Guide to Federal Records

Records of the Government Accountability Office [GAO]


(Record Group 411)
1920-89

Overview of Records Locations

Table of Contents

  • 411.1 Administrative History
  • 411.2 Records of the Comptroller General 1920-89
    • 411.2.1 General records
    • 411.2.2 Records of the Office of the General Counsel
    • 411.2.3 Records of the Legislative Information and Reference Service Section, Office of Information Systems and Services
    • 411.2.4 Records of the Visual Communications Branch
    • 411.2.5 Records of the Office of Administrative Planning and Services
  • 411.3 Records of the Indian Tribal Claims Branch 1921-60
  • 411.4 Records of the Human Resources Division 1975-76
  • 411.5 Records of the Program Evaluation and Methodology Division 1980-82
  • 411.6 Cartographic Records (General) 1952
  • 411.7 Video Recordings (General)
  • 411.8 Machine-Readable Records (General)

411.1 Administrative History

Established: As a Congressional agency by Section 8 of the GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2004 (118 Stat. 811), July 7, 2004, redesignating the General Accounting Office as the Government Accountability Office without change in mission or functions.

Predecessor Agencies:

General Accounting Office (1921-2004)

In the War Department:

  • Office of the Accountant for the War Department (1792-1817, to Office of the Second Auditor, Department of the Treasury)
  • Office of the Additional Accountant for the War Department (1816-17, to Office of the Third Auditor, Department of the Treasury)

In the Department of the Navy:

  • Office of the Accountant for the Navy (1798-1817, to Office of the Fourth Auditor, Department of the Treasury)

In the Department of the Treasury:

  • Office of the Register of the Treasury (1789-1894)
  • Division of Bookkeeping and Warrants, Office of the Secretary of the Treasury (1894-1921)
  • Office of the Comptroller (1789-1817)
  • Office of the First Comptroller (1817-94)
  • Office of the Second Comptroller (1817-94)
  • Office of the Commissioner ofCustoms (1849-94)
  • Office of the Comptroller of the Treasury (1894-1921)
  • Office of the Auditor (1789-1817)
  • Office of the First Auditor (1817-94)
  • Office of the Auditor for the Treasury Department (1894-1921)
  • Office of the Second Auditor (1817-94)
  • Office of the Auditor for the War Department (1894-1921)
  • Office of the Third Auditor (1817-94)
  • Office of the Auditor for the Interior Department (1894-1921)
  • Office of the Fourth Auditor (1817-94)
  • Office of the Auditor for the Navy Department (1894-1921)
  • Office of the Fifth Auditor (1817-94)
  • Office of the Auditor for the State and other Departments (1894- 1921)
  • Office of the Sixth Auditor (1836-94)
  • Office of the Auditor for the Post Office Department (1894-1921)

Functions: Performs audits and evaluations of federal programs and activities.

Security-Classified Records: This record group may include material that is security-classified.

Related Records:
Records of the U.S. Customs Service, RG 36.
Records of the Bureau of Accounts (Treasury), RG 39.
Records of the Treasurer of the United States, RG 50.
Records of the Bureau of the Public Debt, RG 53.
General Records of the Department of the Treasury, RG 56.
Records of the Internal Revenue Service, RG 58.
Records of the U.S. Mint, RG 104.
Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, RG 217.
Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, RG 360.

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411.2 Records of the Comptroller General
1920-89

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411.2.1 General records

Textual Records: GAO Document Data Base, consisting of audit reports, program plans, annual reports, reviews, Comptroller General's decisions, testimony, opinions, letters, speeches, and publications, 1970-89.

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411.2.2 Records of the Office of the General Counsel

Textual Records: Administrative and decision files, 1920-24. Decision memorandum file, 1921-24. Records relating to customs reports and claims, 1920-26.

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411.2.3 Records of the Legislative Information and Reference
Service Section, Office of Information Systems and Services

Textual Records: Microfiche copy of legislative history files, 1921-78 (17,000 fiche).

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411.2.4 Records of the Visual Communications Branch

Video Recordings: GAO Fiftieth Anniversary Lectures, "Improving Management for More Effective Government," 1971 (6 items). Speech by Ralph Nader on the role of GAO, ca. 1972 (1 item). Presentation by Washington, DC, Mayor Walter Washington regarding GAO report on the DC Manpower Administration, ca. 1972 (1 item). Lecture series, "Evaluating Governmental Performance: Changes and Challenges for GAO," 1973-75 (4 items).

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411.2.5 Records of the Office of Administrative Planning and
Services

Textual Records: Record set of GAO issuances ("Early Directives File"), 1940-69.

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411.3 Records of the Indian Tribal Claims Branch
1921-60

History: Established in GAO, 1925, to prepare accounting statements, schedules, and text for use by the Department of Justice in defense of suits by certain Indian tribes against the United States in the Court of Claims. The claims files described below were assembled by the Indian Claims Branch from records in the custody of the Treasury Department, principally the Office of the Second Auditor.

Textual Records: Accounts of Indian agents and departmental disbursing officers, and claims files, 1921-60, with related registers. Registers of Indian pay warrants, 1921-51. Ledgers, 1921-37. Appropriation and repay warrants, 1921-28.

Maps: Central and western states, annotated to show military forts and trading posts prior to Indian title, and unidentified numbered areas relating to Sioux Petition No. C-531, 1922-27 (25 items). See also 411.6.

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411.4 Records of the Human Resources Division
1975-76

Machine-Readable Records: Well-Being Study of Elderly Persons in the Cleveland Area, 1975-76, with supporting documentation (1 data set). See also 411.8.

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411.5 Records of the Program Evaluation and Methodology Division
1980-82

Machine-Readable Records: Study of the impact of the 1981 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act on the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, 1980-82, with supporting documentation (16 data sets). See also 411.8.

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411.6 Cartographic Records (General)
1952

Maps: Administrative regions of the GAO and locations of GAO records depositories, 1952.

See Maps under 411.3.

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411.7 Video Recordings (General)

See under 411.2.4.

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411.8 Machine-Readable Records (General)

See under 411.4 and 411.5.


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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