Records of the National Recovery Administration [NRA]
(Record Group 9)
1927-37
Table of Contents
- 9.1 ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY
- 9.2 GENERAL RECORDS OF THE NRA
1933-37
- 9.2.1 Records of the National Industrial Recovery
Board
- 9.2.2 Records of the Office of the Coordinator for
Industrial Cooperation
- 9.2.3 Records maintained by the Code Record Unit
- 9.2.4 Records maintained by the General Files Unit
- 9.2.5 Records maintained by the Library Unit
- 9.3 RECORDS OF THE NRA COMPLIANCE DIVISION
1933-35
- 9.3.1 General records
- 9.3.2 Records of the Contributions Section
- 9.3.3 Records of the Coordinating Branch
- 9.3.4 Records of the Office of the Assistant
Administrator for Field Administration
- 9.3.5 Records of the Office of the Director of
Compliance and Enforcement
- 9.4 RECORDS OF NRA INDUSTRY DIVISIONS
1933-35
- 9.4.1 Records of the Amusements Division
- 9.4.2 Records of the Basic Materials Division
- 9.4.3 Records of the Chemical Division
- 9.4.4 Records of the Construction Division
- 9.4.5 Records of the Distribution Division
- 9.4.6 Records of the Equipment Division
- 9.4.7 Records of the Food Division
- 9.4.8 Records of the Manufacturing Division
- 9.4.9 Records of the Public Agencies Division
- 9.4.10 Records of the Public Utilities Division
- 9.4.11 Records of the Textile Division
- 9.5 RECORDS OF OTHER NRA DIVISIONS
1929-37 (bulk 1934-35)
- 9.5.1 Records of the Legal Division
- 9.5.2 Records of the State Relations Division
- 9.5.3 Records of the Government Contracts Division
- 9.5.4 Records of the Review Division
- 9.5.5 Records of the Public Relations Division
- 9.5.6 Records of the Research and Planning
Division
- 9.5.7 Records of the Division of Review
- 9.5.8 Records of the Trade Association Division
- 9.6 RECORDS OF REGIONAL AND TERRITORIAL OFFICES
1933-36
- 9.6.1 Records of Region I (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
- 9.6.2 Records of Region II (NY)
- 9.6.3 Records of Region III (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NC, PA,
VA)
- 9.6.4 Records of Region IV (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, SC,
TN)
- 9.6.5 Records of Region V (KY, MI, OH, WV)
- 9.6.6 Records of Region VI (IL, IN, MO, WI)
- 9.6.7 Records of Region VII (CO, IA, KS, MN, NE, ND,
SD, WY)
- 9.6.8 Records of Region VIII (AR, NM, OK, TX)
- 9.6.9 Records of Region IX (AZ, CA, ID, MT, NV, OR,
UT, WA)
- 9.6.10 Records of the Territorial Office for Puerto
Rico
- 9.6.11 Records of the Territorial Office for
Hawaii
- 9.6.12 Records of the Territorial Office for
Alaska
- 9.7 RECORDS OF THE DIVISION OF INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS
(DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)
1935-37
- 9.8 RECORDS OF BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
1933-37
- 9.8.1 Records of the President's Reemployment
Agreement Policy Board
- 9.8.2 Records of the Labor, Industrial, and Consumers'
Advisory Boards
- 9.8.3 Records of the Industrial Appeals Board
- 9.8.4 Records of the National Recovery Review
Board
- 9.8.5 Records of the Homework Committee
- 9.8.6 Records of the Apprenticeship Committee
- 9.8.7 Records of the Automobile Labor Board
- 9.8.8 Records of the Bituminous Coal Labor Boards
- 9.8.9 Records of the National Steel Labor Relations
Board
- 9.8.10 Records of the Cotton Textile National
Industrial Relations Board and the Textile National Industrial Relations
Board
- 9.8.11 Records of the Textile Labor Relations
Board
- 9.9 RECORDS OF CODE AUTHORITIES
1927-35
- 9.10 CARTOGRAPHIC RECORDS (GENERAL)
1933-36 238 items
- 9.11 MOTION PICTURES (GENERAL)
1933 1 reel
- 9.12 TEXTUAL RECORDS (GENERAL)
1933-36
Established: As an independent agency by EO 6173, June 16, 1933, pursuant to the National Industrial Recovery Act (48 Stat. 195), June 16, 1933.
Functions: Promoted economic recovery.
Abolished: Effective January 1, 1936, by EO 7252, December 21, 1935, which assigned liquidation functions to the Department of Commerce.
