National Archives at San Francisco

Guide to Archival Holdings (RG 310-Donated Materials)

Records of the Agricultural Research Service (RG 310)

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: 1936-79
Volume: 125 cubic feet

Records of the Western Regional Research Center, Albany, California, serving Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The records document basic and applied research on new uses and markets for agricultural products, such as apples and other fruits, cereals, seeds, and vegetables, and their by-products, such as juices and oils. Included are cooperative research agreements, correspondence, contract case files, issuances, memorandums, progress reports, and technical reports. Nontextual records consist of a separate series of photographs of construction, experiments, processing equipment, and research projects.

Finding Aids

File plan and alphabetical cross index to central correspondence file.
Index to photographs.

Record Group 313 Records of the Naval Operating Forces (RG 313)

Administrative History

Under Department of the Navy General Order 5, dated May 14, 1959, operating forces were defined as "the several fleets, seagoing forces, sea frontier forces, district forces, Fleet Marine Forces and other assigned Marine Corps forces, the Military Sea Transportation Service, and such shore activities of the Navy and other forces and activities as may be assigned to the Operating Forces of the Navy by the President or the Secretary of the Navy."

The Naval Operating Forces were organized chiefly on a geographical basis into fleets and squadrons until 1922, when the U.S. Fleet became the principal naval force. Another reorganization on February 1, 1941, provided for three main fleets: the Pacific, Atlantic, and Asiatic Fleets. This organization was modified during and after World War II. In 1967, the major commands afloat were the Pacific Fleet, the Atlantic Fleet, the Military Sea Transportation Service, and the Naval Forces, Europe. Since May 1915, the Chief of Naval Operations has been responsible to the Secretary of the Navy for the operation of the fleet and the preparation and readiness of plans for its use in war.

Records Description

Dates: 1921-66
Volume: 1786 cubic feet

Records of the following Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS):

MSTS Pacific and Western Pacific Areas, 1949-1966
MSTS Mid-Pacific Sub-Area, Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, 1949-1954
MSTS Guam, Mariana Islands, 1956
MSTS Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan, 1953-1955
MSTS Kobe, Honshu, Japan, 1953-1957
MSTS Kure, Honshu, Japan, 1952-1955
MSTS Misawa, Honshu, Japan, 1956-1957
MSTS Yokohama, Honshu, Japan, 1954-1958
MSTS Moji, Kyushu, Japan, 1954-1956
MSTS Sasebo, Kyushu, Japan, 1954-1957
MSTS Saigon, South Vietnam, 1954

The records document ocean transportation for personnel and cargo, and mobile logistic support to combat vessels in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Included are correspondence, issuances, organization charts, and reports.

Records of the following Naval Advance Bases (NAB):

NAB 60, Russell Islands, Solomon Islands, 1943-1945
NAB 130, Suva Island, Fiji Islands, 1942-1944
NAB 140, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands, 1943-1946
NAB 145, Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands, 1943-1946
NAB 152, Tulagi Island, Solomon Islands, 1943-1946
NAB 158, Torokina, Bougainville Island, Solomon Islands, 1943-1945
NAB 200, Tongatabu Island, Tonga Islands, 1942-1945
NAB 203, Borabora Island, Society Islands, French Polynesia, 1942-1946
NAB 207, Wallis Island, 1944-1945
NAB 208, Upolu Island, Western Samoa, 1942-1944
NAB 250, 251 and 626, New Georgia Islands, Solomon Islands, 1935-1944
NAB 722, Finschhafen, New Guinea, 1944-1945
NAB 825, Roi Island and Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, 1946
NAB 928, Madang, New Guinea, 1944-1945

The records document the construction and operation of advance points used for the logistical support of combat operations during World War II. Included are correspondence, issuances, war diaries, and reports

Records of the following Naval Bases (NB) and Naval Operating Bases (NOB):

NB 131, Noumea, New Caledonia, 1942-1946
NOB 132, Auckland, New Zealand, 1944-1945
NB 245, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, 1844
NOB/NB 926, Guam, Mariana Islands, 1946-1956
NB 935, Morotai Island, Netherlands East Indies, 1944-1945
NB 1173, Chimu Wan, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, 1945-1946
NOB 1504, Midway Island, Hawaiian Islands, 1942-1950
NOB 3002, Subic Bay, Luzon, Philippines, 1945-1949
NOB 3149, Samar, Philippines, 1945-1947
NB 3150, Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Japan, 1944-1946
NB 3205, Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, 1943-1947
NOB 3245, Tanapag, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, 1944-1948
NOB 3256, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, 1944-1947
NB 3505, Biak Island, Dutch New Guinea, 1944-1946
NB 3964, Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines, 1945

The records document Naval service and support activities such as vessel maintenance, repair, and supply, and the military administration of Guam. Included are correspondence, issuances, and reports.

