Guide to Federal Records

Records of Commissions of the Legislative Branch


(Record Group 148)
1928-70, 1993

Overview of Records Locations

Table of Contents

  • 148.1 Administrative History
  • 148.2 Records of the George Washington Bicentennial Commission 1928-32
  • 148.3 Records of the George Rogers Clark Sesquicentennial Commission 1928-40
  • 148.4 Records of the Northwest Territory Celebration Commission 1935-39
  • 148.5 Records of the Goethals Memorial Commission 1935-55
  • 148.6 Records of the U.S. Constitution Sesquicentennial Commission 1937-40
  • 148.7 Records of the U.S. New York World's Fair Commission 1937-41
  • 148.8 Records of the U.S. Golden Gate International Exposition Commission 1937-41
  • 148.9 Records of the Thomas Jefferson Bicentennial Commission 1940-44
  • 148.10 Records of the National Capital Sesquicentennial Commission 1947-52
  • 148.11 Records of the Alexander Hamilton Bicentennial Commission 1954-58
  • 148.12 Records of the Lincoln Sesquicentennial Commission 1957-60
  • 148.13 Records of the Golden Spike Centennial Celebration Commission 1967-70
  • 148.14 Records of the President's Commission for the Observance of Human Rights Year 1968 1968-69
  • 148.15 Records of the Kaho`olawe Island Conveyance Commission 1993

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148.1 Administrative History

Finding Aids: Photographic records only in National Archives microfiche edition of preliminary inventories.

Related Records: Records of other anniversary and memorial commissions in RG 79, Records of the National Park Service; RG 42, Records of the Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital; and RG 368, Records of the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service.

Records of U.S. participation in expositions and world's fairs held outside the United States in RG 43, Records of International Conferences, Commissions, and Expositions.

Records of anniversary, exposition, or memorial commissions that do not meet the criteria for a legislative branch commission in RG 220, Records of Temporary Committees, Commissions, and Boards.

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148.2 Records of the George Washington Bicentennial Commission
1928-32

History: Established by Joint Resolution 38 (43 Stat. 671), December 2, 1924. Terminated by December 31, 1934.

Textual Records: Records, consisting of correspondence, working papers, and other records created or collected by the commission; correspondence and comments on the validity and interpretation of the data relating to the life of George Washington; research material relating to the history of Washington, DC, and environs; and Commission and miscellaneous publications relating to Washington, 1928-32.

Microfilm Publication: T271.

Maps: Atlas relating to Washington's career, published by the commission, 1932 (50 items).

Photographs: Collected or taken by the commission, 1931-32, of artworks portraying Washington and other leaders in the movement for American independence and of bicentennial pageantry at Mount Vernon (GW, 1,500 images).

Finding Aids: Index (name/place/subject) to photographic series GW.

Related Records: Related photographs in RG 66, series G; and RG 111, series SC. Record copies of publications of the George Washington Bicentennial Commission in RG 287, Publications of the U.S. Government.

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148.3 Records of the George Rogers Clark Sesquicentennial
Commission
1928-40

History: Established by Joint Resolution 51 (45 Stat. 723), May 23, 1928. Placed under administration of Department of the Interior, effective August 10, 1933, by EO 6166, June 10, 1933. Terminated June 30, 1939.

Textual Records: Reports, proceedings, correspondence, contracts, and accounting papers, 1928-40.

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148.4 Records of the Northwest Territory Celebration Commission
1935-39

History: Established by Joint Resolution 41 (49 Stat. 511), August 2, 1935. Exact termination date unknown.

Textual Records: Records, consisting of reports, correspondence, and miscellaneous records of the Executive Director; correspondence and other records of the publicity director; correspondence, payrolls, vouchers, ledgers, and other records relating to disbursement of funds, 1935-39.

Related Records: Record copies of publications of the Northwest Territory Celebration Commission in RG 287, Publications of the U.S. Government.

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148.5 Records of the Goethals Memorial Commission
1935-55

History: Established by act of August 4, 1935 (49 Stat. 743). Placed under the War Department, effective July 1, 1939, by EO 8191, July 5, 1939.

Textual Records: Minutes, 1937-38. Correspondence of the secretary, 1935-39, 1947-55. Reports of architect P.P. Cret, relating to a memorial in the Canal Zone to George W. Goethals for his work in the construction of the Panama Canal, 1937.

Architectural and Engineering Plans: Prepared by architect P.P. Cret to accompany his reports, 1937 (52 items).