Successor Agencies: Department of Labor (NRA Consumers' Division); Department of Commerce (NRA Advisory Council, Division of Review, and Division of Business Cooperation, for liquidation by April 1, 1936).
Committee of Industrial Analysis, under chairmanship of the Secretary of Commerce, established, effective April 1, 1936, by EO 7323, March 21, 1936, to complete work of liquidated NRA units. Terminated upon submission of final report to President, February 17, 1937.
Finding Aids: Homer L. Calkin, Meyer H. Fishbein, and Leo Pascal, comps., Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the National Recovery Administration, PI 44 (1952).
Related Records: Record copies of publications of the National Recovery Administration in RG 287, Publications of the U.S. Government.
Subject Access Terms: Great Depression, New Deal agency.
9.2 GENERAL RECORDS OF THE NRA
1933-37
History: NRA established to administer provisions of Title I of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) of 1933. Initially, NRA promoted rehabilitation of industry and trade in the United States, expansion of employment, and improvement of labor conditions, through special codes of fair competition drafted under its supervision to govern industries and trades, and through the President's reemployment agreement, a general code offered for voluntary acceptance pending approval of specific codes. On May 27, 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court in the Schechter case declared the mandatory codes section of NIRA unconstitutional. Remainder of Title I extended until April 1, 1936, by joint resolution (49 Stat. 375), June 14, 1935. NRA reorganized by EO 7075, June 15, 1935, to facilitate its new role as promoter of industrial cooperation and to enable it to produce a series of economic studies. Abolished at the end of 1935. SEE 9.1.
9.2.1 Records of the National Industrial Recovery Board
History: Established by EO 6859, September 27, 1934, replacing the Administrator for Industrial Recovery as executive head of NRA. Terminated by EO 7075, June 15, 1935, and superseded by a unitary administrator.
Textual Records: General subject files maintained by Chairmen S. Clay Williams and Donald R. Richberg, 1934-36, including public reaction to the Schechter decision. Reports on activities of NRA divisions, 1934-35. Office files of the executive secretary and of several board members, 1934-35.
9.2.2 Records of the Office of the Coordinator for Industrial
Cooperation
History: Coordinator for Industrial Cooperation, to supervise conferences on industrial recovery and employment and to coordinate and report directly to the President on personnel activities of NRA, established by EO 7193, September 26, 1935, which also directed that staff support be provided by NRA. Transferred to Department of Commerce by EO 7324, March 30, 1936. Terminated June 30, 1937.
Textual Records: Subject file, 1935-37. Office file of the technical assistant, 1935-37.
Related Records: Record copies of the publications of the Office of the Coordinator for Industrial Cooperation in RG 287, Publications of the U.S. Government.
9.2.3 Records maintained by the Code Record Unit
Textual Records: Records filed in the process of drafting codes of fair competition, 1933-35. Microfilm copy of codes and related records of each codified industry, 1933-36 (294 rolls).
Microfilm Publications: M213.
9.2.4 Records maintained by the General Files Unit
Textual Records: Subject files, 1933-35. Consolidated files on 757 industries and trades governed by approved codes, 1933-36 (2,200 lin. ft.). Files on approximately 1,800 industries and trades whose proposed codes were never approved, 1933-36. Administrative files, 1933-36. Congressional correspondence and records maintained by NRA members of code authorities, 1934-35. Graphic materials, 1933-36. Special research and planning reports on the economy made by the Research Planning Division, 1933-35. Statistical material prepared by the Division of Review, 1935-36. Miscellaneous reports and records, 1933-37.
Finding Aids: Homer L. Calkin and Meyer H. Fishbein, comps., Select List of Documents in the Records of the National Recovery Administration, SL 12 (1954).
9.2.5 Records maintained by the Library Unit
Textual Records: Transcripts of hearings relating to proposed codes, code modifications and violations, and labor disputes, 1933-35.
9.3 RECORDS OF THE NRA COMPLIANCE DIVISION
1933-35
Textual Records: Closed case files, 1933-35. Correspondence, 1933-35. Reports and correspondence from field offices, 1934-35. Rulings and interpretations of code provisions, 1933-34. Records relating to local compliance boards, 1933-35. Reports and correspondence relating to the W.P. Robert Committee investigation, 1935. Reports from field offices on public attitude toward NRA programs, 1933-35. Files of division officials, ca. 1933-35.
9.3.2 Records of the Contributions Section
Textual Records: Letters from business firms protesting code authority assessments, and correspondence with code authorities regarding nonpayment of contributions by delinquent firms, 1934- 35.
