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Records of the Office of Minerals Exploration [OME]

(Record Group 320)
1951-61

OVERVIEW OF RECORDS LOCATIONS

Table of Contents

• 320.1 ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY
  
• 320.2 RECORDS OF THE REVIEW COMMITTEE, OFFICE OF MINERALS EXPLORATION 1951-61
  

320.1 ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

Established: In the Department of the Interior, effective September 11, 1958, pursuant to Secretary's Order 2834, September 22, 1958, implementing an act of August 21, 1958 (72 Stat. 700).

Predecessor Agencies:

• Defense Materials Procurement Agency (1951-53)
  

In the Department of the Interior:

• Defense Minerals Administration (1950-51)
  
• Defense Minerals Exploration Administration (1951-58)
  

Functions: Administered program for discovery of domestic mineral reserves, excluding organic fuels. Provided federal financial assistance to private industry to encourage such discoveries.

Abolished: Effective July 1, 1965, by Secretary's Order 2886, February 26, 1965, with functions transferred to Geological Survey.

Successor Agencies: Office of Minerals Exploration, Geologic Division, Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, 1965-ca. 1979. Functions decentralized and transferred to applicable Geologic Division regional branches, ca. 1979-89.

Security-Classified Records: This record group may include material that is security-classified.

Related Records: Record copies of publications of the Office of Minerals Exploration in RG 287,
Publications of the U.S. Government.
Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, RG 48.
Records of the U.S. Geological Survey, RG 57.
Records of the Federal Property Resources Service, RG 291.

Subject Access Terms: Korean War agency.

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320.2 RECORDS OF THE REVIEW COMMITTEE, OFFICE OF MINERALS EXPLORATION
1951-61

History: Defense Minerals Administration established in the Department of the Interior by Secretary's Order 2605, December 4, 1950, pursuant to EO 10161, September 9, 1950, under authority of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (64 Stat. 816), September 8, 1950, to expand production and supply of strategic and critical metals and minerals. Independent agency, Defense Materials Procurement Agency (DMPA), established by EO 10281, August 28, 1951, to procure and stimulate production of metals, minerals, and other materials needed for national defense. Defense Minerals Administration functions absorbed by DMPA, which redelegated to the Secretary of the Interior responsibility to encourage the exploration for and development of critical and strategic minerals and metals. Revised responsibilities vested by the Secretary of the Interior in the Defense Minerals Administration, redesignated Defense Minerals Exploration Administration, 1951. DMPA abolished by EO 10480, August 14, 1953, with functions transferred to Emergency Procurement Service (SEE RG 291), General Services Administration. Defense Minerals Exploration Administration superseded by the Office of Minerals Exploration, 1958. SEE 320.1.

Operating Committee, Defense Minerals Exploration Administration, with responsibility for reviewing applications from mining companies for government aid and contracts to explore and mine strategic minerals, held first meeting November 27, 1951. It retained the name Operating Committee under Office of Minerals Exploration through its meeting of April 15, 1960. Redesignated Review Committee effective with meeting of April 22, 1960. Last meeting held December 29, 1961.

Textual Records: Minutes and agendas of meetings of the Review Committee and its predecessor, 1951-61.

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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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