National Archives

Eighth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
DIstrict 0525, Branch 404

OFFICIALS
Archivist of the United States		Solon J. Buck
Division of the Federal Register:
	Director	Bernard R. Kennedy
	Chief Editor	David C. Eberhart, Jr.
Program Adviser		Oliver W. Holmes
Management Officer		Dallas D. Irvine
Budget Officer		Stuart Portner, Acting
Administrative Secretary		Thad Page
Director of Operations		Dan Lacy
Deputy Director of Operations		Marcus W. Price
Records Appraisal Officer		Philip C. Brooks
Records Control Officer		Philip M. Hamer
Heads of Records Divisions and Offices:
	Agriculture Department Archives	Theodore R. Schellenberg
	Commerce Department Archives	Arthur H. Leavitt
	Interior Department Archives	Herman Kahn
	Justice Department Archives	Gerald J. Davis
	Labor Department Archives	Paul Lewinson
	Legislative Archives	Thad Page
	Maps and Charts	W.L.G. Joerg
	Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings	John G. Bradley
	Photographic Archives and Research	Josephine Cobb, Acting
	Post Office Department Archives	Arthur H. Leavitt, Acting
	State Department Archives	Roscoe R. Hill
	Treasury Department Archives	Westel R. Willoughby
	Veterans' Records	W. Neil Franklin, Acting
	War Records	Edward G. Campbell
Chiefs of Other Divisions and Sections:
	Cleaning and Rehabilitation	Adelaide E. Minogue
	Exhibits and Publications	Elizabeth E. Hamer
	Finance and Accounts	Lottie M. Nichols
	General Reference	W. Neil Franklin
	Library	Matilda F. Hanson
	Personnel Management	Ruth A. Henderson
	Printing and Processing	Harry M. Forker
	Records and Communications	Virginia M. Wolfe
	Property Division	Frank P. Wilson
NATIONAL ARCHIVES TRUST FUND BOARD
Chairman		The Archivist of the United States
Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Library Chairman of the House Committee on the Library

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Creation and Authority.--The National Archives was established under an act of Congress approved June 19, 1934, as amended (48 Stat. 1122-1124; 44 U.S.C. 300-300k), which created the office of Archivist of the United States and prescribed his duties. Other legislation affecting the National Archives establishment includes an act to provide for the printing and distribution of Government publications to the National Archives, approved June 17, 1935 (49 Stat. 386; 44 U.S.C. 215a); the Federal Register Act, approved July 26, 1935, as amended (49 Stat. 500-503; 44 U.S.C. 301-314); the joint resolution establishing the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, approved

July 18, 1939 (53 Stat. 1062-1066); the National Archives Trust Fund Board Act, approved July 9, 1941 (55 Stat. 581; 44 U.S.C. 300aa-300jj); and the act concerning the disposal of records, approved July 7, 1943 (57 Stat. 380-383; 44 U.S.C. 366-380).

Purpose.--The primary objective of the National Archives is to make the experience of the Government and the people of the United States, as it is embodied in the records, of the Federal Government and related materials, available to guide and assist the Government and the people in planning and conducting their activities. It endeavors to attain that objective by assembling, preserving, arranging, and describing such of the noncurrent records of agencies of the Federal Government as have permanent value and historical interest, and by making such records available for use by Government officials, scholars, and others who have occasion to consult them. "Motion-picture films and sound recordings pertaining to and illustrative of historical activities of the United States" are also accepted, preserved, and made available. Other functions are to appraise and make reports to Congress regarding records proposed for disposal by Government agencies that do not, or that will not after the lapse of a specified time, appear to have sufficient administrative, legal, research, or other value to warrant their continued preservation by the Government; and to receive and publish the texts and codes of all Presidential proclamations and Executive orders and of rules and regulations issued by Federal agencies that have general applicability and legal effect.