9.3.3 Records of the Coordinating Branch
Textual Records: Interoffice correspondence, 1934-35. Records containing analyses of alleged violations, 1933-34.
9.3.4 Records of the Office of the Assistant Administrator for
Field Administration
Textual Records: Office and subject files, 1933-35. Records of the Code Authorities Unit, 1933-34. Industry reports by NRA members of code authorities, 1935.
9.3.5 Records of the Office of the Director of Compliance and
Enforcement
Textual Records: Files of the director and other officials; and reports, correspondence, and memorandums relating to publicity and compliance and compliant activities, 1933-35.
9.4 RECORDS OF NRA INDUSTRY DIVISIONS
1933-35
9.4.1 Records of the Amusements Division
Textual Records: Reading files, 1934-35.
9.4.2 Records of the Basic Materials Division
Textual Records: Weekly reports, 1934-35. Records of the Coal Section, 1933-35.
9.4.3 Records of the Chemical Division
Textual Records: Reading files, 1934-35. Records of the Paper Section, 1933-35.
9.4.4 Records of the Construction Division
Textual Records: Reading files, 1933-35.
9.4.5 Records of the Distribution Division
Textual Records: Correspondence of the Wholesale Distributing Trades Section, 1934-35.
9.4.6 Records of the Equipment Division
Textual Records: General correspondence, interoffice memorandums, and office files, 1934-35. Records of the Automotive Section; the Electrical, Tool, and Foundry Section; the Producing and Fabricating Section; and the Shipbuilding and Machine Section, 1934-35.
9.4.7 Records of the Food Division
Textual Records: Weekly reports, 1934-35. Correspondence relating to codes for food products, 1933.
9.4.8 Records of the Manufacturing Division
Textual Records: Office files, 1933-35. Division correspondence, 1934-35.
9.4.9 Records of the Public Agencies Division
Textual Records: Records relating to prison labor, "sheltered workshops," and the administration of territorial offices, 1934- 35.
9.4.10 Records of the Public Utilities Division
Textual Records: Office and reading files, 1933-35. General records of the Shipping Section, 1933-34.
9.4.11 Records of the Textile Division
Textual Records: Reading files, 1933-35.
9.5 RECORDS OF OTHER NRA DIVISIONS
1929-37 (bulk 1934-35)
9.5.1 Records of the Legal Division
Textual Records: Office files and related records of the general counsel and other officials, 1933-35. Division central files, 1933-35. Records of the Enforcement Department, including docketed litigation case files and docket books, 1934-35. Reports and records concerning restitution of funds, 1935-37. Records of the Federal Trade Commission Section, consisting primarily of requests for investigation and reports, 1933-35. Affidavits of the Economic and Procedural Section, 1933-35. Files of state relations attorneys concerned with state adoption of the model state recovery bill, 1933-35. General correspondence of the Legal Research Section, 1933-36.
9.5.2 Records of the State Relations Division
Textual Records: Subject file containing a compilation of state recovery acts, a complaint file regarding alleged code violations, and a state legislation file, 1933-36.
9.5.3 Records of the Government Contracts Division
Textual Records: General correspondence, 1933-35. Closed case files, 1934-35. Office files, 1933-35. Administrative records, 1934-36. Correspondence and other records relating to the government contracts survey, 1935. Records relating to field activities in conducting the survey of government contracts, 1935-36.
9.5.4 Records of the Review Division
Textual Records: Memorandums concerning the review of proposed codes and summaries of code documents, 1933-35. Records of the Rulings Section and the Policy Section, 1934-35.
9.5.5 Records of the Public Relations Division
Textual Records: General records, 1933-35. Correspondence of the Chief of the Public Relations Bureau, 1933. General correspondence of the special assistant, 1934. Correspondence with chambers of commerce, 1933. Questionnaires showing public opinion, 1934. NRA poems and slogans, 1933-34. Daily press digests, releases, and clippings, 1933-36. Records of the Insignia Section and the Women's Section, 1933-35.
9.5.6 Records of the Research and Planning Division
Textual Records: Office files of the director and chief statistician, 1933-35. Records of the Statistics, Economic Advisory, Import, Code Administration, and Code Authorities Accounts Sections, 1933-35.
9.5.7 Records of the Division of Review
Textual Records: Files of the director, 1934-36. Weekly reports, 1935-36. Code histories for industries for which codes were proposed but never approved, 1935-36. Records of the Industrial Studies Section, 1929-35. Records of the Tariff and Industry Units, Foreign Trade Studies Section, 1934-35. Records of the Trade Practice Studies, Statistics, and Administrative Sections, 1934-36. Records of the Territorial Unit, Special Studies Section, 1935. Records of the Code Administration Studies, NRA Organization Studies, and Enforcement Studies Sections, 1935-36.
