Research

Scope and Content Note

The series consists of materials documenting a survey done in the early 1950s of "noncurrent papers" filed with the Department of Audit and Control, and the resulting disposition of that body of records through both intended and unintended destruction. The bulk of the material pertains to recovery activities surrounding a sample of the most historically valuable records of the State Comptroller, relating to fiscal and financial matters, which was inadvertently disposed of along with records marked for destruction.

Records on the initial survey include an original inventory report of the non-current records of the Department of Audit and Control (May 1950); early draft and final lists of records to be retained and inventories of records and equipment, sometimes including descriptions of records; correspondence on records packed for transfer and actual transfer to the New York State Library; lists of records to be destroyed; rough notes for the original inventory at various locations (Stratton Building, Beaver Street Warehouse); preliminary inventory series schedules (4/24/50); and a list of comptroller's records packed for transfer (1952) from the Stratton Building.

Records relating to the accident include an article on the"Rescue of Fugitive New York State Records" by state historian Albert B. Corey; newspaper clippings on records erroneously destroyed (1954) and efforts of the Onondaga Historical Association (Syracuse) to sort records recovered from the paper mill (1955); varied correspondence regarding the destroyed records, and some background material (including recommendations dating from 1945) advocating an official historical records program (with repository and staff); information on recovery efforts of the Division of Archives and History at the paper mill, including records retrieval procedures; correspondence among citizens, state officials, concerned historical societies, and legislators about the incident and future action to prevent recurrence;

correspondence with researchers or historians inquiring about lost or recovered records; and a series of letters between Albert Corey and Richard N. Wright on the "criminal carelessness" of the accident, including summary examples of material recovered at Syracuse and information on the selection process for preservation of historical documents.