Guide to Federal Records

Records of the Railroad Retirement Board


(Record Group 184)
1934-87

Overview of Records Locations

Table of Contents

  • 184.1 Administrative History
  • 184.2 General Records 1934-87
    • 184.2.1 Records maintained by the Secretary of the Board
    • 184.2.2 Records of the Chief Executive Officer
  • 184.3 Records of Operating Units 1938-66
    • 184.3.1 Records of the Office of Administrative Planning and Analysis
    • 184.3.2 Records of the Office of Management Control
    • 184.3.3 Records of the Bureau of Unemployment and Sickness Insurance
    • 184.3.4 Records of the Bureau of Wage and Service Records

184.1 Administrative History

Established: As an independent agency by the Railroad Retirement Act (49 Stat. 967), August 29, 1935.

Predecessor Agencies:

  • Railroad Retirement Board (1934-35)

Functions: Administers comprehensive retirement-survivor and unemployment-sickness benefit programs for railroad workers and their families pursuant to the Railroad Retirement Act and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (52 Stat. 1094), June 25, 1938, as amended.

Finding Aids: Preliminary inventory in National Archives microfiche edition of preliminary inventories.

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184.2 General Records
1934-87

History: First Railroad Retirement Board established under provisions of an act of June 27, 1934 (48 Stat. 1283), creating a railroad retirement pension system. Liquidated subsequent to a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, May 6, 1935, that the establishing act was unconstitutional. Second board established, 1935, with headquarters in Chicago, IL, and regional offices in Atlanta, GA, Cleveland, OH, Hackensack, NJ, Kansas City, MO, and San Francisco, CA. See 184.1.

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184.2.1 Records maintained by the Secretary of the Board

Textual Records (in Chicago): Minutes of meetings of the board ("Record of Proceedings"), 1934-75 (29 ft.). Program files, 1951- 85. Board reports, 1939-61. Board exhibits, 1937-78 (54 ft.). Records relating to matters that were not the subject of formal board orders ("Informal Actions"), 1942-78 (49 ft.). Annual reports, 1936-87.

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184.2.2 Records of the Chief Executive Officer

Textual Records (in Chicago): General files, 1942-64. Correspondence file, 1947-72. Administrative orders, 1939-48. Correspondence and other records concerning amendments to the Railroad Retirement Act and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts, 1946-59. Administrative manual, 1943-63. Field operating manual, 1947-54.

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184.3 Records of Operating Units
1938-66

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184.3.1 Records of the Office of Administrative Planning and
Analysis

Textual Records (in Chicago): Administrative records, 1940-59. Statistical reports on data processing ("Key Operating Items"), 1941-52. Records of the Electronic Analysis Group, 1946-47; and the Task Force Study Group, 1956-57.

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184.3.2 Records of the Office of Management Control

Textual Records (in Chicago): Subject files, 1942-66.

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184.3.3 Records of the Bureau of Unemployment and Sickness
Insurance

Textual Records (in Chicago): Business reports, 1939-45.

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184.3.4 Records of the Bureau of Wage and Service Records

Textual Records (in Chicago): Records of the Program for the Collection of Prior Service Records, 1938-45.


Bibliographic note: Web version based on Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States. Compiled by Robert B. Matchette et al. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1995.
3 volumes, 2428 pages.

Ordering information

This Web version is updated from time to time to include records processed since 1995.


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