Zales Ecton

Ecton was born in Weldon, Montana. He moved with his family to Gallatin County, Montana when he was 9 years old. He attended the Gallatin County public schools, the Montana state college at Bozeman, Montana and the University of Chicago law school. He became a rancher in 1921 and gained interests in grain and livestock. Entering politics, he was a member of the Montana state House from 1933 to 1937 and the Montana state senate from 1937 to 1946. In 1946 he ran for the Montana United States Senate seat which was being vacated by Democrat Burton K. Wheeler, who lost the Democratic primary. As part of the Republican takeover of the Senate that year, Ecton defeated Democrat Leif Erickson by a vote of 53%-47%. He served in the Senate for one term, from 1947 to 1953. He was defeated for reelection in 1952 by Mike Mansfield. He resumed his ranching business and died in Bozeman.