Ron Marlenee

Ronald Charles Marlenee
Born	(1935-08-08) 8 August 1935 Scobey, Montana, U.S.
Died	26 April 2020(2020-04-26) (aged 84) Bozeman, Montana, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Politician, auctioneer, farmer, rancher, lobbyist
Years active	1977–1993 (U.S. House of Representatives)
Known for	U.S. Representative from Montana (1977–1993)

Ronald Charles Marlenee (August 8, 1935 – April 26, 2020) was a Republican politician from the United States who represented Montana in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1977, until January 3, 1993.

Early life

Marlenee was born in Scobey, Montana to parents Charles and Margaret (Darchuk) Marlenee. He completed his education through Daniels County public schools and pursued further studies at Montana State University, the University of Montana, as well as the Reisch School of Auctioneering.

Political career

Before his political tenure, Marlenee worked as an auctioneer, farmer, and rancher. He became active within the Republican Party, holding various positions in Daniels County and serving on the executive board of Montana’s Republican Committee for the Second Congressional District between 1975 and 1976. First elected to the Ninety-fifth Congress in 1976, he secured reelection seven consecutive times, maintaining his seat until 1993. Nicknamed "Dr. No" due to his persistent resistance to expanding government programs, Marlenee prioritized limiting federal intervention and was a member of both the House Interior and Agricultural committees. His strong fiscal conservatism drew opposition from environmental groups; notably, Environmental Action included him on their 1992 "Dirty Dozen" list of congress members.

After Montana lost its Second Congressional District following the 1990 Census, Marlenee sought election in the newly merged statewide at-large district but was defeated by Democrat Pat Williams, who garnered 50.5% of the vote. Marlenee holds the distinction of being Montana’s longest-serving Republican representative. He retired from political life after his 1992 electoral defeat.

Political stances and policies

As a staunch conservative Republican, Marlenee championed small enterprises, advocated for limited governmental authority, supported Second Amendment rights, and emphasized maintaining a balanced federal budget. He opposed federal oversight of state-owned lands and concentrated on issues impacting family farms and small business operators.

He promoted a "multi-use" philosophy regarding federal lands, endorsing activities such as drilling, mining, and recreational use. Marlenee was openly critical of environmental advocates, derisively referring to them as "fern feelers and prairie fairies."

Personal life

Ronald Marlenee was affiliated with the Freemasons and Shriners. He fathered five children—David, Mike, Sheila, Casey, and Allison—with his first wife, Carmen Willard. In 1978, he married his second spouse, Cindy Tiemann.

Selected publications

• Marlenee, Ronald Charles, and Morris King Udall. 1978. Designating the Great Bear Wilderness, Flathead National Forest, and enlarging the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Flathead and Lewis and Clark National Forests, State of Montana. Washington, DC.
• Marlenee, Ronald Charles, and Morris King Udall. 1977. Providing for the study of certain lands to determine their suitability for designation as wilderness in accordance with the Wilderness Act of 1964. Washington, DC.
• United States, Eligio De la Garza, and Ronald Charles Marlenee. 1984. Soil Conservation Act of 1984. Washington, DC.
• United States, Larry Edwin Craig, Ronald Charles Marlenee, and Morris King Udall. 1987. Withdrawing certain federal lands in California for military purposes. Washington, DC.
• Bauman, Robert Edmund et al., including Ronald Charles Marlenee. 1977. Enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities by expanding the National Park System. Washington, DC.

Later years

Following his departure from Congress, Marlenee resided in Bozeman, Montana alongside his wife Cindy and their son Casey, maintaining an active role in Montana's political scene. He regularly organized and took part in fundraising activities and campaign events supporting Republican candidates.

In his post-congressional career, Marlenee acted as a lobbyist for several organizations and held the position of director of legislative affairs at the Safari Club International, a hunting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. Moreover, he was a co-founder of the Western Tradition Partnership (currently known as the American Tradition Partnership), a political advocacy group concentrating on Montana-related concerns such as water rights, forest conservation, and energy resource development. According to reports from the Bozeman Chronicle, this organization was later implicated in making unlawful contributions to state Republican campaigns. In addition to his political endeavors, Marlenee contributed to the creation of a veterans' memorial located in Miles City, Montana.

He died in Bozeman on April 26, 2020.

External links

• Ron Marlenee Congressional Papers, (1977-1992), Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections Library, Montana State University Collection website