Guide to Archival Holdings
Record Group 310
Records of the Agricultural Research Service
Administrative History
The Agricultural Research Administration was established in the Department of Agriculture
by an Executive order of February 23, 1942, to coordinate the activities of several scientific
bureaus.
It was consolidated with these bureaus on November 2, 1953, to form the Agricultural Research Service, which plans, administers, and conducts research and related regulatory programs.
Records Description
Dates: 1930-68
Volume: 26 cubic feet
Records of the following offices:
- Animal Health Division, Denver;
- Northern Plains Office, Fort Collins, Colorado;
- Plant/Pest Control Division, Denver.
Finding Aids
Shelf list.
Record Group 336
Records of the Office of the Chief of Transportation
Administrative History
The Office of the Chief of Transportation was established in the Services of Supply (SOS),
War Department on March 2, 1942, to head the Transportation Division. It was abolished by
General Order 39 of December 1, 1964. Within the United States, the Office administered a
variety of field installations and functions, including ports of embarkation, port agencies,
transportation depots, offices, and zones.
Records Description
Dates: 1942-1952
Volume: 1 cubic foot
Records of the Ninth Transportation Zone, Salt Lake City. The records document
the administration and activities of the office. They include operating procedures, orders,
organizational charts, and reports.
Record Group 338
Records of U.S. Army Commands, 1942-
Administrative History
The present system of U.S. Army commands, which are organized both
functionally and geographically, emerged from a War Department reorganization of February
28, 1942. The system has a complex administrative structure including massive domestic and
overseas operations.
Records Description
Dates: 1874-1997
Volume: 127 cubic feet
Records of the State army advisory groups in Montana, North
Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The records document commendations and
delegations of authority. They are subject files.
Records of Auburn General Depot, Seattle. The records document the administration and activities of the unit. Included are planning files, program manuals, and unit histories.
Records of Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah, and Fort Carson, Colorado. The records document the operation of the army hospital, including Red Cross activities, and include annual reports, diaries, general orders, and reports.
Records of the Fourth Transportation Zone, Salt Lake City. The records document the administration and activities of the unit. Included are general orders, minutes of meetings, organizational charts, and program plans.
Finding Aids
Shelf list.
Record Group 341
Records of Headquarters U.S. Air Force (Air Staff)
Administrative History
Headquarters U.S. Air Force, also known as the Air Staff, was established
September 18, 1947, under terms of the National Security Act of 1947. The
Chief of Staff is directly responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force
and presides over the Air Staff which is divided into five functional groupings
each headed by a deputy chief of staff.
Records Description
Date: 1950
Volume: 3 cubic feet
Records of the Director of Construction, Missouri River Region. The records
document the site selection for the Air Force Academy and construction programs for aircraft
control and warning stations. Included are memorandums and reports.
Finding Aids
Helene Bowen, comp., Preliminary Inventory of the Records of Headquarters,
United States Air Force, NM 15 (1963).
Record Group 342
Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations
Administrative History
The U.S. Air Force (USAF) was established in 1947 as the successor
of the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF), which had developed from a series of military air services
dating back to 1907. The record group consists of records of the field organization of the
USAF and its predecessors.
Records Description
Dates: 1963-1968
Volume: 2 cubic feet
Records of the Information Office, Sundance Air Force Station, Wyoming. The
records relate to base activities, entertainment, personnel training, and public programs.
Included are memorandums, press releases, and reports.
Finding Aid
Folder title list.
Record Group 355
Records of the National Agricultural Statistics Service
Administrative History
The Bureau of Agricultural Economics was established within the Department
of Agriculture on July 1, 1922. It continued the work of conducting studies and disseminating
information relating to agricultural production, crop estimates, marketing, finance, labor,
and other agricultural programs begun as early as 1903 by several other bureaus. In 1953,
it was replaced by the Agricultural Marketing Service and Agricultural Research Service, which
were merged in 1961 to form the Economic Research Service. The latter service then became
the Statistical Reporting Service in 1981.
Records Description
Dates: 1918-70
Volume: 4 cubic feet
Records of the regional office, Las Cruces, New Mexico. The
records document crop and livestock yields, as well as weather conditions and growing seasons.
Included are bulletins, newsletters, narrative and statistical reports, and press releases.
- Shelf list.
- Vivian Wiser, comp., Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, PI 104 (1958).
