Research: Topics: Legal & Correction Records: Records of the Governor's Office

Records of the Governor's Office

Archival Records Series Created by the Governor's Office

Legislation
Actions and Decisions
Correspondence
Messages, Proclamations, Orders, and Addresses
Reports and Minutes
Appointments
Public Relations/Communications
Reprieves, Commutations, and Pardons
Investigations
Miscellaneous
Key Executive Staff

Related Records

Highlighted link will connect you to the individual series descriptions in Excelsior.

LEGISLATION

Records in this category contain information compiled by the governor's staff to monitor bills sent to the governor for signature. The Legislative Bill and Veto Jackets series contains memoranda and correspondence to the governor supporting or opposing every bill passed by the legislature and sent to the governor for approval. This is the Archives' primary source for research on legislative intent.

12590 Legislative Bill and Veto Jackets, 1883, 1884, 1897, 1905, 1921-2008 (bulk 1921-2008)
A0595 Registers of Titles of Bills Received by the Governor, 1864-1913
A0596 Index to Registers of Titles of Bills Received by the Governor, 1872-1912
A0602 Registers of Titles of Bills Signed by the Governor, 1857-1870
A3350 Index to Bills Vetoed, 1901, 1905-1912
A3351 Register of Actions Requested on Legislative Bills, 1879
A4438 Governor's Bill Files, 1983-1994
B2033 Governor's legislative program registers, 1923-1924

ACTIONS AND DECISIONS

These records were created pursuant to an 1859 law requiring the governor to keep a record of daily transactions. The blotters are a preliminary record relating to requests and applications for appointments, nominations, pardons, commutations, restoration of citizenship rights, and other gubernatorial actions. The journals are the chronological permanent record, containing information extracted and transcribed from the blotters. The ledgers, compiled from the journals, are another central record of appointments and actions organized by type of appointment made or action taken. These records also contain messages to the legislature, including veto messages and, less frequently, approval messages for legislation. The messages are particularly important in the years preceding 1921, the first year of the complete set of Legislative Bill and Veto Jackets.

A0608 Blotters of Governors' Actions and Decisions, 1859-1938
A0607 Journals of Governors' Actions and Decisions, 1859-1916
A0622 Ledgers of Governors' Actions and Decisions, 1856-1906

CORRESPONDENCE

Most of these records comprise the voluminous central files of the Executive Chamber (governor and immediate staff) containing incoming and outgoing official correspondence arranged by subject or name of correspondent. The Archives holds a comprehensive series of correspondence files dating primarily from the twentieth century. Earlier files occur sporadically and offer an incomplete picture of the range of official activities and concerns of the executive. The very earliest records in this group (Clinton and Tompkins) are not exclusively correspondence files, or even gubernatorial records, but contain a range of materials interspersed with records related to public matters. Early record-keeping practices did not separate public from private material.

13681 Name Files, 1959-1993
13682 Central Subject and Correspondence Files, 1905-1994, 2007-2008
A0084 Gubernatorial and Personal Records, 1792-1823. (Daniel D. Tompkins)
A0142 Gubernatorial and Personal Records, 1725-1854 (bulk1755-1817). (George Clinton)
B1970 Assorted gubernatorial records from W. Averell Harriman's administration, 1954-1958
A0404 Invitation Correspondence File, 1932-1935 (bulk 1933-1935)
A0612 Appointment and Other Correspondence Files, 1883-1936
A0623 Registers and Index to Incoming Correspondence, 1861-1862
A3189 Letterbook of Official Correspondence and Proclamations, 1787-1795, 1802-1804
A3218 Alphabetic Card Index to Governors' Correspondence Files, 1907-1958
B1852 Index to central subject and correspondence files of Governor Thomas Dewey, 1943-1954
B1853 Index to central subject and correspondence files of Governor Averell Harriman, 1956-1958
B1854 Index to central subject and correspondence files of Governor Nelson Rockefeller, 1959-1973
B1855 Index to central subject files of Governor Wilson, 1973-1974
B1856 Index to central subject, correspondence, and name files of Governor Hugh Carey, 1975-1982
B1857 Index to central subject and correspondence files of Governor Mario Cuomo, 1983-1994
A4206 Registers of Letters Received Concerning Military Affairs, 1862-1870 (Fenton and Morgan)
B1924 Penal Code correspondence, 1886
B1925 Correspondence and related records about an escaped prisoner from Maryland, 1973-1975

MESSAGES, PROCLAMATIONS, ORDERS, AND ADDRESSESS

These records, dating primarily from the administrations of Averell Harriman, Nelson Rockefeller and Hugh Carey, are copies of governors' messages to the legislature in support of legislative bills recommended by the governor addresses to the legislature and other organizations, gubernatorial proclamations (the originals being filed with the secretary of state), and executive orders relating to special prosecutions in New York City cases of corruption of public servants.

