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Governor's Records Guide
The State Archives holds historical records of the Governor's Office dating from 1777 to the present. Though it has not received records of every gubernatorial administration, the State Archives preserves a large and important body of records which, due to the governor's role as chief executive officer of the state, document nearly every aspect of state government operations. While providing particularly rich documentation of the official activities of New York's governors and their executive staff, these records also document the functions and operations of the numerous executive branch agencies under the governor's leadership. By virtue of the governor's constitutional authority to approve legislation, submit the state's executive budget to the legislature for adoption, and exercise executive clemency power, gubernatorial records also document the governor's role in the legislative process and in the administration of justice.
This guide consists of "Governors" pages providing access to resources that are unique to individual gubernatorial administrations and thematic pages that provide access to resources documenting gubernatorial functions across multiple administrations. Additional pages provide access to resources documenting the activities of investigative and advisory bodies established by order of the governor or directed to report findings to the governor’s office.