Records of the following Naval Stations (NS):

NS 129, Tutuila Island, American Samoa, 1921-1951
NS 824, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, 1943-1952
NS 926, Guam, Mariana Islands, 1951-53
NS 961, Sangley Point, Luzon, Philippines, 1947-1959
NS 3002, Subic Bay, Luzon, Philippines, 1950-1958
NS 3080, Midway Island, Hawaiian Islands, 1950-1955

The records relate to the management of physical facilities, real property, and utilities, and to the military government of American Samoa. Included are correspondence, issuances, logs, and reports.

Records of the following Naval Air Stations (NAS), Naval Air Centers (NAC), and Naval Air Facilities (NAF):

NAC 140, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands, 1943-1945
NAF 131, Noumea, New Caledonia, 1943-1945
NAC/NAF 145, Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands, 1943-1945
NAS 309, Palmyra Island, Line Islands, 1939-1947
NAF 807, Ebeye Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, 1944-1947
NAF 825, Roi Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, 1946
NAF 875, Oppama, Honshu, Japan, 1950-1961
NAS 939, Orote, Guam, Mariana Islands, 1945-1949
NAS 943, Agana, Guam, Mariana Islands, 1944-1960
NAS 955, Iwakuni, Honshu, Japan, 1952-1953
NAS 958, Kagman Point, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, 1944-1947
NAS 961, Sangley Point, Luzon, Philippines, 1945-1949
NAF 1175, Naha, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, 1945-1952
NAF 1301, Canton Island, Phoenix Islands, 1943-1946 [now part of Kiribati]
NAS 3220, Emirau Island, St. Matthias Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, 1944-1945
NAS 3245, Tanapag, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, 1946-1950
NAF 3247, Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands, 1946-1947
NAF 3410, Moen Island, Truk Atoll, Caroline Islands, 1943-1947
NAS 3835, Atsugi, Honshu, Japan, 1950-1955

The records document the construction and operation of airfields, maintenance of aircraft, and Naval air operations. Included are correspondence, issuances, logs, war diaries, and reports.

Records of the following Submarine Bases and Submarine Advance Bases:

Submarine Base 128, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 1951-1958
Submarine Base 3002, Subic Bay, Luzon, Philippines, 1944-1947
Submarine Advance Base 3234, Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands, 1940-1945

The records relate to all aspects of operations including bombing targets in enemy-held territory, offensive warfare against enemy shipping, patrol activities, and special tasks such as reconnaissance and landing of supplies and personnel. Included are correspondence, issuances, and reports.

Records of the following U.S. Fleet Activities:

U.S. Naval Activities 3015, Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, 1944-1946
U.S. Fleet Activities 3423, Pusan, South Korea, 1950-1954
U.S. Fleet Activities 3916, Inchon, South Korea, 1951-1954
U.S. Fleet Activities 3923, Yokosuka, Honshu, Japan, 1953-1954

The records document the construction and operation of Naval facilities, Korean War operations and logistics, maintenance and repair of Naval vessels, and harbor defense. Included are correspondence, issuances, and reports.

Records of the following Naval Government Units:

Naval Government Unit, Guam, Mariana Islands, 1946-1950
Naval Military Government Unit, Truk and Central Caroline Islands, 1945-1947
Naval Military Government Unit, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, 1945-1946

The records document the post-World War II occupation and administration of Pacific islands formerly held by the Japanese. Included are correspondence, issuances, and reports. Also included are some vital records, and translations of captured Japanese documents

Records of the following Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG) units:

Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group China (Tsingtao Unit), 1946-1949
Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group Thailand, 1950-1955

The records document the training of foreign officers, and U.S. military assistance to the armed forces of the Republic of China. Included are correspondence, issuances, and reports. Some records are in Chinese.

Records of the Naval Liaison Office, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1944-1946. The records consist of correspondence, relating primarily to lend-lease activities.

Records of the U.S. Naval Mission, Quito, Ecuador, 1943-1953. The records consist of correspondence relating to joint security concerns, military aid, and lend-lease procedures.

Records of the following Naval Port Facilities:

Naval Port Facility 3913, Tsingtao, Shantung Province, China, 1946-1949
Naval Port Facility 3930, Shanghai, China, 1946-1947

The records document general operations and port activities. Included are correspondence and issuances.

Records of the following Naval Cargo Handling Battalions (NCHB):

Naval Cargo Handling Battalion 2, 1952-1958
Naval Cargo Handling Battalion 8, 1951-1954

The records consist of deck logs and correspondence.