13687 Addresses, 1975-1994
A0114 Messages to the Legislature, 1943-1969
13685 Executive Orders, 1972-1994
13684 Proclamations, 1955-1994
A3286 Thanksgiving Proclamations by the Governor, 1874-1925

REPORTS AND MINUTES

This category contains summaries, minutes, or transcripts of meetings and special proceedings submitted to the governor's office by special commissions and public authorities. Also included are reports to the governor from special consultants or standing committees, task forces, and State agencies dating from the late nineteenth and part of the twentieth centuries. Most of these files were maintained by the governor's office to monitor activities and to inform the governor's decision-making process. Of particular note is a series of reports from State agencies, special commissions, advisory boards, and outside consultants maintained by the Carey administration to track the status of current policies and issues.

12878 Research Files, Meeting Minutes and Reports of the Commission of Legislative and Judicial Services, 1970-1979
B0294 Printed Reports and Studies, 1955-1958, 1975-1982
A0706 Transcripts of Minutes and Public Hearings of Public Authorities, 1951-1974
A0616 Inter-Government Activity Report Transmittal and Acknowledgment Files, 1949-1954
A0187 Annual and Final Reports of State Agencies and Commissions, 1950-1954
A0615 Proceedings, Recommendations, and Background Files of the Governor's Conference on Crime, the Criminal and Society, 1935-1936
A3215 Board of Estimate and Control Report Files, 1921-1922
A0283 Monthly Reports and Minutes of Meetings of Boards of Managers of State Institutions, 1902-1914
A3357 Minutes of the Panama-Pacific Exposition Commission, 1912-1914
A0580 Annual Reports to the Governor and Legislature, 1872, 1879-1928
B1689 Governor's Copies of Reports of Directors of Mental Health Facilities to Boards of Visitors, 1983-1984

APPOINTMENTS

Records in this category document appointments made by the executive to various offices. The most recent records held by the State Archives include press releases announcing appointments of the Carey administration. Earlier records include over 90 years of files documenting applications for and actions on appointments to positions at both the State and local levels of government, including notaries public, commissioners, superintendents, inspectors, managers of State institutions, and delegates to conferences.

13686 Press Releases Announcing Appointments, 1956-1958, 1976-2006
A0540 Alphabetic Card Index to Governors' Appointment Correspondence Files and Other Matters,1905-1930, 1955-1958, 1974-1994
A0006 Registers of Appointments, 1823-1970
A3328 County Clerks' Monthly Reports of Notary Appointments and Fees, 1914-1916
A0600 Notary Public Appointment Registers and Correspondence, 1870-1912
A3329 Notary Public Appointment and Re-Appointment Application Cards, 1908-1909
A0625 Index to Notary Appointments and Ledger of Applications for Office, 1859-1863
A0624 Registers of Applications for Office, 1859-1911
A0606 Appointment Letter Books, 1857-1859, 1896-1906
B1958 Appointment application files, 1954-1958
A3216 Factory Inspector Appointment Files, 1885-1890

PUBLIC RELATIONS/COMMUNICATIONS

Public relations files document an important function of the governor's office in the modern period -- transmitting to the citizens of the State information about the governor's actions and activities. In the twentieth century, public relations efforts also focused on promoting issues and addressing concerns that the governor considered important and wanted the public to know about. Most public relations records held by the Archives post-date World War II.

15732 Supporting Documents for the Published Public Papers of the Governor, 1975-1994
13703 Public Information Photographs, 1910-1992, 2006-2008 (bulk 1945-1982)
13688 Press Releases, 1923-1958, 1976-2006
13700 Audio and Video Tapes, 1951-1986
B1959 Videotapes of governors, 1983-1985, 1995
13704 Governor's Speech Files, 1950-1982
13705 Transcripts of Press Conferences, 1975-1982
13706 Press Releases, 1978-1982
13489 Press Clippings, 1975-1982
B1205 Index to Governor Carey's Proclamations, Press Releases, and Addresses, 1976-1982
13702 Executive Chamber News Summary, 1980-1982
A3217 Executive Statements, 1913-1921
B1402 Secretary to the Governor, Subject Files, Campaign Speeches and Press Releases, 1955-1966
B1419 Transcripts of Press Conferences, Interviews, and Official Remarks, 1983-1994
B1421 Index to Governor Cuomo's Proclamations, Press Releases and Addresses, 1983-1994