Organization.--The Archivist of the United States is appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The core of the National Archives is composed of 14 records divisions or offices. Among these units is apportioned the responsibility for dealing with the records and the records problems of all the agencies of the Federal Government. Three of them are responsible for special types of archival materials, namely, maps and charts, motion pictures and sound recordings, and other photographic archives. They are all under the supervision of the Director of Operations, who is assisted by the Deputy Director, the Records Appraisal Officer, and the Records Control Officer. The DIrector of the Division of the Federal Register, the Program Adviser, the Management Officer, the Budget Officer, and the Administrative Secretary, who is in charge of public relations, are immediately responsible to the Archivist.

Activities

Accepting and Preserving Government Records.--The Archivist of the United States may requisition for transfer to his custody any records offered for transfer by the head of the Government agency having custody of them; any records that have been in existence for more than 50 years unless the head of the agency having custody of them certifies in writing to the Archivist that they must be retained for use in the conduct of the regular current business of the said agency; any records of any Federal agency that has gone out of existence unless the head of the agency that has the custody of them certifies in writing to the Archivist that they must be retained in his custody for use in performing transferred functions of the discontinued agency or in liquidating its affairs; and any other records that the National Archives Council by special resolution may authorize to be transferred.

Making Available Records in its Custody.--In addition to having data constantly available as to the nature and extent of the records in the custody of the Archivist and as to the conditions under which they may be used, the National Archives also supplies information from the records themselves. Persons who come to the National Archives Building to use the records are assisted in every way possible. The various finding mediums--the published guide and inventories, the checklists and special lists, and the indexes--are made available, and the staff renders such further assistance as may be necessary to aid the searcher in finding and using the material desired. The National Archives is equipped to provide photographs, photostats, or microfilm copies of documents to investigators as may be required, and is furthermore empowered to authenticate such copies under the official seal of the National Archives, which must be judicially noticed. For Government use reproductions may be furnished without charge; they are supplied to the public at cost. Whenever using the records in the National Archives Building or having reproductions made of them will not meet the needs of a Government agency, records may be borrowed; records may not be borrowed, however, for unofficial purposes. Motion pictures and sound recordings in the custody of the Archivist may be viewed or heard in an auditorium provided for the purpose.

Reporting to Congress Records Without Permanent Value.--No official or agency of the Government can legally destroy or otherwise dispose of public records except in the manner prescribed by law. In order to avoid the inadvertent destruction of valuable material, records proposed for disposal by Government agencies are appraised by the Archivist. These records are considered form the points of view of their value to the agency reporting them, their value to other Government agencies, and their value to scholars or other individuals. The Archivist submits to Congress lists or schedules of such records insofar as it appears to him that they do not or will not after the lapse of a specified time have sufficient administrative, legal, research, or other value to warrant their further preservation by the Government, and, when the approval of Congress has been obtained, the records may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of in accordance with regulations promulgated by the National Archives Council.

Furnishing Advice on Records Problems.--In order that non-current records may be transferred to the National Archives in the best possible condition, the National Archives furnishes advice and suggestions on request concerning procedures for the keeping of current files that will make for greater flexibility, make possible the segregation of routine and ephemeral material from material of permanent value, and make possible chronological breaks in the files so as to facilitate the transfer of portions of the files form time to time without disrupting the current files of the agencies. The National Archives is prepared to provide advice and information on such technical records problems as the repair and preservation of documents, including maps and bound volumes of all sizes and kinds; the arrangement, filing, storage, and servicing of maps; the arrangement, filing, storage, repair, reproduction, and servicing of photographs, motion pictures,

and sound recordings; the photographing of documents, including maps; and the examination of questioned documents. Information and advice are furnished military authorities on archives in war areas in order that they may be protected as far as possible, properly administered, and fully utilized.

Publishing Administrative Orders Having General Applicability and Legal Effect.--All current proclamations, orders, rules, and regulations of the executive branch of the Government having general applicability and legal effect must be filed with the Division of the Federal Register of the National Archives in order to be valid, and they are then published in the Federal Register, which appears five times a week. Codifications of all such documents in force are published from time to time, and between editions of the code, annual and cumulative supplements are published. Current Presidential proclamations and Executive orders not published in the Federal Register are printed in limited quantities in slip form and distributed by the National Archives.