Records of Naval Construction Battalion 11, 1957-1958. The records are deck logs.

Records of South Pacific Communications (SOPACCOMS), 1943-1945. The records are microfilmed correspondence relating to Projects "Ultra" and "Pearl".

Records of Antisubmarine Warfare Group 3, 1967-1972. The records consist of correspondence and reports relating to training exercises and general operations.

Records of the USS Douglas A. Murphy (DD-422), 1958-1959. The records are deck logs

Records of the following aviation units:

Air Transport Squadron (VR) 44, Fleet Logistic Air Wing, NAS Moffett Field, California, 1949-1950
Fleet Aircraft Service Squadron (FASRON) 8, NAS Alameda, California, 1951
Patrol Squadron (VP) 144 (later VP-4), 1943-1948

The records document general operations and daily activities. Included are correspondence, issuances, and deck logs.

Records of various aviation operating commands, Pacific Theater, 1943-53. The records are selected command histories, war diaries, and action reports.

Finding Aids

Navy Filing Manual (1925, 1941, 1950, and 1959 editions).
List of accessions.

Restrictions

Access to some files or portions of documents may be restricted due to national security classification and/or privacy concerns.

Records of Interagency Committees and Councils Coordinating Water Use Programs (RG 315)

Administrative History

The Federal Interagency River Basin Committee was created by an agreement of December 29, 1943, between the Federal Power Commission and the War Department, and Departments of Agriculture and the Interior. Membership was later extended to the Departments of Commerce, Labor, and Health, Education, and Welfare. Committee objectives were the exchange of information on activities involving water use and control, cooperation in the preparation of reports on multiple-purpose projects, and correlation of project results. The Committee also coordinated interagency projects and programs. The agreement was its sole charter, and it remained a voluntary unit. In 1954, the President abolished the Committee and created as its successor the Interagency Committee on Water Resources.

Records Description

Dates: 1938-72
Volume: 14 cubic feet

Records of the following committees:

Columbia Basin Interagency Committee, 1938-70, covering the Columbia River Basin and involving agencies serving Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming;
Pacific Southwest Interagency Committee, 1948-72, covering California, the Colorado River Basin, and the Great Basin, and involving agencies serving Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming.

The records document the coordination of activities of Federal and State agencies involved in the control and development of water resources in large river basins. Topics covered include defense production facilities, economic studies, fisheries, flood control, hydrology, irrigation, labor force trends, mineral exploration, pollution control, power resources, recreation facilities, sedimentation, soil conservation, and water costs. Included are agendas, correspondence, memorandums, minutes of meetings, and published reports. Nontextual records include maps interfiled with textual records.

Finding Aid

Series descriptions.

Records of the Army Staff (RG 319)

Administrative History

The Army Staff, dating from 1947, is the military staff of the Secretary of the Army and includes the Chief of Staff and his immediate assistants, the Army General Staff, the Special Staff, and the Administrative and Technical Staffs. Its duties include preparing plans, investigating and reporting on Army efficiency and readiness, preparing instructions for and supervising Army operations, and representing the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff to all Department of Defense organizations. It is also responsible for administrative support such as financial services.

The Chief of Finance, part of various subdivisions of the Army Staff, has operated field offices including finance officers and schools.

Records Description

Dates: 1946-48
Volume: less than 1 cubic foot

Records of the Regional Office, Army Audit Agency, Fort Mason, San Francisco, serving Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The office audited Alaskan communication accounts, cemetery accounts within the Sixth Army area, civilian payrolls, and military property and sales accounts. The records relate to administrative and organizational matters, general audit information, and standard procedures. They consist of issuances.

Finding Aid

Series title list.

Records of the Atomic Energy Commission (RG 326)

Administrative History

The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was established in 1946 to control the development and use of atomic energy, including the encouragement of private participation in research and practical uses of atomic energy. The AEC had responsibility to regulate the use of nuclear materials to protect the health and safety of the public. It was concerned with fissionable material supply, development of reactors, development and testing of nuclear weapons, basic and applied research, dissemination of information relating to atomic energy, and development and administration of international cooperation for peaceful uses of atomic energy. The AEC was discontinued on October 11, 1974, and was replaced by two new agencies: the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA, RG 430) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, RG 431). The functions of ERDA were later incorporated into the Department of Energy (RG 434) when that Department was created in 1977.

