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MSU Libraries Opens G. V. “Sonny” Montgomery Congressional Collection

Tuesday, August 18, 2015 8:56 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

In celebration of the 95th birthday of the late Congressman G. V. “Sonny” Montgomery, the Mississippi State University Libraries’ Congressional and Political Research Center announces the opening of the G. V. “Sonny” Montgomery Congressional Collection. Consisting of over 1,200 cubic feet of correspondence, memos, speeches, floor statements, photographs, and memorabilia, the Montgomery Collection covers the life of the Congressman from his time as at the McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, his leadership as a student athlete at Mississippi State University, his service in Europe in World War II (where he was awarded a Bronze Star with valor), his work in the Mississippi state legislature, and his thirty years in the United States Congress from 1967 to 1997.


During a ceremony on August 5, 2015, university and library administrators, members of the G. V. “Sonny” Montgomery Foundation and Congressman Gregg Harper officially announced the opening of the Collection. Dr. Jerry Gilbert, Provost and Executive Vice President, spoke on behalf of the University recognizing and applauding Montgomery’s life-long service to the State of Mississippi and the nation. “From his years as a Mississippi State student throughout his lifetime, Sonny Montgomery was considered a leader who worked tirelessly on behalf of those he served”, said Gilbert. He added “Montgomery’s leadership and people skills served him well throughout his career. He was a devoted and loyal friend of Mississippi State’s and one who frequented the campus often throughout his life and whose legacy can been seen throughout the campus.”


During his time in Congress, Montgomery worked on behalf of American military veterans, visiting Vietnam throughout the war, assisting in the return of POWs, and, most notably, on the extension of the G. I. Bill, which now bears his name as the “Montgomery G. I. Bill.” Also within the collection are materials highlighting the close friendship between Montgomery and former President George H. W. Bush. The two met on their first day in Congress in 1967 and remained friends for the remainder of the Congressman’s life. Congressman Montgomery passed away May 12, 2006.


“Congressman Sonny Montgomery served the Third Congressional District of Mississippi and our country with integrity, compassion, and hard work in the U.S. House of Representatives. His efforts on behalf of our country’s veterans and the people of Mississippi are still realized today, and we are eternally grateful,” said Congressman Gregg Harper. He added “Sonny loved Mississippi State University and I know that he would be proud of the new G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Collection. I hope that this collection will be a reminder of Sonny’s esteemed public service for generations to come.”


The Montgomery collection is housed in the Congressional and Political Research Center at the Mississippi State University Libraries’ Mitchell Memorial Library. The CPRC is open Monday-Friday, 7:30am-5pm. For more information please visit the CPRC’s website at: http://library.msstate.edu/cprc/index.asp.


About the MSU Libraries:

Mississippi State University Libraries is a premier research library providing its communities of users an ongoing, creative, technologically advanced library program that provides new and emerging technologies; enhances and inspires teaching, research, and service of the highest caliber in an environment of free and open inquiry and with a commitment to excellence. For more information about MSU Libraries, please visit http://library.msstate.edu/.


Speakers

Photograph by Matt Motes


Speakers honoring Montgomery during the August 5, 2015 ceremony include (from left) Robert J. “Bob Bailey, President Emeritus, G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Foundation; Kyle Steward, MSU Executive Director of External Affairs; The Honorable Gregg Harper, United States Congressman, Mississippi Third District; Dr. Jerry Gilbert, Provost and Executive Vice President, Mississippi State University



Submitted by
Angela M. Patton
Library Associate
Mississippi State University Libraries

        

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