Connecticut Governor records

Series 1. Executive Clerk, 1820-1989, 64 cubic feet. This series contains Executive Blotters, Executive Journal and Appointment Files. The Executive Blotter, also called the Executive Clerk's Journal, is an informal diary of the Governor's activities, including appointment notes, actions on General Assembly acts and resolutions, copies of correspondence, messages, and proclamations, with mounted copies of letters, documents, etc. The Blotters are volumes arranged chronologically. The Executive Journal is a more formal version of the Blotter. The volumes are arranged chronologically and each contains an index. Also present are files of clerk William F. Siering, Jr. consisting of Appointment Files, Legislative and Elections Files including receipts for bill transmittals, Special Elections, and General Assembly Bills.

Series 2. Unused.

Series 3. Proclamations, 1630-1991, 11 cubic feet. Printed copies of proclamations and official statements arranged chronologically. Proclamations from 1630 to 1973 are bound in volumes and from 1973 to 1993 are loose sheets in boxes. Each box contains a contents list. Drafts of proclamations 1851, c. 1871 and duplicated printed copies 1871-1932 are among the records of the Secretary of the State, RG006. Also note that both the State Archives and the Government Information Services unit of the State Library attempt to acquire proclamations and official statements from the Office of the Governor. The two collections may duplicate each other or fill in gaps.

Series 4. Correspondence, 1811-1933, 36 cubic feet. This series includes Incoming Letters, 1811-1933, Outgoing Letters, and Military correspondence. The character and content of the incoming letters vary greatly over the 123 years, as the authority and concerns of the Governors grew and changed. For the earlier years, to about 1860, most letters have to do with the appointment or resignation of minor officials, the management of the state militia, and the administration of the state hospitals, mental institutions and prisons. For the Civil War period, military affairs are dominant and the volume of letters is dramatically greater; the more significant military letters, however, are filed separately. After the Civil War, the bulk of the materials again pertain to appointments and to the management of state mental hospitals. Beginning in 1911, the most significant materials appear in the official records of the Governors, while letters in this series up to 1933 are considered to be "miscellaneous letters."

The incoming letters are arranged chronologically for the most part, though occasionally small groups by subject are found and there is a small quantity of miscellaneous and unfiled material at the end, consisting mostly of requisitions by governors of other states for the arrest of fugitives thought to be in Connecticut. The series contains a few drafts or copies of outgoing letters and some of the incoming letters carry endorsements indicating the nature of the reply. Although there is no index, or calendar, there is a listing of letters that fall outside of routine business of appointments, reports, or management of state business. These appear in a calendar that follows the detailed listing of this record series.

Outgoing letters, 1863-1911, 1925 consist of letterpress copies in bound volumes for Governors William A. Buckingham to Lorrin A. Cooke. Each volume contains an index by correspondent. There are also carbon copies of letters written by Governors Rollin S. Woodruff, George L. Lilley, and Frank B. Weeks. These letters are in roughly chronological order. Also, there is a letter from Hiram Bingham to Charles Hopkins Clark of the Hartford Courant.

Military correspondence, 1833-1889, consists of letters, mostly incoming, and some related papers from the Governor's office pertaining to military matters. The bulk of the material comes from the administration of Gov. William Buckingham during the Civil War. Included is U.S. Government general correspondence; War Department correspondence, including Adjutant General, Provost Marshall, and Quartermaster General; State Adjutant General; State Commissary General; State Agents. Also included are Muster Rolls of the Governor's Foot Guards, 1881-1889 and Applications for Admission to Military Hospitals, 1873-1882.

Series 5. Bond Registers, 1819-1899, 0.5 cubic feet. Transcripts of bonds executed by sheriffs and other officials.

Series 6. Applications, 1848-1880, 2 cubic feet. Letters of application for offices and promotions. Some pertain to surgeons and chaplains in the military during the Civil War. Most pertain to appointments as Commissioner of Deeds for Connecticut in other states.