Records Description

Dates: 1923-76
Volume: 633 cubic feet

Records of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, 1923-76. This nuclear physics/chemistry/biology research laboratory, known as the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory until 1966, was established at the University of California, Berkeley, under Ernest O. Lawrence in August 1931. The laboratory has been associated with the Federal Government since 1941. The records relate to research projects, including meson detection experiments, the Bevatron anti-proton study, and radiation protection research; design, construction, and operation of nuclear physics research equipment, including the 60-inch Cyclotron, the 300 MEV Synchrotron, and the 88-inch Cyclotron; project planning and design; laboratory and scientific conferences; and laboratory administration. Included are records of research groups, such as the High Energy Accelerator Study Group, the Gardener/Barkas research group, and the Trilling-Goldhaber research group; individual scientists, such as Burton Jones Moyer and Wendell M. Latimer; and physicist and director Edwin McMillan. The records consist of correspondence, logbooks, newspaper clippings, notes, project proposals, publications, and reports. Nontextual records include separate series of photographs of buildings, conferences, construction, equipment, scientists, and visitors; architectural and engineering drawings of buildings and research equipment; and sound recordings of prominent laboratory officials and scientists, including Edwin McMillan, Luis Alvarez, Emilio Segre, and Donald Cooksey. Additional photographs and technical drawings are interfiled with textual records. See also RG 434.

Records of the Operations Office, San Francisco, 1957-65. The records relate to nuclear reactor research and development, including the 28-Pluto program involving the development of nuclear-powered aircraft, and the 29-SNAP (Subsystems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power) program. The records consist of correspondence, charts, data sheets, graphs, memorandums, project proposals, reports, and specifications. Nontextual records consist of photographs interfiled with textual records.

Finding Aids

Draft inventory.
Selected box/folder/item lists.

Restrictions

Access to some files or portions of documents may be restricted due to privacy concerns.

Records of the Office of the Chief of Transportation (RG 336)

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, 64. 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: 1940-63
Volume: 16 cubic feet

Records of the following sites:

Army Port, Honolulu, Hawaii;
District Transportation Office, San Francisco, California;
Holding and Reconsignment Point, Lathrop, California;
Port of Embarkation, San Francisco, California.

The records document administrative matters, daily operations, and transportation of materials and personnel. Included are issuances, memorandums, minutes of conferences, and reports. Nontextual records consist of maps of the San Francisco Bay Area and photographs of the San Francisco Military Travel Bureau interfiled with textual records.

Finding Aid

Series title list.

Records of U.S. Army Commands, 1942- (RG 338)

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: 1942-81
Volume: 69 cubic feet

Records of the Presidio of San Francisco, 1945-81. The records relate to use of the buildings and site, land issues, and acquisition of Presidio lands by city, State, and private parties. Included are clippings, correspondence, memorandums, and reports. Nontextual records consist of photographs interfiled with textual records.

Records of the following hospitals:

Hayes Army Hospital, Fort Ord, California, 1953-64;
Letterman General Hospital, Presidio of San Francisco, California, 1947-66;
Tripler General Hospital, Moanalua, Hawaii, 1951-64.

The records document activities, administration, operations, and procedures. Included are correspondence, hospital newspapers, medical research papers, orders, procedures, and reports. See RG 112 for related records.

Records of the following facilities and activities:

6th Region, Air Defense Command, Fort Baker, Sausalito, California, 1955-66;
33rd Medical Depot, Lathrop, California, 1959-61;
216th Signal Depot, Sacramento, California, 1960-64;
305th Logistical Command, USAR (U.S. Army Reserve),Presidio of San Francisco, 1956-57;
311th Logistical Command, Los Angeles, 1951-63;
368th Transportation Port Command, Los Angeles, California, 1954-60;
6314th Logistical Command, USAR, Los Angeles, California, 1960;
6319th Logistical Command, USAR, Riverside, California, 1960-61;
6383rd Logistical Command, ORC (Organized Reserve Corps),Vallejo, California, 1950-52;
7624th Transportation Unit Training Activity, Oakland, California, 1959-62;
Alameda Medical Depot, Alameda, California, 1954-55;
Army Aviation Command, Fort Ord, California, 1963-64;
Hawaii Army Base Command, San Francisco, California, APO 958, 1952-57;
Headquarters, Post of Fort Mason, San Francisco, California, 1942-48;
Regional Dental Activity, Alameda, California, 1963-64;
Rio Vista Marine Storage Activity, Rio Vista, California, 1953-64;
Sacramento Depot, Sacramento, California, 1950-66;
San Francisco Port of Embarkation, Fort Mason, San Francisco, California, 1955;
San Francisco Procurement Agency, Oakland, California, 1923-72;
Sharpe Depot, Lathrop, California, 1950-65;
Sierra Depot, Herlong, California, 1943-67;
Transportation Terminal Command, Pacific, Fort Mason, San Francisco, California, 1955-62;
USARPAC Chemical Depot, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, 1954-55;
USARPAC Ordnance Depot, Fort Shafter, Hawaii, 1950-55;
USARPAC Quartermaster Depot, Kapalama Basin, Oahu, Hawaii, 1951-55;
USARPAC Signal Depot, Fort Shafter, Hawaii, 1950-55;
Western Area Military Traffic Management Command, Oakland, California, 1972.

