Bulldog Athletic Hall of Fame
Herald “Hal” Wetzsteon is a native of Darby, Mont., was a three-year baseball letterman for the Bulldogs. He was unable to complete his education at Western Montana College (WMC) due to a family emergency that called him home to manage the family ranch.
During his Bulldog baseball career, he was a dual threat in the Montana Collegiate Conference (MCC). He was not only a dominant pitcher but equally skillful in the infield. Wetzsteon was part of two Bulldog MCC championship baseball teams in 1958 and 1959.
The 1958 championship was the first MCC baseball title for the Bulldogs since 1940. Wetzsteon was the winning pitcher in the championship game holding Rocky to six hits in the 6-5 WMC win.
Wetzsteon was a member of M-Club, on the staff of the Chinook yearbook and a member of the bowling league.
In 1963, he received an appointment as the fire management officer with the U.S. Forest Service in Wisdom, Mont. That was the beginning of a long and productive career. Mandatory retirement in 1993 moved him out of the office but not out of work. The state of Montana kept him active in fire management until 2000.
While in Wisdom, he volunteered as a first aid instructor and later became an emergency medical technician (EMT). Wetzsteon and his wife were instrumental in the organization of the Wisdom Volunteer Fire and Ambulance department.
He was active in education as a member of the Beaverhead County High School Board of Trustees from 1979 to 1987, the last six as chairman of the board.
He passed away Nov. 4, 2007.
