Montana Western, University of

Jack Gillespie, a native of Helena,Mont., is a 1963 graduate of Western Montana College (WMC) with a Bachelor of Science in secondary education.

He was a four-year football and track letterman, and a two time first team football all-conference selection. He led the conference in receiving for two seasons and led the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) after his senior season.

Gillespie won the MCC javelin championship and competed at the NAIA national track and field championship. 

He played on two MCC championship football teams and threw the javelin for two MCC track championship teams. Both football teams have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

He was an officer in  M-Club and in his junior year, was selected to the student affairs committee. Between football and track, Gillespie stayed in shape with intramural basketball. 

After graduation, Gillespie began his teaching and coaching career at Moore, Mont. His next stop was an 11-year stint at Broadwater County High School in Townsend, Mont. He replaced Casey Keltz as Townsend’s football coach after Keltz accepted the football head coaching position at WMC.

In addition to his teaching and coaching responsibilities, Gillespie was involved civically serving as a Townsend city council man and later as the mayor. In 1977, he left education for a position in state government as a training officer for the Montana State Apprenticeship Bureau.