Scope and Content: Under the Massachusetts Constitution the governor is responsible for nominating and appointing all judicial officers with the advice and consent of the Executive Council.  In 1975,  by Executive Order no. 114, the Judicial Nominating Commission (renamed the Judicial Nominating Council by Executive Order no. 228 in 1983) was established to guarantee an impartial review of all judicial appointees.  Prior to the establishment of the commission, the Governor’s Legal Office assisted the governor in reviewing applications.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by gubernatorial term, thereunder by name, but for Volpe/Sargent see also below
Notes: Volpe (1965-1968) Box 1: arranged alphabetically by name, primarily for district courts.  Boxes 2-4: arranged by county and position, primarily justices and clerks of district courts; also some land and probate courts. Sargent (1969-1974) Box 5: arranged by county and position, including justices, municipal courts. Box 6:  records of committees established to fill a specific judicial position and resumes of appointed judges. See also:  Massachusetts. Governor’s Legal Office. Subject files of the legal counsel ((M-Ar)938X). Volpe/Sargent  (1967-1974: interfiled during Sargent term) Boxes 7-27: arranged alphabetically by name, including application and recommendation letters and responses to them, applicant questionnaires and lists of those recommending candidates: A-Be, Bi-C, B, C, C, D-E, F, G-Gold, Goli-Hi, Ho-Kar, Kal-Lan, Lar-Ly, M, M, Mu-O, P, R, S, S, S-T, U-Z
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Scope and Content: The Governor’s Legal Office advises the governor on all matters of legal concern.  In fulfilling this function it considers judiciary-related issues such as working conditions, compensation, and case loads.  Judicial issue subject files are created to assist policy formation in these areas.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by term, thereunder alphabetically by subject or court
Notes: Scheduled as: Courts/judicial legal issue subject files
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Scope and Content: The Governor’s Scheduling Office, and also the Governor’s Correspondence Office, later known as the Governor’s External Relations Office, have since at least 1975 maintained files relating to public appearances and other activities of the governor’s spouse. Series was created to manage public appearances of first lady Kitty Dukakis, during the second-third terms of Governor Michael Dukakis (1983-1991).
Notes: Box 1: 1983-1984. Box 2: Jan. 1985-Apr. 1986. Box 3: May 1986-Dec. 1987. Box 4: 1989. Files for 1988 lacking. Formerly classified as: PR2/P008X
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Scope and Content: The Governor’s Scheduling Office, and also the Governor’s Correspondence Office, later known as the Governor’s External Relations Office, have since at least 1975 maintained files relating to public appearances and other activities of the governor’s spouse. Series was created to document public appearances and other involvement of first lady Kitty Dukakis in issues of public concern, during the first term of Governor Michael Dukakis (1974-1979).
Notes: Formerly classified as: PR2/P034X\
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Scope and Content: The Governor’s Scheduling Office, and also the Governor’s Correspondence Office, later known as the Governor’s External Relations Office, have since at least 1975 maintained files relating to public appearances and other activities of the governor’s spouse. Series was created to inform first lady Kitty Dukakis, who sat on a number of governmental and other committees on issues of social concern, during the second-third terms of Governor Michael Dukakis (1983-1991).
Notes: Previously classified as: PR2/P009X
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Scope and Content: The Governor’s Legal Office advises the governor on all matters of legal concern.  In fulfilling this function it researches and drafts legislation.  Legal research/issues files are created to determine the need for new legislation or policy development.
Arrangement: In four subseries: (1) Legislation (2) Legal research (3) Crime (4) General; Arranged chronologically by term(s), thereunder by subject. Arranged within each subseries by subject
Restrictions: Evaluative, investigative, or personal information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 4, s 7, d 26(c) and c 66A. For conditions of access consult repository
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Scope and Content: The Governor’s Legislative Office is responsible for coordinating gubernatorial interaction with the legislature.  In fulfilling this function, it solicits and compiles advice, communicates with the General Court and its members, and records gubernatorial action on legislation sent for enactment.  Legislative review files are created to support these activities. –Series currently includes files from terms of Alvan Fuller (1925-1929), Leverett Saltonstall (1939-1945), Endicott Peabody (1963-1965), John Volpe (1965-1969), Francis Sargent (1969-1975), Michael Dukakis (1975-1979), Edward King (1979-1983), Michael Dukakis (1983-1991), William Weld (1991-1997), Argeo Paul Cellucci (1997-2001), Jane Swift (2001-2003), and Mitt Romney (2003-2007); also fragmentary files from 1933, 1935, 1937.
Arrangement: 1975-2000 files Arranged chronologically by year. Arranged thereunder by bill number. Arranged thereunder by chapter number within each
Notes: Fuller and Saltonstall files transferred to Archives from Special Collections, Massachusetts State Library, Feb. 13, 1996. Boxes 13-14 (Sargent) transferred from: Massachusetts. Governor. Subject files ((M-Ar)366X) Sargent, boxes 105-106. Volpe-Sargent files:1965-1967, 1969 lacking. Dukakis (1975-1979) files also known in part as: MSD 2/901-931. Swift-Romney files (2001-2004 only)
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Scope and Content: The Governor’s Office of Educational Affairs, established by Gov. Michael Dukakis in 1983, was intended to serve during his second administration as an official link to all public and private educational constituencies, and to support gubernatorial commitment to improving the quality of public education and delivery of all educational services.  Series was created to track and influence pending legislation and to advise the governor thereon.
Notes: Scheduled as: Legislation files
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Scope and Content: Various bodies appointed for each gubernatorial term since 1971, beginning with the Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women, have been responsible for insuring adequate representation of the concerns of women in the laws governing Massachusetts and in the planning of services to women and children in the Commonwealth.  These subject files were created as part of the process of researching legislation and making recommendations to the governor and the General Court.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by subject
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Scope and Content: The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as chief executive of the state, is responsible for administration of the executive departments and agencies; approval or rejection of all legislative enactments; preparation of the state budget; appointment of state officials; and coordination of affairs among federal government, state, and cities and towns.  Letters official consist of letterpress copies of outgoing correspondence of the governor, chiefly from terms of John Andrew (1861-1866), relating to the administration of state government.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year
Notes: Transferred to Adjutant General’s Office at unknown date.  Transferred by the office’s war records unit to State Library in 1960s and to Archives in 1981. Volumes numbered 1-417, with some irregularities. Files for 1871-1874 lacking
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