Featured Alumnus

Louise (Replogle) Galt served as Co-Chairman of the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) from 1949 to 1951 while Harry Truman was President. Like many YRs, Louise has led a full-life of personal and professional accomplishment. Louise's professional career included her election as President of associated women students of the University of Montana and upon graduation in 1946, election to Fergus County Attorney making her only the third woman in U.S. history to be selected as a Prosecutor -- 25 years before the "Feminist Movement." Born in 1923, Louise is the daughter of a lawyer and one of six children. She has been married to two of Montana's Republican National Committeemen whose combined service in that position totals more than thirty years.

While serving as County Prosecutor, Louise was elected Montana State YR Chairman. From there, Louise was elected as an Alternate-Delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1948 pledged to Tom Dewey. While Dewey did not "Defeat Truman" as the Chicago Tribune's early headline pronounced, Louise not only went on to be elected the national federation's Co-Chairman in 1949, defeating a far-better funded California candidate at the Salt Lake City YRNF Convention, Louise recalls that her campaign in Salt Lake City proved "what dedicated effort and good footwork" can accomplish. She was a keynote speaker on economic issues and feminine politics during RNC funded trips to state party and YR conventions in numerous states. Louise is a reminder that 'equal rights for women' was a GOP principle long before some people thought they needed to change the Constitution!

Louise went on to meet President Eisenhower and every successive GOP candidate since 1948 and has attended every national convention since. In 1980, Louise had the "high honor and distinct privilege" as Chairman of the Montana Delegation whose votes put Ronald Reagan "over the top" as the GOP Nominee and additionally served as Chair of the 1980 Montana Reagan for President Campaign. Louise Galt believes her involvement in YRs kept her friends and family interested in political party activism following the close of WWII and today she remains a strong personality with influential opinions. Louise Galt is a Life Member of the YR Alumni Network.