The records document the command and organizational structure, and activities at each facility and generally include memorandums, orders, organization charts, procedures, and regulations.

Records of the following U.S. Army Advisor Groups:

California, 1955-69;
Hawaii, 1957-60;
Nevada, 1956-62.

The records document supervisory activities for Army Reserve units and are primarily orders.

Records of assembly centers operated by the Wartime Civil Control Administration and the Western Defense Command, ca. 1942-ca. 1946, as follows:

Cave Creek, Arizona;
Fresno, California;
Hotel Whitcomb (headquarters), San Francisco, California;
Manzanar, California;
Marysville, California;
Mayer, California;
Merced, California;
Pinedale, California;
Pomona, California;
Portland, Oregon;
Puyallup, Washington;
Sacramento, California;
Salinas, California;
Stockton, California;
Tanforan, California;
Toppenish, Washington;
Tulare, California;
Turlock, California.

The records relate to the evacuation of Japanese Americans from their Pacific coast homes during World War II in preparation for their transfer to internment camps operated by the War Relocation Authority. They include information about individual evacuees, assembly center activities and management, and administrative and personnel matters. Included are correspondence, family ledgers, hospital forms, property issues and receipts, social data registration forms, and documents of departure from the center. The records are on microfilm.

Finding Aids

Draft inventory.
War Department Decimal File System (file manual), 1943.
Assembly centers: index to microfilm by location of center.

Records of the Maritime Administration (RG 357)

Administrative History

The Maritime Administration was established in 1950 as one of the successor agencies to the U.S. Maritime Commission (see RG 178). It administers financial programs to develop, promote, and operate the U.S. merchant marine; determines services and routes necessary to develop and maintain American foreign commerce and requirements of ships necessary to provide adequate service on such routes; conducts research and development activities in the maritime field; regulates the transfer of U.S. documented vessels to foreign registry; maintains equipment, shipyard facilities, and reserve fleets of Government-owned ships essential for national defense; operates the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York; and administers a grant-in-aid program for State-operated maritime academies in California, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Texas. The Maritime Administrator is vested with the residual powers of the Director of the National Shipping Authority, a position that was established in 1951 in the Administration to organize and direct emergency merchant marine operations.

Records Description

Dates: 1945-69
Volume: 2 cubic feet

Records of the Pacific Coast District, San Francisco. The records relate to programs and policies for Pacific Coast ports; personnel and administration; entrances and clearances at ports in Eureka, San Francisco, and Stockton, California; and fuel and cargo information for San Francisco ports. Included are applications and permits, bulletins and other issuances, and statistical reports.

Finding Aids

Series title list.

Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service (RG 368)

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: 1956-77
Volume: 7 cubic feet

Records of the Pacific Southwest Regional Office, San Francisco. The records relate to activities of the Recreation Subcommittee of the Pacific Southwest Interagency Committee, and to policies and procedures for managing grants aimed at recreation and conservation planning. Included are correspondence; memorandums; meeting agendas, minutes, and notices; reports; and statements.

Finding Aids

Draft inventory.
Folder lists.

Records of the Employment and Training Administration (RG 369)

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: 1978-79
Volume: 4 cubic feet

Records of Region 9, San Francisco, serving Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, and Nevada. The records relate to data requirements and reporting procedures for reports submitted by State agencies, activities of State employment service and unemployment insurance agencies, and information management. Included are correspondence, memorandums, and narrative and statistical reports.

Finding Aids

Series descriptions.

Records of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (RG 370)

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: 1962-73
Volume: 39 cubic feet

Records of the National Weather Service, Pacific Region Office, Honolulu, 1962-72, serving the Hawaiian Islands, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Wake Island, and other islands with reporting stations. The records document weather forecasting and data collection programs, development of meteorological equipment, climatological programs, meteorological research projects, cooperative programs, professional meetings and conferences, establishment of new reporting stations, and activities at the Mauna Loa Observatory. Included are correspondence, memorandums, and reports.

Records of the Earthquake Mechanism Laboratory, San Francisco, 1964-73. The records relate to monitoring seismic signals, reviewing proposals and papers, planning work programs, and administering programs. Included are letters, memorandums, program proposals, and scientific papers. Nontextual records consist of seismograms recorded on the Aleutian Islands.

