David Montgomery

David Montgomery graduated from Minnesota State University – Mankato (Mankato State University) in December 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He started his career in public accounting the same day Ronald Reagan began his as President. That is the only connection the two share.

That career start led him to nine years in public accounting in the Twin Cities, followed by a 17 year career in the private sector with a business-to-business publishing and trade-show company based in Duluth, Minnesota and Cleveland, Ohio. David became a financial consultant for two years before taking an interesting career path by moving into government as the Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Duluth, where he is currently employed. So how does that lead him to sponsor scholarships for history students?

David has always had an interest in history, geography, and current events. As a sixth grader in 1968, he remembers the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy. He was a follower of the 1968 presidential election, creating a collage board of political cartoons supporting Hubert Humphrey. Since that time current events and public affairs have held a strong interest. While in Cleveland in the early nineties, as he looked at his two young children, the idea struck him – “As an economic gypsy with no long-term local roots, I won’t be able to tell them where they’re from, but through family history I can tell them who they’re from.” From there he began a journey of research and discovery into his family history that continues to this day.

David enjoys investigating genealogy and connecting personal events with historical ones. He wants to encourage students to look at history and understand the stories and the relationships among and between people, events, and the sweep of the historical narrative. He says, “Family history is one big soap opera.” David says his business career pays the bills, but history stokes his passion. He funds this scholarship in support of students who share his passion.