Record Group 368
Records of the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service
Administrative History
The Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service (HCRS) was established in the Department of
the Interior by order of the Secretary of the Interior, January 25, 1978. Successor of the Bureau
of Outdoor Recreation (1962-78), the HCRS coordinated and developed outdoor recreation
programs, administered the National Natural Landmarks Program, provided grants to State and
local governments for natural and cultural resource protection and development, administered the
Historic Preservation Fund, and maintained the National Register of Historic Places. The HCRS
was abolished by Secretarial Order 3060, February 19, 1981, with functions transferred to the
National Park Service.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation (BOR) maintained six regional offices in the mid-1960's in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Atlanta; Denver; Philadelphia; San Francisco; and Seattle. A seventh regional office was later added in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The successor HCRS maintained this regional structure and added an eighth regional office in Anchorage, Alaska.
Records Description
Dates: 1972-81
Volume: 107 cubic feet
Records of the regional office, Denver. The records document
the establishment, maintenance, or proposed development of properties and historic sites in the
following:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Dakota
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Texas
- Utah
- Wyoming
Finding Aid
Folder title list.
Record Group 369
Records of the Employment and Training Administration
Administrative History
The Employment and Training Administration was established in the Department
of Labor on November 12, 1975, as a successor to the Manpower Administration. The latter had
been created in 1963 to consolidate all departmental organizations and activities that directed,
coordinated, or supported manpower programs or operations. The Employment and Training
Administration consists of the U.S. Employment Service, the Office of Comprehensive
Employment Development Programs, the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, and the
Unemployment Insurance Service. It conducts work experience and work training programs,
funds and oversees programs conducted under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act
of 1973, and administers the Federal-State Employment Security System.
Records Description
Dates: 1966-80
Volume: 84 cubic feet
Records of the Manpower Administration, Region VIII, covering Colorado,
North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The records document the Cooperative Area
Manpower Planning System, and training and unemployment insurance programs. The records are
bulletins, correspondence, and reports.
Finding Aids
Folder title list.
Record Group 370
Records of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Administrative History
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was formed on October 3, 1970, by
Reorganization Plan No. 4, consolidating the Environmental Science Services Administration
(ESSA) and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. Its principal functions are to explore, map, and
chart the ocean and to manage, use, and conserve its living resources; to describe, monitor, and
predict weather conditions; to issue warnings against impending destructive natural events; to
assess the consequences of inadvertent environment modification; and to manage and disseminate
long-term environmental information.
Records Description
Dates: 1951-91
Volume: 27 cubic feet
Records of the Mountain Administrative Support Center, Boulder. The records
document construction of agency facilities and activities of the administrators and
scientists. These nontextual records are photographs.
Records of the National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder. The records document the work of the International Group, 1976-78. They are correspondence, monthly reports, and organizational files. Nontextual records include a few photographs.
Finding Aid
Partial index.
Record Group 381
Records of the Community Services Administration
Administrative History
The Community Services Administration (CSA), 1976-1981, was established by the
Headstart, Economic Opportunity, and Community Partnership Act of 1974 to assume some of
the antipoverty functions of the Office of Economic Opportunity. It was headed by a director
assisted by the National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity. Funding (grants and loans)
and job training programs under various titles of the 1974 act were administered regionally
through two organizational units, the Office of Community Action and the Office of Economic
Opportunity. The CSA was abolished by an Executive order of September 30, 1981, and its
functions transferred to other Federal agencies, particularly the Department of Health and Human
Services and the Office of Management and Budget.
Records Description
Dates: 1970, 1977-1981
Volume: 9 cubic feet
Records of the Office of Economic Opportunity, Region 8. The records document
population, social, and economic characteristics, by county, in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The records are census abstracts.
Records of the Community Services Administration, Region 8. The records document planning and program evaluation. They are correspondence files.
Finding Aids
Shelf list.
Record Group 396
Records of the Office of Emergency Preparedness
Administrative History
The Office of Emergency Preparedness was established in the Executive Office of the
President by an act of October 21, 1968 (82 Stat. 1194) to advise and assist the President
in the coordination and determination of Federal emergency preparedness policy. It was abolished
in 1973 and its functions transferred to the Office of Preparedness in the General Services
Administration, the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration in the Department of Housing and
Urban Development, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Records Description
Dates: 1961-67
Volume: 10 cubic feet
Records of the Office of Emergency Planning, Region 8, covering Alaska, Idaho,
Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The records relate to boards, committees, and conferences;
emergency preparedness; relocation sites; and resource management. The records are
correspondence and reports.
Records of the U.S./Canada Joint Committee. The records relate to cooperative planning and preparedness programs and are correspondence and reports.
Record Group 397
Records of the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency
Administrative History
The Defense Civil Preparedness Agency was established in the Department of Defense
(DOD) by DOD Directive 5105.43, May 5, 1972, inheriting functions previously undertaken by
the Office of Civilian Defense within the Department of the Army. The functions of the Agency
were to coordinate and direct Federal, State, and local civil defense program activities, including
fallout shelters; chemical, biological, and radiological warfare defense; emergency
communications and warning systems; post attack assistance and damage assessment;
preparedness planning; and government continuity. It was abolished by Executive Order 12148 on
July 20, 1979, retroactive to July 15, 1979, and its duties were transferred to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency.