Finding Aids

Descriptions and box contents lists for some series.

Records of the Community Services Administration (RG 381)

Administrative History

The Community Services Administration (CSA), 1976-81, 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 Development. 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: 1967-81
Volume: 7 cubic feet

Records of Region 9, San Francisco, serving Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam. Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, the Trust Territory, and Washington. The records document the Management and Financial Services Branch; Office of Human Rights; the Community Action Program (CAP); the Community Management Improvement Program in Fresno and Los Angeles Counties, California, and King County, Washington; the Economic Youth Opportunities Agency; and Head Start. They relate to monitoring, auditing, and maintaining files for OEO programs; civil rights; eligibility for specific programs; liaison with State and local agencies; management; mobilization of resources; operations; and planning. Included are correspondence, memorandums, narrative reports, and press announcements. Nontextual records include charts and graphs interfiled with textual records.

Finding Aid

Draft inventory.

Records of the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Districts and Defenses, 1901-1942 (RG 392)

Administrative History

In 1901, the Artillery Corps was divided into field artillery batteries and coast artillery companies under newly created artillery districts. Each district consisted of harbor defense forts, with accompanying minefields and land defenses. In 1913, the coast artillery districts were redesignated coast defense commands.

Records Description

Dates: 1901-42
Volume: 85 cubic feet

Records of the following districts:

Pacific Coast Artillery District, Fort Miley, San Francisco, California, 1912-20. From 1913 to 1917 this district was designated the Pacific Coast Artillery District, covering the Pacific coast; from 1917 to 1920, it was known as the South Pacific Coast Artillery District, with jurisdiction over the Coast Defenses of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
Ninth Coast Artillery District, Presidio of San Francisco, 1937-38. In 1920, the South Pacific Coast Artillery District assumed the name of the corps area to which it reported.

The records relate to artillery efficiency; coast artillery instruction, drill, and practice; procurement of coast artillery supplies and accessories; and administrative matters. Included are correspondence, orders, reports, and returns. Nontextual records consist of diagrams relating to target practice interfiled with textual records.

Records of the following coast or harbor defense commands:

Harbor Defenses of Honolulu, Fort Ruger, 1912-39;
Coast Defenses of Oahu, Fort Kamehameha, 1913-19;
Harbor Defenses of Pearl Harbor, Fort Kamehameha, 1909-41;
Harbor Defenses of San Francisco, Fort Winfield Scott, 1901-42, including records of the artillery engineer, ordnance officer, and quartermaster.

The records document the daily operations of the coastal defenses. Included are correspondence, issuances, diaries, registers, and battery emplacement books for Fort Kamehameha, Hawaii, and Forts Baker, Barry, Miley and Winfield Scott in California. Nontextual records consist of diagrams relating to target practice interfiled with textual records.

Finding Aids

For the Pacific Coast Artillery District: name and subject index to general correspondence, 1913-18.
For Harbor Defenses of San Francisco: name and subject index to general correspondence, 1915-18.
Entries 20-25, 25A, 32, 135-137, 230-236, 318-348, 324A, and 327A in Sarah D. Powell, comp., Preliminary Inventory of the Textual Records of United States Army Coast Artillery Districts and Defenses, 1901-1942, NM 88 (1967).

Records of U.S. Army Contintental Commands, 1821-1920 (RG 393)

Administrative History

Continental field commands and installations of the Army, with the exception of mobile units of the Regular Army, were organized into geographical divisions and departments from 1821 to 1920. A War Department general order of May 17, 1821, divided the United States into two geographical Army commands, designated the Eastern and Western Departments. Between 1821 and 1920, there were numerous changes in the names and areas covered by the various commands as well as increases in the number of commands due to westward expansion. Sometimes the United States was divided into departments only; at other times it was divided into military divisions that were subdivided into departments. Occasionally there was a combination of both systems, with some departments under divisions and others independent.

Each department had control over a number of posts, camps, stations, forts, and the units of the Regular Army operating within the command. During the Civil War, departments functioned virtually as armies and military divisions had control over armies, army corps, railroad defenses, and various other fighting units. In 1920, the division and department pattern was replaced by an organization that divided the continental United States into nine corps areas.

Records Description

Dates: 1862-1918
Volume: less than 1 cubic foot

Records of the Presidio of San Francisco. The records relate to administrative matters, equipment, fortifications in the San Francisco Bay area, personnel, and supplies. Included are accounting forms, bulletins, letters, and qualification record forms of recruits.

Finding Aid

Folder title list.

