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Montana Department of Administration records

 Collection
Identifier: RS-493

Scope and Contents

This collection contains records from various Divisions, Bureaus, and Boards within or related to the Montana Department of Administration. The Montana Department of Administration records were integrated under one collection number to help facilitate access and reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog.

To learn more detail about the records in each subgroup, please click on the links below in the arrangement section to be redirected to those finding aids.

Subgroup 1: Information Services Division (now named State Information Technology Services Division)

This subgroup (1970-1996) contains records from the Information Services Division (now named State Information Technology Services Division). It consists of general correspondence, minutes of assorted councils, committees, and task forces, along with subject files pertaining to security studies, childcare surveys, insurance surveys, and ISD agency plans. This collection is preliminarily sorted only.

Subgroup 2: State Lottery

This subgroup (1987-2004) of the Montana State Lottery consists of director's, marketing, public relations, and interoffice correspondence, minutes, press releases, speeches, Montana Lottery Commission meeting packets, subject files and more. The Lottery initially operated under the Department of Commerce but was transferred to the Department of Administration in the early 2000s.

Subgroup 3: State Financial Services Division

This subgroup contains records from the sub-subgroup (1965-1986), Local Government Services Bureau. It includes annual reports and audit reports submitted to the agency by local governments for examination and reconciliation. All the records are listed in the inventory for the fiscal years covered (For example, FY 1971 represents the period July 1, 1970 through June 30, 1971).

Subgroup 4: State Procurement Services Division

This subgroup (1933-1934) contains records from the State Purchasing Agent. This entity was abolished in 1974, and its duties were transferred to the Department of Administration’s Purchasing Division, now named the State Procurement Services Division. The records consist of a subject file (1934) on the acquisition of elevator equipment for the Montana State Capital Building, including correspondence with Otis and Kimball Elevators, and a copy of the architect's specifications.

Subgroup 5: Procurement and Printing Division (defunct)

This subgroup (1975-1995) contains records relating to the Procurement and Printing Division (defunct). As of 2024, the Procurement and Printing Division is no longer active, and State printing responsibilities fall under the State Print & Mail office within the General Services Division. The Procurement and Printing Division subgroup also contains the records of various bureaus it oversaw, including the Purchasing Bureau, Property and Surplus Bureau, the Publications and Graphics Bureau, and the Advisory Councils and Task Forces. Materials include correspondence, minutes, quarterly reports, subject files, miscellaneous, and more.

Subgroup 6: Board of Examiners

This subgroup (1889-1983) contains records from the Board of Examiners. It consists primarily of general correspondence of the various clerks of the Board of Examiners, reflecting the day-to-day activities of the staff in administering the Board's many responsibilities. Also included are financial records, consisting of account ledgers and journals recording the claims presented and audited by the Board, arranged by agency account showing the agency's appropriation, including claim number, dated filed, name of claimant, nature of claim, amount disallowed or allowed, date allowed, and amount expended; legal documents; minutes, including a subject card index; reports; subject files documenting the Board's review of claims against the state; and miscellany, including lists of all Korean conflict honorarium claims, arranged by claim number. Additionally, there are records from the Vietnam Veterans Bonus Division, which consist of general correspondence, news releases, reports, and miscellany, including lists of Montana Vietnam veterans (arranged by claim number), receiving the honorarium as well as information concerning the World War I Honorarium Adjusted Compensation Division payments.

Subgroup 7: Office of the State Controller

This subgroup (1958-1971) contains records from DOA's predecessor agency, Office of the State Controller, and includes correspondence with state agencies, interoffice correspondence, and subject files pertaining to various topics, such as the Statewide Budgeting and Accounting System (SBAS), the Centennial Train, the Governor's office remodeling, building codes, state institutions, and more.

Subgroup 8: Office of the State Examiner

This subgroup (1895-1970) contains records from the Office of the State Examiner, abolished in 1975. Collection includes correspondence with county officials, irrigation districts, fire department relief associations, banks, and the Montana Attorney General; legal documents consisting of bonds and contracts; and financial records of The Banking Corporation. The bulk of the records consist of annual reports of the State Examiner, the State Banking Department, cities and towns, county clerks, county examinations, and audit reports of cities and towns, county high schools, state banks, rural fire districts, school districts, and state offices and institutions.

