Some of the items on Larry's list are publications and others are
artifacts.  He also generally  mentions papers.  Let me elaborate on
that part, which I take to mean records..

As an historian, I've relied on records both for their artifactual and
informational value in preparing exhibits and writing anniversary
publications.  You need to consider preservation of selected internal
directives and correspondence.  Orders, directives, manuals, and
guidance materials have been especially useful.  An historian needs to
blend certain public and internal documents to tell the story of an
agency's or organization's development to an internal and external
audience.

When I wrote about the 50th anniversary of GAO's headquarters building,
I tried to take readers back into the days of old so they could see what
it was like to work then. :One of my favorite quotations from GAO's old
records comes from John R. McCarl, GAO's first Comptroller General.

"McCarl argued: 'Numbers make for industry. You get your waste time in
a small room where there are three or four girls, or three or four boys,
for that matter. When the supervisor is away they are not over
industrious usually. Those are the places where they read books and do
their knitting.' The Comptroller General pointed out that a 'straw boss'
had to
check in frequently to ensure that the clerks were working."

Here's another description of the GAO of old, which I could not have
used if GAO had not preserved its internal directives:

"Early in his tenure, McCarl strictly controlled the work environment
of his
employees. Bells rang to signal starting and quitting times and the
lunch period.12
According to a 1925 bulletin, the workday began at 9:00 a.m. and ended
at 4:30
p.m., with time for a mid-day meal set for 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The
bulletin
stated that 'clerks and employees will not be permitted to visit each
other or to
receive visits during office hours, except on official business, and
then only with
the knowledge and concurrence of their immediate official superiors.
Frequenting or loitering in the corridors of the buildings will not be
permitted.'
The bulletin warned that the Comptroller General would take 'suitable
action' if
the watchman informed him of employees leaving their buildings before
12:30
p.m. or 4:30 p.m."  .
(Source:  Bulletin No. 6, February 4, 1925, GAO Records)

McCarl relaxed some rules later in his tenure. In 1927, he wrote in
GAO's
annual report that "enthusiasm has been the keynote of service in the
General Accounting Office. The personnel of the office has during the
year been alert, capable, and industrious." In fact, McCarl added that
the improvement in morale was due "to a lessening of control by
restrictive regulations, and a broadening of individual trust and
responsibility."  (Annual Report of the Comptroller General of the
United States for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1927 (Washington: GPO,
1927), 71),

Without the preservation of internal directives, which laid out
regulations, the pasage in the published annual report would not have as
much meaning.  My history paper focused on GAO's buildings but also
sought to describe the environment in which employees worked during in
the past.  Elswhere in the history paper, I was able to draw on a memo
about a meeting in 1950 at which GAO's officials discussed whether to
move into the building before construction was complete, what effect
this would have on work, etc.

In considering exhibits, remember that letters can have artifactual and
informational value.  For an exhibit marking the 90th birthday last year
of Elmer B. Staats, Comptroller General from 1966 to 1981, I was able to
display some wonderful letters that he had received from Presidents
Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, and Nixon, along with notes from Robert
Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, and others.  People enjoyed reading them,
but also enjoyed seeing the autograph signatures and the letterheads
used (LBJ had particularly distinctive stationary, as reflected in a
letter he wrote to Elmer Staats  in 1971)..

Maarja


Maarja Krusten
GAO Historian
Office of Quality and
     Continuous Improvement (QCI)
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>>> [log in to unmask] 4/18/2005 10:55:12 AM >>>
Our organization is a new offshoot of an established company.  We're in
the
oil, gas, and petrochemicals business and were officially purchased
from
another branch of the parent company last October.  Aside from Larry
Medina's suggestions of "historical" records to look for ("Old
newsletters,
newspapers, articles from the public press, awards, papers,
photographs,
phone books, letterhead, logos"), are there any other suggestions?  I
have
several ideas, but would appreciate the input of others.



Jim

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Mullen, Records Management Terminal CSO
Flint Hills Resources
4111 East 37th St. N.
Wichita, KS 67220
(316)828-7489
Fax (316)828-4905
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