George Montgomery papers (Ms.2011.026)

Biographical/Historical Note

George Montgomery was a poet and writer who lived in the Ulster County area of New York State. Montgomery was born in New Jersey to a family that had spent years on the vaudeville circuit, and growing up he came to be known as an amateur stuntman who drove in demolition derbies and worked professional wrestling events. After some time in the army, Montgomery become part of Greenwich Village’s poetry scene where he befriended Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and others. He moved to Ulster County in 1965, where he resided until the end of his life in 1987. During this time he wrote an extensive collection of poetry, which he routinely published with small presses and read at local events in the Hudson Valley area. Montgomery was also a popular columnist for local newspapers as well as a community college poetry teacher and youth organization leader. A noted member of the community for his public persona and literary activism, Montgomery once ran for mayor of Rosendale, NY but lost.