Press release
Black History Month and Valentine’s Day are guiding the Montana Historical Society’s February free public programs in some unusual ways.
On Feb. 9, People joined Kate Hampton, Director of MTHS’ Montana African American Heritage Resource Project, on the history of some of the Montana laws that have impacted the way black residents participate in society. we can discuss.
Since the founding of Montana Territory in 1864, Montana has enacted laws and policies to address, sometimes restrict, and sometimes protect, the rights of minorities.
State and local authorities have codified and regulated discriminatory policies regarding members of the Black, Native American, Chinese, and Japanese communities in their states. Hampton’s talk will provide an overview of legal and regulatory acts that have particularly affected African Americans.
Then, on February 23rd, Liz Gundersen, a retired Helena pediatrician, presents research done with Holter heart monitors in the 1950s. This research is still in use today.
Jeff Holter founded the Holter Research Laboratory in Helena in 1948 and, with Bill Glasscock, invented a device that is still used worldwide to detect heart problems. Gunderson used the MTHS archive and photographic collection while working on his ExplorationWorks science museum exhibit honoring both Holter and Glascock.
Holter heart monitors, aka ambulatory electrocardiograms, were innovative because they were small enough to be carried with the patient and record the heart during normal activity.
It entered commercial production in 1962. Today, smaller modern versions are lighter than mobile phones and can be easily hidden under the patient’s clothing. However, they are still called Holter heart monitors and are used in heart hospitals around the world.
Both presentations begin at 6:30 PM at the Lewis and Clark Library at 120 So. Helena’s Last Chance Gulch. For those unable to attend, the show will be recorded and posted on her YouTube channel at the Montana Historical Society.
Please contact Deb Mitchell for more information. [email protected] or 406-444-4789.