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National Archives Trust Fund Board.--The National Archives Trust Fund Board, created by an act approved July 9, 1941 (55 Stat. 581; 44 U.S.C. 300aa-300jj) is authorized "to accept, receive, hold, and administer such gifts or bequests of money, securities, or other personal property, for the benefit of or in connection with the National Archives, its collections, or its services, as may be approved by the Board."

National Archives Council

National Archives Building
DIstrict 0525, Branch 443

MEMBERS
Chairman		The Archivist of the United States
Vice Chairman		E. Wilder Spaulding (alternate for the Secretary of State)
	The Secretary of Each Executive Department    (or alternate named by the Secretary thereof)
	Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Library Chairman of the House Committee on the Library Librarian of Congress
Secretary (Administrative Secretary, National Archives)		Thad Page

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Creation and Authority.--The National Archives Council was created by the National Archives Act, approved June 19, 1934 (48 Stat. 1122; 40 U.S.C. 231-41).

Purpose.--Under the provisions of the National Archives Act, the Council is to "define the classes of material which shall be transferred to the National Archives Building and establish regulations governing such transfer; and shall have power to advise the Archivist in respect to regulations governing the disposition and use of the archives and records transferred to his custody." The Council also promulgates regulations establishing procedures and standards in connection with the disposal of valueless records, which, when approved by the President, are binding on all agencies of the Government.

National Historical Publications Commission

National Archives Building
DIstrict 0525, Branch 314

MEMBERS
Chairman		The Archivist of the United States
	Historical Adviser of the Department of State Chief of the Historical Section of the Army War College Officer in Charge of the Naval Records and Library Chief, Division of Manuscripts, Library of Congress Two Members of the American Historical Association
Acting Secretary (Records Control Officer, National Archives)		Philip M. Hamer.

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Creation and Authority.--The National Historical Publications Commission was created by the National Archives Act, approved June 19, 1934 (48 Stat. 1122; 40 U.S.C. 231-41).

Purpose.--The duties of the Commission are to "make plans, estimates, and recommendations for such historical works and collections of sources as seem appropriate for publication and/or otherwise recording at the public expense." Such recommendations are transmitted to Congress by the Archivist of the United States in his capacity as chairman of the Commission.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Library

Hyde Park, N.Y.
(Under the administration of the Archivist of the United States)

OFFICIALS
Archivist of the United States			Solon J. Buck
Director			Fred W. Shipman1
Acting Director			Edgar B. Nixon
TRUSTEES of the FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT LIBRARY
Ex Officio:
	The Archivist of the United States	Solon J. Buck, Chairman
	The Secretary of the Treasury	Henry Morgenthau, Jr.
Appointive:
	Basil O'Connor	Samuel E.Morison
	Frank C. Walker	Harry L. Hopkins
	Samuel I. Rosenman

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Creation and Authority.--The Franklin D. Roosevelt Library was created by a joint resolution of COngress approved July 18, 1939 (53 Stat. 1062; 39 U.S.C. 824a-3).

Purpose.--The primary functions of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library are the preservation and administration of such collections

of historical material as shall be donated to it by Franklin D. Roosevelt and such other material related to and contemporary with this material as may be acquired from other sources by gift, purchase, or loan.

Organization.--The immediate administration of the Library is vested in a Director, who makes his headquarters at Hyde Park.

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Trustees of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.--The Board known as the Trustees of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, created by the joint resolution establishing the Library (53 Stat. 1062; 39 U.S.C. 8241-3), is authorized to "receive gifts and bequests of personal property and to hold and administer the same as trust funds for the benefit of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library."

Approved.

Solon J. Buck
Archivist of the United States

Table of Contents

Footnotes

1. On leave (for special assignment).