The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center (MCHF & WHC) is seeking nominations for the 2019 Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame induction round.
Every year, the MCHF & WHC honors living and historical figures who have made notable contributions to Montana’s western heritage.
MCHF & WHC board member Mike Gurnett explained how the organization got its start.
“We were seeing the history disappear,” said Gurnett. “We were seeing generations go by and stories being left behind, just kind of fading away.”
Gurnett called the Cowboy Hall of Fame a way of life.
“It’s a western ethic, traditional values and it crosses race, gender and background of any kind. It’s people who have contributed to the life-scape of this landscape. It’s basically what we’re interested in and perpetuating that, preserving that and honoring it for future generations.”
Gurnett shared the qualities that make a hall of fame member.
“It has a lot to do with cowboy ethics, which is a kind of a broad term,” Gurnett explained. “But people who finish the job, ride for the brand, did what was fair, knew that some things weren’t for sale. Some of the things that make for a good cowboy or a good stockbroker, those same things are what make good candidates for the Cowboy Hall of Fame.”
Gurnett said members can be physicians, ranchers, business owners, or more. There are even some horses in the Hall of Fame.
If you would like to submit a nomination, you must contact the MCHF & WHC at Christy@montanacowboyfame.org or by calling (406) 653-3800 prior to the submission deadline.
Nominations must include a cover page, a two-page biography, and a high-quality photograph. All nomination documents must be in electronic format and emailed by May 31, 2019.
The 2019 Class of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame will be announced by September 15, 2019.
Winning inductees will be honored at the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Western Heritage Gathering February 8, 2020, at the Heritage Inn in Great Falls.
-Reported by Lane Nordlund/MTN News