Related Microfilm Publications

M210, Records of the Tenth Military Department, 1846-1851; T912, Brief Histories of U.S. Army Commands (Army Posts) and Descriptions of Their Records.

Records of the Federal Highway Administration (RG 406)

Administrative History

The Department of Transportation Act of 1966 established the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) and transferred to it the Bureau of Public Roads (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: 1920-92
Volume: 293 cubic feet

Records of Federal aid projects for:

Arizona, 1933-86;
California, 1920-72;
Hawaii, 1945-72;
Nevada, 1926-67.

The records document construction, improvement, and preservation of interstate highways and primary and secondary roads. The records are project case files, created by the Bureau of Public Roads (see RG 30), which typically include agreements, correspondence, inspection reports, project status records, route reports, and vouchers. Nontextual records include photographs and route maps interfiled with textual records.

Records of the California Division, Sacramento, 1959-86 and the Nevada Division, Carson City, 1973-84. The records relate to interstate highway and interchange projects. Included are highway status reports and interchange project case files, which typically include memorandums and project justification sheets. Nontextual records consist of strip maps filed with the interchange case files, and separate series of right-of-way and strip maps.

Records of the Region IX office, San Francisco. The records concern planning processes of State highway agencies in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada; environmental aspects of and public involvement in project planning, safety and other highway programs, and transportation across San Francisco Bay as proposed in the Reber Plan. Included are correspondence, environmental impact statements, memorandums, printed materials, project proposals, and reports.

Finding Aids

Descriptions and box contents lists for some series.

Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917- (RG 407)

Administrative History

The Adjutant General's Office was given authority to assign, promote, transfer, retire, and discharge all Army officers and enlisted men under the National Defense Act of 1916. In 1942, it was placed under the Commanding General, Services of Supply (later Army Service Forces). It has responsibility for administrative services including records accounting, management, and publications. The Office's responsibilities were transferred in 1946 to the General Staff, and in 1947 to the new Department of the Army, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel. By memorandum, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, November 17, 1986, the Adjutant General was removed from the Army Staff, and title and lineage were transferred to the Director of Personnel Service Support, Military Personnel Center.

The AGO had responsibility for such administrative services as operation of the Army personnel statistical and accounting system, records management, publications, postal services, and special and heraldic services of the Army. The field offices of the AGO within the United States include publication centers.

Records Description

Dates: 1946-48
Volume: less than 1 cubic foot

Records of the San Francisco AG Regional Records Office, Oakland Army Base, Oakland, 1946-48. The records relate to administrative and records management activities. Included are records of the Ogden AG Regional Records Office in Utah prior to its redesignation and relocation to San Francisco in May 1947. The records consist of memorandums and monthly reports.

Finding Aids

Series title list.

Records of the General Accounting Office (RG 411)

Administrative History

The General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, is charged with examining all matters relating to the receipt and disbursement of public funds. Since its establishment by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 (31 U.S.C. 702) to independently audit Government agencies, Congress has expanded GAO's audit authority and added new duties. In addition to performing audits and evaluations of Government programs and activities, GAO advises Federal agencies on fiscal policies and provides advice to Congress on legal issues involving Government programs. GAO staffs 14 field offices in the continental United States and two international offices for Europe (Frankfurt, Germany) and the Far East (Honolulu, Hawaii).

Records Description

Dates: 1962-74
Volume: 20 cubic feet

Records of the regional office, San Francisco. The records document national and regional investigations and consist of case files including correspondence, draft reports, memorandums, and working papers.

Records of the Environmental Protection Agency (RG 412)

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, 70. 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: 1963-87
Volume: 75 cubic feet

Records of Region IX, San Francisco, 1963-87, serving Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada. The records relate to enforcement of environmental laws and assessment of penalties for violations, granting of permits, preparation of environmental impact statements, planning for environmental emergencies, air and water quality activities of State and local agencies, the Western Federal Regional Council, and other program activities. Subjects covered include the impact of run-off from Hawaiian sugar processing plants; the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill; Lake Tahoe water quality; and pollution by watercraft. The records consist of correspondence, newspaper clippings, notes, publications, reports, and adjudicatory hearing case files, which typically contain correspondence and legal papers. Nontextual records consist of a separate series of photographs of the Santa Barbara oil spill; other photographs and maps are interfiled with textual records.

Records of public hearings, 1971-82. The records document hearings held for public comment, typically on EPA draft environmental impact statements and reports related to actions of State and local agencies. For example, there are hearings on the East Marin-South Sonoma, California, wastewater management plan; the Reno-Sparks, Nevada, joint water pollution control plant; and the Kahe, Hawaii, power plant. The records are case files, which may include applications for permits, environmental impact statements, exhibits, publications, reports, statements, and transcripts of testimony.