Records Description
Dates: 1963-67
Volume: 6 cubic feet
Records of the Region 6 office, Denver, covering Colorado, Iowa,
Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The records document
plans to prepare local and State governments for civil defense emergencies, including constructing
emergency operating centers and fallout shelters. The records are correspondence, plans, and
specifications.
Finding Aid
Shelf list.
Record Group 403
Records of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Administrative History
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established as an
independent agency by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 253) to monitor compliance with
and enforce provisions of statutes to end discrimination in employment. The Commission's field
offices receive charges of job discrimination under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), the Equal Pay Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of
1967.
Field offices may also initiate charges alleging that a violation of Title VII or the ADA has occurred.
Records Description
Dates: 1980-1982
Volume: 4 cubic feet
Records of the District Office, Denver. The records document a civil action
against the Trailways Bus Company. Included are correspondence, court documents, and exhibits.
Record Group 406
Records of the Federal Highway Administration
Administrative History
The Department of Transportation Act of 1966 established the Federal Highway
Administration (FHA) and transferred to it the Bureau of Public Roads (see RG 30). The FHA
administers Federal financial assistance to the States for highway construction and conducts
research and programs relating to highway safety.
Records Description
Dates: 1956-1989
Volume: 69 cubic feet
Records of regional and divisional offices in Denver, Helena, Salt Lake City, and Santa Fe.The records document federal aid projects for highway construction and the acquisition of rights-of-way. Included are federal aid plans, agreements, vouchers, contracts and policy letters. Nontextual records include rights-of-way maps.
Finding Aids
Shelf list.
Record Group 412
Records of the Environmental Protection Agency
Administrative History
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in the executive
branch as an independent agency pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, effective
December 2, 1970.
The EPA was created to coordinate Federal action in cooperation with State and local governments to abate and control pollution in the areas of air, water, solid waste, pesticides, radiation, and toxic substances. It conducts research, monitoring, standard setting, and enforcement activities.
Records Description
Dates: 1970-1993
Volume: 30 cubic feet
Records of the National Environment Investigations Center, Denver. The records
document investigations of pollution problems, such as water pollution and the effect of power
plants. Included are administrative records, case files, control standards, permits, and
remote sensing files.
Finding Aid
Box contents list.
Record Group 430
Records of the Energy Research and Development Administration
Administrative History
The Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) was created in 1974, when
it assumed many of the functions of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC, see RG 326).
Records Description
Dates: 1974-1978
Volume: 4 cubic feet
Records of the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant. The records document the
development of an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the plant. They include
correspondence and the EIS.
Record Group 433
Records of the Mine Safety and Health Administration
Administrative History
In May 1973, a Department of the Interior order created the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA) and moved the functions of the Health and Safety Division of the Bureau of Mines to MESA. The Mine Safety and Health Administration, created by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Amendment Act of 1977 (91 Stat. 1319), absorbed the functions of MESA.
The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 gave the Administration strong enforcement provisions to protect the Nation's coal miners and in 1977 the Congress passed amendments which strengthened the act by expanding the Administration's responsibilities to the noncoal mining industry.
Records Description
Dates: 1945-74
Volume: 4 cubic feet
Records of the Denver office, covering Colorado, Montana, and
North Dakota; and the Salt Lake City office, covering South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The
records document investigations of fatal and non-fatal accidents in mines. They
are case files.
Record Group 434
General Records of the Department of Energy
Administrative History
The Department of Energy was established October 1, 1977 by the DOE Organization
Act (91 Stat. 569), August 4, 1977 and EO 12009, September 13, 1977, consolidating functions
formerly vested in the Energy Research and Development Administration, the
Federal Energy Administration, the Federal Power Commission, and other agencies. DOE
administers and coordinates federal energy programs, including the nuclear weapons program.
The department engages in energy technology research and development. It also markets power
generated by federal hydroelectric projects. DOE promotes energy conservation.
Records Description
Dates: 1943-98
Volume: 2 cubic feet
Records of the Project Office, Grand Junction, Colorado. The records document uranium ore shipments to the plant and are index cards. Nontextual records include photographs of managers.
Record Group 435
Records of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board
Administrative History
The Board was established by an act of August 27, 1935 (49 Stat. 891),
to serve Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, and the general public as an informational, promotional,
and advisory clearinghouse for all matters pertaining to the development of authentic
Indian and Eskimo arts and crafts. It receives administrative support from the Bureau of Indian
Affairs.
