Norma Ashby Smith Fund

Honoring Norma’s legacy of service, the fund supports charitable organizations and scientific and educational initiatives across Montana, carrying her commitment to community into the future.

Early Life & Montana Roots

Norma Ashby Smith is one of Montana’s most iconic broadcasters and community champions. A fourth-generation Montanan raised on a ranch near Winston, Norma began her journalism career early—interviewing Audie Murphy while still in high school. After earning a journalism degree from the University of Montana and working for Life magazine, she returned home in 1961. She married Shirley Carter Ashby in 1964, and in 1972, they adopted their children, Ann and Tony.

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A Trailblazing Career in Broadcasting

Norma joined KRTV in Great Falls in February 1962, becoming co-host of Today in Montana, a live, daily program she would help lead for the next 26 years. Broadcasting first from a metal Quonset hut, she quickly became a trusted voice in households across the state. Over the course of her career, she hosted roughly 260 shows a year and conducted more than 26,000 interviews with national leaders, entertainers, authors, and local Montanans. Her interviewees included Bob Hope, Pat Nixon, Johnny Cash, Joan Crawford, Clint Eastwood, and Montana legend Evel Knievel. She also persuaded journalist Chet Huntley to narrate one of her documentaries and appeared on the national Today Show with Jane Pauley.

Community Leadership & Lasting Contributions

Beyond television, Norma made a lasting impact through civic leadership. She co-founded the C.M. Russell Art Auction, helped lead the Montana Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, produced 22 documentaries, and even spurred the public campaign that led to the cutthroat trout becoming Montana’s state fish.

Honors, Legacy & Impact on Montana

Honored as the first living woman inducted into the Montana Broadcasters Hall of Fame, Norma Ashby Smith remains one of Montana’s most influential voices and a champion for the arts, storytelling, and community life.

How to Give to the Fund

  • Mail checks to:
    Montana Community Foundation
    FBO Norma Ashby Smith Fund
    PO Box 1145
    Helena, MT 59624
  • For wire transfer information, contact us. EIN: 81-0450150