Montana Chamber

Like any state, Montana has its share of celebrities. Take a walk through time with us as we look at some of the Montana natives who have burst onto the national scene.Ella J. Knowles Haskell (1860-1911): Haskell was the first female lawyer in Montana, as well as the first female candidate for U.S. state attorney general. In 1896, she was the first Montana woman elected to a political convention, and in her later years she won cases before the U.S. Circuit Court and Supreme Court. Knowles Hall at the University of Montana at Missoula is named for Ms. Haskell.Gary Cooper (1901-1961): Cooper gained fame as a Hollywood Western star and appeared in more than one hundred films. He received two Academy Awards for Best Actor (1941′s Sergeant York and 1952′s High Noon). His reputation lives on to this dayas recently as 2009, Cooper appeared on a commemorative U.S. postage stamp. (more…)