Series 7. Miscellaneous Reports, 1850-1945, 2.5 cubic feet. Reports received by the Governor from various officials and agencies. Subjects included are elections, General Assembly actions, pardons, reprieves, and commitments to hospitals and asylums. Arrangement is roughly chronological.

Series 8. Unused.

Series 9. Unused.

Series 10. Commitment Papers, 1828-1948, 33 cubic feet. Primarily commitment forms concerning the examination and admission of "deaf, dumb and blind, disabled and insane" persons to state institutions.

Series 11. Appointment Registers, 1871-1978, 2.5 cubic feet. Permanent and temporary boards and commissions. Arranged alphabetically by entity.

Series 12. Commissioner of Deeds, 1879-1959, 1 vol. Records of Connecticut residents in other states.

Series 13. Office of the Lieutenant Governor, 1991-2022, 103 cubic feet.

Eunice Groark [1991-1995], Correspondence, 1991-1994, 3 cubic feet

M. Jodi Rell [1995-2004], Records, circa 1995-2004, 7 cubic feet

Michael Fedele [2007-2011], Records, 2007-2010, 16 cubic feet

Nancy Wyman [2011-2019], Records, 2011-2018, 73 cubic feet

Susan Bysiewicz [2019-present], Records, 1975-2022, 4 cubic feet

Series 14. Requisitions and Waivers of Extradition, 1921-1993, 84.5 cubic feet. Includes both incoming and outgoing requests for extradition.

Series 15 - 19. Unused.

Subgroups 20 - 41. Official Papers of the Governors, 1909-2018.

The Official Papers of the Governors are arranged chronologically by administration. Governors served two-year terms until John Lodge (1951-1955) became the first Governor elected to a four-year term. From 1911 to 1925, papers were grouped by subject or name of correspondent and filed in numerical folders, with alphabetical card indexes. From John H. Trumbull (1925-1931) to John Lodge, most papers were filed alphabetically by subject. No researcher can investigate topics pertaining to Connecticut in the twentieth century without consulting the subject files, which often contain invaluable reports, constituency mail, and internal state memos and other communications.

In addition to these Subject Files, "Miscellaneous" or relatively unimportant correspondence was filed alphabetically by name of correspondent in a Correspondence series. Raymond C. Baldwin was the first Governor to hire a press agent. The Subject Files for his second administration (1943-1946) contain addresses, remarks, and speeches. The records of Governors James L. McConaughy and James C. Shannon (1947-1949) include Boards and Commissions Files and the records of John Lodge include State Agency Files. Beginning with Abraham Ribicoff (1955-1961) a greater variety of records begin to appear and the quantity generated by each Governor has expanded exponentially beginning in the 1960s with John Dempsey. Researchers should be aware that container lists can cover a hundred pages or more and are often broken into overlapping parts.

For the most part, photographs that came from the Governor's Office remain with the subject files. Itemized listings exist for Governors Dempsey, Meskill, Grasso, and most of O'Neill, but researchers should expect to find photographs scattered throughout the subject files. Researchers should also consult Picture Group 500 through the pictorial Archives Portrait index and other picture groups that pertain to state officials and groups and photographs of ceremonies. Please note that a photograph collection in RG69:10, Papers of Raymond E. Baldwin, Jr. consist largely of images taken while he was governor. See also the Portrait Index to published books in the History and Genealogy unit.

The Office of the Governor includes more than the Governor himself. Other offices serve the Governor directly and have records in the collection. Transfer to the State Archives, however, depended on the cooperation of individuals within the office. The collection is arranged by creating office, when known. Researchers should consult the finding aid for a particular Governor to see the records available. Researchers may need to consult a number of files to ensure locating the complete documentation about a topic. Files may carry over into the next administration especially if the new governor held a position with the former governor. This was the case with John Dempsey, who served as Executive Secretary to Abraham Ribicoff.

Subgroup 20. Frank B. Weeks, 1909-1911, 1.75 cubic feet. Incoming and outgoing correspondence.

Subgroup 21. Simeon A. Baldwin, 1911-1915, 11.75 cubic feet. Numerical files, alphabetical card index and unarranged appointment correspondence.