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148.6 Records of the U.S. Constitution Sesquicentennial
Commission
1937-40

History: Established by Joint Resolution 59 (49 Stat. 735), August 23, 1935. Terminated by December 31, 1939.

Textual Records: Correspondence of the portrait committee; galley proofs of the commission's final report, History of the Formation of the Union under the Constitution, by Representative Sol Bloom, Commission Chairman; and draft speeches and memorandums, 1937-40.

Maps: Set of facsimiles of maps of the United States and the thirteen original colonies dating from the time of the ratification of the Constitution, 1937-40 (22 items).

Photographic Prints and Negatives: Collected or taken by the commission, of artworks of the signers and the signing of the Declaration of Independence (CD, 115 images); artworks of signers and signing of the Constitution and the deputies to the Constitutional Convention and their families, and of memorabilia relating to the Constitution (CP, 228 images); portraits of signatory and nonsignatory delegates to the Constitutional Convention (CC, 85 images); and famous Revolutionary-era buildings and artworks of individuals of the Revolutionary and Confederation periods (CCD, 202 images), 1937- 39.

Finding Aids: Index (name/place/subject) for photographic series CCD; name lists for photographic series CC and CD.

Related Records: Related photographs in RG 30, series N; and RG 66, series G. Record copies of publications of the U.S. Constitution Sesquicentennial Commission in RG 287, Publications of the U.S. Government.

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148.7 Records of the U.S. New York World's Fair Commission
1937-41

History: Established by Joint Resolution 53 (50 Stat. 493), July 9, 1937. Terminated August 31, 1941.

Textual Records: Correspondence, minutes, accounting records, agreements, publicity files, and other records, 1937-41.

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148.8 Records of the U.S. Golden Gate International Exposition
Commission 1937-41

History: Established by Joint Resolution 52 (50 Stat. 488), July 9, 1937. Terminated March 29, 1941.

Textual Records: Correspondence, contracts, reference material, and fiscal and personnel records, 1937-41.

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148.9 Records of the Thomas Jefferson Bicentennial Commission
1940-44

History: Established by Joint Resolution 100 (54 Stat. 960), September 24, 1940. Terminated, 1944. Records transferred to the National Archives, April 11, 1944.

Textual Records: Reports, correspondence, and financial records, 1940-44.

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148.10 Records of the National Capital Sesquicentennial
Commission
1947-52

History: Established by Joint Resolution 129 (61 Stat. 396), July 18, 1947. Terminated by December 31, 1952.

Textual Records: Reports, correspondence, and working papers, 1947-52.

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148.11 Records of the Alexander Hamilton Bicentennial Commission
1954-58

History: Established by Joint Resolution 140 (68 Stat. 746), August 20, 1954. Terminated April 30, 1958.

Textual Records: Correspondence, historical data files, publications, and fiscal records, 1954-58.

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148.12 Records of the Lincoln Sesquicentennial Commission
1957-60

History: Established by Joint Resolution 351 (71 Stat. 587), September 2, 1957. Terminated May 1, 1960.

Textual Records: Minutes, correspondence, press releases, charts, and fiscal records, 1957-60.

Sound Recordings: Master audio tapes made by various persons and organizations, representing different aspects of the celebration, 1959 (10 items).

Related Records: Record copies of publications of the Lincoln Sesquicentennial Commission in RG 287, Publications of the U.S. Government.

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148.13 Records of the Golden Spike Centennial Celebration
Commission
1967-70

History: Established by Joint Resolution 510 (81 Stat. 172), August 21, 1967. Submitted official report, August 4, 1970.

Textual Records: Commission's report, historical publications, and printed souvenirs, 1967-70.

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148.14 Records of the President's Commission for the Observance
of Human Rights Year
1968-69

History: Established by EO 11394, January 30, 1968, following resolutions by the United Nations General Assembly declaring 1968 as the International Year for Human Rights. Submitted final report and was terminated, January 30, 1969.

Textual Records: Minutes, correspondence, reports, and other records of conferences to promote the observance of the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1968-69.

Sound recordings: Conferences and radio broadcasts, 1968-69 (25 items).

Photographs: Conferences, 1968-69 (62 items).

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148.15 Records of the Kaho`olawe Island Conveyance Commission 1993

History: Established by the 1991 Defense Appropriations Act (PL 101-511, Sec. 8118) in November 1990 to identify the terms and conditions for the return of Kaho`olawe Island to the State of Hawaii. Submitted final report to Congress on March 31, 1993.

Textual Records: Reports, public hearings, and minutes, 1993.

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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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