Finding Aids

Descriptions for some series.
Series title list.

General Records of the Department of Energy (RG 434)

Administrative History

The Department of Energy (DOE) was created by an act of August 4, 1977, that consolidated the major Federal energy programs into one Cabinet-level agency. Among the functions transferred to DOE were those of the Alaska, Bonneville, and other regional power administrations. The DOE provides a framework for a comprehensive national energy plan through coordination and administration of research and regulatory programs in the Federal Government.

Records Description

Dates: 1915-95
Volume: 321 cubic feet

Records of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley. The records relate to nuclear research, including the Time Projection chamber project; laboratory equipment, such as the 184-inch cyclotron; project planning and design; and administrative matters. Included are records of LBL Director Edwin McMillan, biochemist and Chemical Biodynamics Laboratory Director Melvin Calvin, and physicist Luis Alvarez; records of the Scientific and Educational Advisory Committee; and records relating to the establishment of Los Alamos National Laboratory. The records consist of articles, correspondence, logs, and other calendars, publications, and notebooks. Nontextual records include separate series of photographs of laboratory buildings, equipment, scientists, research projects, and other activities; and mechanical engineering drawings of the 184-inch cyclotron. Additional photographs are interfiled with textual records. See RG 326 for related records.

Records of the Radiobiology Laboratory, San Francisco, 1951-95. The records relate to nuclear medical research and cellular genetics. Included are data forms, guidelines, notebooks, and publications. Nontextual records consist of photographs of genetic material.

Finding Aids

Draft inventory.
Selected box/folder/item lists..

Restrictions

Access to some files or portions of documents may be restricted due to privacy concerns.

Records of the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (RG 452)

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: 1973-76
Volume: 7 cubic feet

Records of the regional office, San Francisco, serving Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada. The records document community programs and projects, grants, public relations, regional meetings, and liaison with State and local bicentennial commissions and private groups. Included are correspondence and printed matter.

Finding Aids

Draft inventory.

Records of the Indian Health Service (RG 513)

Administrative History

The Indian Health Service administers Federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Responsibility for the health of Native Americans who had submitted to Federal authority and become wards of the United States was initially vested in the Office of Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior, redesignated the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1947. Health services were administered locally through most of this period.

On July 1, 1955, the responsibility for Native American health care was formally transferred to the Public Health Service in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The Public Health Service had been operating on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs since 1926. The Division of Indian Health, a component of the Public Health Service, was redesignated as the Indian Health Service in 1968. When the Department of Health and Human Services was created in 1979, the Indian Health Service was transferred as part of the Public Health Service to the new department. The Indian Health Service achieved operating division status within the department in 1995.

Records Description

Dates: 1962-97
Volume: 18 cubic feet

Records of the Division of Sanitation Facilities Construction, California Area Office, Sacramento. The records document construction projects providing domestic water and wastewater disposal facilities to Native American homes in California. They consist of final reports, which include engineering reports, memorandums of agreement, narrative and tabular summaries of work, project proposals and summaries, and transfer documents. Nontextual records consist of interfiled drawings, maps, and photographs.

Finding Aids

Draft inventory

Records of the United States Marshals Service (RG 527)

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. , U.S. commissioners or magistrates, and commissions. They also notify the Department of Justice of defiance of Federal authority.

Records Description

Dates: 1874-1919
Volume: 54 cubic feet

Records of the Northern District of California, San Francisco. The records relate to Chinese immigration and exclusion act cases, illegal hydraulic mining, service of subpoenas, treatment of prisoners, World War I enemy aliens, and other subjects. Included are correspondence, issuances, and telegrams.

Finding Aids

Draft inventory (1996).
Box contents lists.

Donated Materials Groups

Papers of D.W. Cheesman

Records Description

Dates: 1861-1870
Volume: less than 1 cubic foot

Papers of D.W. Cheesman, 1861-1870, Assistant Treasurer of the U.S. and Treasurer of the U.S. Mint, San Francisco, 1861-1868. The records relate to personal matters, family concerns, the 1860 Republican presidential nomination convention, and Cheesman's position at the U.S. Mint. Included are calendars, correspondence, memoirs, and a press copy book (some have been microfilmed).

Finding Aid

Series title list.

Papers of John A. Miller Concerning the Port Chicago Naval Ammunition Depot

Records Description

Dates: 1944-67
Volume: less than 1 cubic foot

Report of John A. Miller documenting actions taken from July 17-25, 1944, following the explosion at the Port Chicago Naval Ammunition Depot. Included are a 1944 report and a 1967 supplement.

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