9.5.8 Records of the Trade Association Division
Textual Records: Completed questionnaires submitted to trade associations, 1934-35, with related correspondence, 1933-35.
9.6 RECORDS OF REGIONAL AND TERRITORIAL OFFICES
1933-36
9.6.1 Records of Region I (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Textual Records (in Boston): Correspondence, case files, and personnel records, 1935. Correspondence, case files, and recommendations of the Regional Compliance Council, 1935.
9.6.2 Records of Region II (NY)
Textual Records (in New York): General subject files, 1934-35. General correspondence, 1933-35. Case files and related records, 1934-35. General records and recommendations of the Regional Compliance Council, 1935. Personnel records, 1933-36.
9.6.3 Records of Region III (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NC, PA, VA)
Textual Records (in Philadelphia): Correspondence, case files, and complaint briefs, 1935. Regional Compliance Council records, 1935.
9.6.4 Records of Region IV (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, SC, TN)
Textual Records (in Atlanta): General correspondence, 1935-36. Records relating to complaints against state offices, 1934-35. Records of NRA members of code authorities, 1934-35. Personnel records, 1933-36.
Subject Access Terms: Ewing, Samuel E.; Grigsby, John J.; Martin, Reuben J.
9.6.5 Records of Region V (KY, MI, OH, WV)
Textual Records (in Chicago): General correspondence, 1935. General subject files, 1935-36. Records of NRA members of code authorities, 1934-35. Case files, 1935. Case files of the Regional Compliance Council, 1935.
9.6.6 Records of Region VI (IL, IN, MO, WI)
Textual Records (in Chicago): Administrative records, general subject file, and complaint reports, 1935.
9.6.7 Records of Region VII (CO, IA, KS, MN, NE, ND, SD, WY)
Textual Records (in Kansas City, except as noted): General subject file, 1935. General correspondence, 1935. Correspondence with state offices, 1934-35; and with code authorities, 1935. Case files, 1933-35. General records and case files of the Regional Compliance Council, 1935. Docket and complaint control cards, 1935 (in Denver). Colorado city and town index, n.d. (in Denver).
9.6.8 Records of Region VIII (AR, NM, OK, TX)
Textual Records (in Fort Worth): Administrative records, subject files, legal records, and case files, 1935.
9.6.9 Records of Region IX (AZ, CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA)
Textual Records (in San Francisco): Legal records, personnel records, and correspondence, 1935. Regional Compliance Council records, 1935.
9.6.10 Records of the Territorial Office for Puerto Rico
Textual Records (in New York): General records, 1933-36. Records relating to the formulation of codes for Puerto Rican industries, 1933-35. Case files and legal records, 1934-35.
9.6.11 Records of the Territorial Office for Hawaii
Textual Records (in San Francisco): Correspondence, reports, code histories for Hawaiian industries, and other records, 1934-35.
9.6.12 Records of the Territorial Office for Alaska
Textual Records (in Anchorage): Correspondence, reports, and memorandums relating chiefly to the establishment and local application of industrial codes, 1934-35.
9.7 RECORDS OF THE DIVISION OF INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS (DEPARTMENT
OF COMMERCE)
1935-37
History: Established in the Department of Commerce, effective April 1, 1936, by EO 7323, March 21, 1936, to assist the Committee of Industrial Analysis (SEE 9.1) in completing NRA code histories and to compile staff studies for the committee. Terminated for lack of funds, December 31, 1936.
Textual Records: Staff studies, 1936-37. Miscellaneous records, 1935-37.
9.8 RECORDS OF BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
1933-37
9.8.1 Records of the President's Reemployment Agreement Policy Board
Textual Records: Petitions and related records concerning the substitution of provisions of proposed codes for certain paragraphs of the President's reemployment agreement, August- October 1933.
9.8.2 Records of the Labor, Industrial, and Consumers' Advisory
Boards
Textual Records: Memorandums, 1934-35, and subject files, 1933- 35, of the Advisory Council. Records of the Labor Advisory Board, including subject files, 1934-35; correspondence of Chairman Leo Wolman, 1933-34; and office files of board members, 1933-35. General correspondence of the Industrial Advisory Board, 1933-36. Memorandums, 1933-35, and the office file of the special adviser to the Consumers' Advisory Board, 1935.
