Scope and Content: Wrentham State School was established by Massachusetts in 1906, and named and opened in 1907.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Public document, no. 78. Reports for 1942-1952, 1968 missing
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Scope and Content: Massachusetts Resolves 1846, c 117 appointed Commissioners on Idiocy to inquire on: the condition of idiots in the commonwealth and if anything can be done for them. The commission’s report, written by Samuel Gridley Howe of the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind, led to the establishment by Resolves 1848, c 65 of the Experimental School for Teaching and Training Idiotic Children, located at the Perkins Institution. The school was incorporated as the Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble-Minded Youth (St 1850, c 150), located near Perkins in South Boston, with Howe serving as president until his death in 1876. It was renamed the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded by St 1883, c 239, reflecting the establishment of a separate asylum department for those beyond school age or not capable of being helped by the school’s instruction. Funds for the construction of a new facility in Waltham were provided by Resolves 1888, c 82, and occupation of the new site began in 1890, with the South Boston facility closing in 1892. St 1925, c 293 renamed the institution the Walter E. Fernald State School, in honor of the superintendent of the school, 1887-1924. A 2003 gubernatorial initiative to close the Fernald School (known as the Walter E. Fernald Developmental Center since 1993) by 2007 was contested during the subsequent decade, until the institution was shut down permanently in Nov. 2014.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Restrictions: Mental retardation client information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 123B, s 17. For conditions of access consult repository
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Scope and Content: The State Primary School, opened at the State Almshouse at Monson in 1866 and continuing after the almshouse’s closing in 1872 until 1895, provided lodging, instruction, and employment for dependent and neglected children under age sixteen without settlement in the Commonwealth and some juvenile offenders. Inmates were placed out on trial (often subsequently indentured) with families (originally by school inspectors–St 1866, c 209, s 7; then by school trustees–St 1880, c 208, s 1) and periodically monitored by the visiting agent of the Board of State Charities (St 1869, c 453, s 2; St 1870, c 359, s 2–in which called State Visiting Agency) and from 1879 by the Division of Visiting, Dept. of Indoor Poor, State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity (State Board of Lunacy and Charity from 1886); they were returned to school if arrangements were not mutually satisfactory (St 1870, c 359, s 3). Final discharge from the school at expiration of indenture or to applicant (e.g., relative or adoptive parent) was authorized by state board (St 1866, c 209, c 5). Other inmates died or deserted. Series was created to administer and record these transactions.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by date of admission
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Scope and Content: Pursuant to MGLA c 19, the Dept. of Mental Health fulfills its responsibilities toward mentally ill persons in Massachusetts through a comprehensive program of services and facilities. (It exercised a similar function for the mentally retarded until 1986, when a separate Dept. of Mental Retardation was established.) Series was created by the assistant commissioner for research, training, and planning in fulfilling responsibility for overseeing various department-wide activities on behalf of the commissioner of mental health.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by subject
Notes: Files for N-Z missing
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Scope and Content: Since 1971 the Executive Office of Human Services (Executive Office of Health and Human Services since 1992) has been responsible through its constitutent agencies for the delivery of a wide range of services to persons with financial, health, social, protective, rehabilitation, and correctional needs. Its role is one of management and fiscal oversight, coordination of interagency planning and program development, and policy analysis. Series is created to assist in administering these office functions.
Arrangement: Arranged chiefly by chronological spans
Restrictions: Personal information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 4, s 7, d 26(c), c 66A. For conditions of access consult repository
Notes: Files for 1979-1983 lacking
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Scope and Content: Since 1971 the Executive Office of Human Services (Executive Office of Health and Human Services since 1992) has been responsible through its constitutent agencies for the delivery of a wide range of services to persons with financial, health, social, protective, rehabilitation, and correctional needs. Its role is one of management and fiscal oversight, coordination of interagency planning and program development, and policy analysis. Series is created to oversee its departments and establish policy.
Arrangement: Arranged by subject
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Scope and Content: The Dept. of Public Health protects the health of Commonwealth residents by maintaining state health facilities, regulating private health facilities, controlling disease, and regulating food, drugs, and other consumer products. The associate commissioner of public health maintained these administrative files, documenting health planning, health protection, and health services.
Arrangement: Arranged by subject, partly alphabetically
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Scope and Content: Since 1971 the Executive Office of Human Services (Executive Office of Health and Human Services since 1992) has been responsible through its constituent agencies for the delivery of a wide range of services to persons with financial, health, social, protective, rehabilitation, and correctional needs. Its role is one of management and fiscal oversight, coordination of interagency planning and program development, and policy analysis. Series was created by the executive office’s social policy unit to develop policy relating to treatment programs for those diagnosed with autism.
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Scope and Content: The State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers, established in 1877, opened in 1878 as Danvers Lunatic Hospital. It was renamed Danvers Insane Hospital in 1898 and Danvers State Hospital in 1909.
Arrangement: Arranged by autopsy no. (chronologically assigned)
Restrictions: Personal medical information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 66A. For conditions of access consult repository
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Scope and Content: The Boston Lunatic Hospital was established as a municipal agency in 1839; it was renamed Boston Insane Hospital in 1897. It was made a Massachusetts state agency under the name Boston State Hospital in 1908 and closed in 1981.
Arrangement: Arranged by autopsy no
Restrictions: Personal medical information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 66A. For conditions of access consult repository
Notes: Reports for Apr. 1873-Sept. 1912 lacking
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