Joseph Kinsey Howard

Who was Joseph Kinsey Howard?

Joseph Kinsey Howard was an American journalist, historian, and author, who wrote extensively about the history, culture, and economic circumstances of Montana. One of the state's most noted authors of nonfiction, Howard's landmark 1943 book, Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome is a respected account of Montana history that has influenced later generations of historians. Howard also authored numerous other historic and literary works, and was a vocal, articulate and persuasive advocate for a variety of social, economic and environmental reforms. These endeavors earned Howard the posthumous sobriquet, "Montana's Conscience." Howard believed Montana and the rural West provided the "last stand against urban technological tedium" for the individual. He fervently believed that small towns of the sort that predominated in Montana provided a democratic bulwark for society. Howard's writings demonstrate his strong belief in the necessity to identify and preserve a region's cultural heritage. Howard worked first as a newspaper editor on the Great Falls Leader, later for the Montana Study, and as a freelance writer. His books, speeches and magazine articles, expressed his ideals of community awareness and identity, encouraging readers to retain an idealistic vision contesting the deadening demands of the modern world.