REPRIEVES, COMMUTATIONS, AND PARDONS

A traditional function of the executive is the granting of clemency and pardons to those remanded to prison or sentenced to death (except in cases of treason or impeachment). The State Archives holds records documenting this junction that date from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. An associated group of records documents prison commitments, reduction or commutation of sentences, and extraditions over the last half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Executive Clemency and Pardon Records

A0597 Executive Clemency and Pardon Case Files, ca. 1860-1926
A0626 Executive Clemency Application Status Ledgers, 1883-1899
A0629 Executive Clemency and Pardon Application Ledgers and Correspondence, 1849-1903
A0585 Restoration of Citizenship Rights Application Case Files, 1910-1923
A0628 Restoration of Citizenship Rights Application Ledgers, 1857-1902

Prison Commitment and Release and Extradition Records

A0603 Registers of Commitments to Prisons, 1842-1908
A0601 Reports of Deductions of Sentences by Prison Agents, Wardens, and Superintendents, 1863-1883
A0604 Registers of Discharges of Convicts by Commutation of Sentences, 1883-1916
B1416 Extradition Case Files, 1940-1982 (bulk 1966-1979)
B1725 Card Index to Extradition Case Files, 1940-1980
A0599 Extradition Requisition and Mandate Registers and Blotters,1857-1938

INVESTIGATIONS

The executive has both constitutional and statutory authority to investigate the conduct of public officers and to remove them from office when appropriate. Files in this category span more than 60 years of investigations by the governor, or commissioners appointed by the governor of charges of misconduct or neglect of duty by State and local government agencies and officials.

Related to these records are records of various Moreland Act Commissions which document the activities of specific commissions appointed by the executive "to investigate the management and affairs of any department, board, bureau, or commission in the state."

A0531 Investigation Case Files of Charges and Complaints Against Public Officials and Agencies,1857-1919 (bulk 1872-1919)
A0731 Office of Education Performance Review Subject Files, ca. 1973-1975

MISCELLANEOUS

10985 Routine Fiscal Records of Selected Moreland Commissions and a Crime Conference, 1924-1953
13690 Daily Scheduling Log, 1955-1958 (bulk 1979-1982)
A0197 Unfiled Correspondence and Other Records Relating to Appointments, Charges and Complaints Against Public Officials, Extraditions, and Proclamations, 1862-1930
A3359 Expense Copybooks, 1911-1923 (bulk 1917-1923)
A0049 Official Tabulation and Statement of Votes, 1904
A3358 Study of Impeachment Precedents and Practices in England and New York State, 191-?
A3356 Account Book, 1899-1904
A4205 Abstracts of Vouchers Certified by the Governor, 1861-1862
B1423 Gubernatorial Transition Records, 1962-1979
B1437 Gubernatorial Inauguration Files, 1931-1937
B1947 Campaign records of Governor W. Averell Harriman, 1954-1958
B1715 Correspondence of Belle L. Moskowitz, 1925-1926
B1726 Executive Chamber Briefing Files, 1995
B1735 Impressions of State Seals and Signatures of State Officials Filed with the Secretary to the Governor, 1905-1906

KEY EXECUTIVE STAFF

A few series of records generated by key members of the Executive Chamber staff are held by the State Archives. These records are crucial to documenting policy, issues, and actions of any administration. Most of the records in this category were created during the Smith, Rockefeller, Wilson, and Carey administrations.

Deputy Secretary to the Governor

B1220 Subject Files Concerning State Financial Aid for Education, 1962-1978
B1219 National Governors' Conference and Related Federal Issues Policy Development Files, 1972-1974

Assistant to the Governor

B1383 Correspondence and Subject Files of George B. Graves, 1922-1928

Special Assistant to the Governor for Education

14145 School Finance Meeting Background and Correspondence Files, 1973-1975
B1218 Subject Files Concerning Governor's Task Force on Equal Employment Opportunities for Women in New York State Government, 1967-1976 (bulk 1973-1974)

Special Counsel to the Governor

18623 Operating Documents of the Fact-Finding Panel on the Shoreham Nuclear Power Facility, 1983
19682 Special Counsel to the Governor, Shoreham Nuclear Power Facility Litigation Files, 1984-1989

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