Dates

  • Creation: 1895-2004

Language of Materials

English.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.

Historical Note

In 1951, the Montana Legislative Assembly created the Office of State Controller to assume the duties of the state accountant. The controller was appointed by the governor for an eight-year term and was directed to establish a system of financial control, install a uniform accounting and reporting system, examine appropriation requests, and submit a revised and final budget to the legislature. The controller was also the ex-officio state purchasing agent.

In 1963, the Montana legislature established the Department of Administration (DOA) under the Office of the State Controller (Chapter 271, Session Laws of 1963). The state controller was made the chief executive of the Department, with Divisions for Accounting, Purchasing, Architecture and Engineering, and General Services. The controller became responsible for centralized mailing and telephone systems for state government, allocation of office space, custodial care of the Capitol and other state property, records management for state records, preparation of building programs, appointments of architects, supervision of construction and renovation of state buildings, disposal of state property (including the Montana Centennial Train), purchasing of major equipment for state agencies, and distribution of surplus commodities.

The controller also oversaw several advisory bodies, including a council to create construction standards for state buildings (this later became the Building Code Council), a fiscal coordinating committee, a personnel study committee, the State Board of Review, and a committee on data processing equipment which worked to coordinate the selection of computer systems and equipment in state government. As a result of this latter committee, the Data Processing Bureau was created within the Department of Administration. A Management Systems Unit was also created and worked to produce the Statewide Budget and Accounting System (SBAS) that went into operation in 1972.

As a result of the Executive Reorganization Act passed in 1971, the Department of Administration was reestablished, and the title State Controller was changed to Director. As of 2024, Department of Administration Divisions include: Director’s Office, Architecture and Engineering, Banking and Financial Institutions, General Services, Health Care & Benefits, Risk Management and Tort Defense, State Financial Services, State Human Resources, State Information Technology Services, and State Office of Labor Relations. For a full list of current Divisions, Bureaus, and Administration staff, visit the Department of Administration Directory.

Extent

198.5 linear feet

Abstract

This collection contains materials from the Montana Department of Administration (1958-1996). This collection has been intellectually integrated into one Record Group, RS 493, to help facilitate access and reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog. Please read the description carefully to determine which Subgroup (Division) pertains to your research needs.

Arrangement

This collection is organized into eight subgroups, represented by the Divisions within the Department of Administration. Some of the Divisions contain several sub-subgroups, often Bureaus, Programs, Offices, or Units that operate within a Division.

Subgroup 1: Information Services Division (now named State Information Technology Services Division)

Subgroup 2: State Lottery

Subgroup 3:State Financial Services Division (No Division-specific records)

--- Sub-subgroup 1: Local Government Services Bureau

Subgroup 4: State Purchasing Agent

Subgroup 5: Procurement and Printing Division (defunct)

Boards/Commissions

Subgroup 6: Board of Examiners

Predecessor Agencies

Subgroup 7: Office of the State Controller

Subgroup 8: Office of the State Examiner

Physical Location

Please see the subgroups' specific finding aids for collection locations.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Acquisition information available upon request.

Processing Information

In 2024, the various collections of the Montana Department of Administration were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 493, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog, and to follow best archival practices.

Collections from Montana Department of Administration's various Divisions and Bureaus that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into this collection, RS 493. Rather than reprocessing over 20 linear feet of Administration materials, MTHS staff decided to keep the past arrangement of those collections/finding aids, and provide access to them via links in this Master finding aid. This decision has allowed the MTHS archival staff to maintain intellectual control over the collection, while removing the need to reprocess it. It also keeps State Agency finding aids at manageable sizes.

Each of the links above will redirect the user to a specific subgroup (Division) of the Montana Department of Administration. There may be some overlap or inconsistencies in terms of which records are in which subgroup or sub-subgroup, as these collections have NOT been reprocessed or physically moved. These records are simply now under one intellectual Record Group. Please read the Content Note above carefully to confirm which records you wish to view. If you have any questions about which records you wish to access, please contact an archivist.

Title
Guide to the Montana Department of Administration Records1958-1996
Author
Finding aid prepared by Lindsey Mick
Date
2024
Description rules
Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latn
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives Repository

Contact:
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201 United States
406-444-2681
406-444-2696 (Fax)