9.8.3 Records of the Industrial Appeals Board
Textual Records: Correspondence of the executive secretary, 1934- 35. Records relating to cases presented to the board, 1935.
9.8.4 Records of the National Recovery Review Board
Textual Records: Correspondence between the board and nongovernment organizations regarding complaints against codes, the attitude of operators of small businesses toward the NRA, and suggestions for improving relations between the NRA and industry, 1933-34.
Related Records: Record copies of publications of the National Recovery Review Board in RG 287, Publications of the U.S. Government.
9.8.5 Records of the Homework Committee
Textual Records: Correspondence and other records on industrial homework and exceptions to its prohibitions under NRA codes; child labor; and safety standards, 1934-35.
9.8.6 Records of the Apprenticeship Committee
Textual Records: Correspondence of the executive secretary with committee members and others involved in vocational training programs, 1934.
9.8.7 Records of the Automobile Labor Board
Textual Records: Employee complaints of discriminatory practices in discharging and rehiring workers, 1934-35. Records relating to board hearings and decisions, and to representation elections, 1934-35.
9.8.8 Records of the Bituminous Coal Labor Boards
Textual Records: Correspondence, subject files, and case files for three of the five regional boards (Divisions I, North and South; II; and V), ca. 1933-35.
9.8.9 Records of the National Steel Labor Relations Board
Textual Records: Case files, correspondence, and administrative records, 1934-35.
9.8.10 Records of the Cotton Textile National Industrial
Relations Board and the Textile National Industrial Relations
Board
Textual Records: Combined general records and records relating to employee complaints in the textile industry, 1933-34.
9.8.11 Records of the Textile Labor Relations Board
Textual Records: Case files relating to labor disputes in the textile industry, 1933-37.
9.9 RECORDS OF CODE AUTHORITIES
1927-35
History: Each code of fair competition provided for the establishment of a code authority, consisting of individuals selected by members of the participating trade or industry and of one or two nonvoting government representatives. In addition to assisting the NRA in enforcing the particular code for its trade or industry, a code authority collected and disseminated statistical information; encouraged cooperative efforts; and recommended measures for balancing production and demand, stabilizing prices, developing a standard cost-accounting system, eliminating unfair trade practices, and regularizing employment. A total of 757 code authorities functioned during the NRA's lifetime, most of them under the sponsorship of existing trade and industrial organizations.
Textual Records: Files of 18 code authorities and fragmentary records of several others, including the Code Authority for the Artificial Flower and Feather Industry, 1933-35; Fabric Auto Equipment, Mattress Cover, and Quilting Divisions of the Code Authority for the Light Sewing Industry, Except Garments, 1933- 35; Code Authority for the Porcelain Breakfast Furniture Assembling Industry, 1934-35; National Retail Drug Code Authority, 1934; Central Code Authority for the Retail Farm Equipment Trade, 1934-35; Code Authority for the Retail Solid Fuels Industry, 1934-35, including Divisional Code Authorities 7, 21, 23, 26, and 42; Code Authority for the Rock Crusher Industry, 1933-35; National Code Authority for the Trucking Industry, 1934- 35, including records of the American Highway Freight Association, 1932-33, and American Trucking Associations, Inc., 1927-35; Pennsylvania State Code Authority for the Trucking Industry, 1934-35; Retail Lumber and Building Materials Code Authority, consisting of records of the Virginia Lumber and Building Supply Dealers Association, 1933-35; Undergarment and Negligee Code Authority, 1934-35; and Divisional Code Authority for the Upholstery and Decorative Fabrics Trade, 1934-35.
9.10 CARTOGRAPHIC RECORDS (GENERAL)
1933-36
238 items
Maps: Code authority areas, code authority divisions within industries, NRA administrative regions, numbers of employees in each state under NRA codes, trade areas, transportation facilities, individual industries, and industrial productivity, 1933-36.
9.11 MOTION PICTURES (GENERAL)
1933
1 reel
Musical promotion film, The Road Is Open Again, produced by Warner Brothers for the NRA, 1933.
9.12 TEXUAL RECORDS (GENERAL)
1933-36
National Emergency Council (NEC) records accumulated by the NRA's Consumer Division when the former's Consumer Division was transferred to the NRA in July 1935. Economic Section files relate to clothing, lumber, food, and other specific industries and to more general economic activities such as pricing, retail sales, rent and industrial standards. NEC county council files contain correspondence, reports, and membership lists relating to local level council activities. Publications include printed and bound NEC orders and bulletins, as well as journals with articles written by county council members aimed more for the general public.
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.
This Web version is updated from time to time to include records processed since 1995.
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