Subgroup 22. Marcus H. Holcomb, 1915-1921, 20.5 cubic feet. Numerical files with alphabetical card indices and bound volumes of correspondence concerning special session of the General Assembly to ratify the 19th amendment.

Subgroup 23. Everett J. Lake, 1921-1923, 7 cubic feet. Numerical files with alphabetical card indices and "personal file" of correspondence concerning personnel and political matters.

Subgroup 24. Charles A. Templeton, 1923-1925, 6.5 cubic feet. Numerical files with alphabetical card index.

Subgroup 25. John H. Trumbull, 1925-1931, 29.5 cubic feet. Chronological subject files.

Subgroup 26. Wilbur L. Cross, 1931-1939, 53.25 cubic feet. Correspondence, Chronological subject files and appointments to office. See separate container list.

Subgroup 27. Raymond E. Baldwin, 1939-1941, 19.25 cubic feet. Correspondence and subject files.

Subgroup 28. Robert A. Hurley, 1941-1943, 7.75 cubic feet. Correspondence, subject files and materials related to charges files against

Subgroup 29. Raymond E. Baldwin, 1943-1946, 44.25 cubic feet. Correspondence, subject files and miscellaneous unfiled materials.

Charles Wilbert Snow, 1946. Served for thirteen days following Gov. Baldwin's resignation on Dec. 27, 1946. It appears that no separate files exist.

Subgroup 30. James L. McConaughy, 1947-1948, 21 cubic feet. Correspondence, subject files, Report file of state agency, board and commission annual reports to the Governor, and appointment correspondence for boards and commissions. Intermixed the files of Gov. Shannon below.

James C. Shannon, 1948-1949, 21 cubic feet. Correspondence, subject files, Report file of state agency, board and commission annual reports to the Governor, and appointment correspondence for boards and commissions. Intermixed the files of Gov. McConaughy above.

Subgroup 31. Chester Bowles, 1949-1951, 5 cubic feet. Subject files. Boxes 528-532

Subgroup 32. John Lodge, 1951-1955, 58 cubic feet. Correspondence, subject files, state agency files and Governor's Conference Papers. 58 cubic feet.

Subgroup 33. Abraham Ribicoff, 1955-1961 111 cubic feet. Correspondence, subject files and special subject files including the 1956 flood, highway safety, the 1958 campaign, appointments, speeches and press materials.

Subgroup 34. John Dempsey, 1961-1971, 507.75 cubic feet. Correspondence, reading files, subject file, state agency file, civil defense files, transportation files, Governor's conferences, speeches and other related press materials. Also includes Dempsey's files as lieutenant Governor, executive aide to Gov. Ribicoff and as Mayor of Putnam.

Subgroup 35. Thomas Meskill, 1971-1975, 341 cubic feet. Correspondence, subject files, pending files, memoranda, "public interest" correspondence, and outgoing correspondence, agency files, legislative files, Governors' conferences, other intergovernmental relations, executive orders, speeches and other public relations materials, federal agencies, scrapbook and official statements.

Subgroup 36. Ella Grasso, 1975-1980, 366.5 cubic feet. Correspondence and subject files.

Subgroup 37. William A. O'Neill, 1980-1990, 144 cubic feet. Correspondence, subject files, photographs and related materials.

Subgroup 38. Lowell P. Weicker, 1990-1994. Constituent correspondence, press materials, and legal office files. The detail records listing for Gov. Weicker is in progress. Please consult with Archives staff for assistance.

Subgroup 39. John G. Rowland, 1995-2004. Scheduling, Executive Office, Chief of Staff, Legal Counsel, Communications Office, Legislative Office, Boards and Commissions, Constituent Services, Proclamations Office, Washington Office, Southwest Office (Bridgeport), Office of the First Lady, and Governor's Residence.

Subgroup 40. M. Jodi Rell, 2004-2011, 783 cubic feet.

Subgroup 41. Dannel P. Malloy, 2011-2018, 314.25 cubic feet.