the Senate for one term, having been narrowly defeated for reelection in 1952 by Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield
Michael Joseph Mansfield was an American Democratic politician and the longest-serving Majority Leader of the United States Senate, serving from 1961 to 1977. He also served as United States Ambassador to Japan for over ten years...
, a Democratic college professor and Far Eastern expert. Ecton resumed his ranching business and died in Bozeman.
Ecton was the last Republican U.S. senator from Montana until the election in 1988 of Conrad Burns
Conrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
, who served from 1989 to 2007.