Records Description
Dates: 1935-83
Volume: 5 cubic feet
Records of the New Mexico field office, Albuquerque; and the
Montana field offices, Billings and Browning. The records document the
development of Indian arts and crafts, including biographies of Indian
artists. The records are correspondence and subject files.
Finding Aids
Shelf list for some records.
Record Group 442
Records of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Administrative History
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the Federal agency charged with
protecting the public health of the nation by providing leadership and direction in the prevention
and control of diseases and other preventable conditions and by responding to public health
emergencies. The agency began in the World War II era as Malaria Control in War Areas.
It has since undergone numerous reorganizations as part of the Public Health Service. The present
name was assigned by the Preventive Health Amendments of 1992.
Records Description
Dates: 1933-73
Volume: 15 cubic feet
Records of the Ecological Investigations Laboratory, Fort Collins, Colorado. The
records document investigations and research in certain diseases, particularly encephalitis, and
cooperative programs with city and State governments. The records are correspondence and
reports.
Finding Aids
Box contents list.
Record Group 452
Records of the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration
Administrative History
The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) was established by an act of
December 11, 1973, to stimulate, coordinate, schedule, and facilitate the planning and
implementation of projects, events, and activities to celebrate 200 years of American life. It
replaced the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, which was established by an
act of July 4, 1966. The ARBA worked closely with State Bicentennial Commissions to plan and
conduct a wide variety of programs and provided grants-in-aid for various activities. The ARBA
was terminated on June 30, 1977, pursuant to the terms of the 1973 act.
Records Description
Dates: 1971-76
Volume: 4 cubic feet
Records of the Region 8 office, Denver, covering Colorado, Montana,
North Dakota, South
Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The records document planning and
implementation of programs, exhibits, and other activities regarding the bicentennial. They are
correspondence.
Finding Aids
Folder title list.
Record Group 461
Records of the U.S. Air Force Academy
Administrative History
The U.S. Air Force Academy was created by Executive act on April 1,
1954. On July 11, 1955, the first class of cadets was sworn in at the Academy, located
temporarily at Lowry Air Force Base, Denver, Colorado, until a permanent home could be
opened in Colorado Springs in August 1958. The Academy's mission is to provide instruction,
experience, and motivation to cadets in their development as career officers.
Records Description
Dates: 1954-81
Volume: 601 cubic feet
Records of the U.S. Air Force Academy. The records document the design,
construction, and operation of the Academy. Included are project study and control files, manuals,
minutes of meetings, news releases, orders, regulations, and research and development case files.
Nontextual records include construction drawings and photographs.
Finding Aids
Shelf list.
Record Group 463
Records of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Administrative History
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service conducts regulatory and control programs
to protect and improve animal and plant health for the benefit of man and the environment. The
current research and control programs are based on work first conducted by the Department of
the Interior's Bureau of Biological Survey (BBS) in 1885. BBS was responsible for humanely
deterring predatory threats to livestock and controlling the degree of damage to agriculture,
forests, and industry caused by wildlife. The BBS program was incorporated into the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service in 1939, and the Denver Wildlife Research Center (DWRC) was established
in 1940. The DWRC and the Animal Damage Control Program were transferred from the
Department of the Interior to the Department of Agriculture, APHIS, in 1985.
In cooperation with State governments, APHIS now administers Federal laws and regulations pertaining to animal and plant health and quarantine, humane treatment of animals, and the control and eradication of pests and diseases. Regulations to prevent the introduction or interstate spread of certain animal or plant pests or diseases are enforced by the Service. It also carries out research and operations to reduce crop and livestock depredations caused by birds, predators, and rodents.
Records Description
Dates: 1920-80
Volume: 59 cubic feet
Records of the Denver Wildlife Research Center. The records document the
Center's activities and include correspondence, data, program reports, and research papers.
Nontextual records include photographs.
- List of research paper titles.
- Index to photographs.
Record Group 527
Records of the United States Marshals Service
at NARA's Rocky Mountain Region (Denver)
Administrative History
The Judiciary Act of September 24, 1789, made provision for U.S. attorneys
and marshals who are appointed by the President and have functioned under
the general supervision of the Department of Justice since its creation
in 1870. U.S. marshals execute and serve writs, processes, and orders issued
by U.S. courts, U.S. commissioners or magistrates, and commissions. They
also notify the Department of Justice of defiance of Federal authority.
Records Description
Dates: 1863-1903
Volume: 6 cubic feet
Records of the Cheyenne office. The records document payments to petit and
grand jurors and witnesses in civil cases, the statutes at large, and include a Description
and History of Convicts in the U. S. Penitentiary of Laramie City, Wyoming, December
1873-November 1892. The records are bound volumes and dockets.