Scope and Content: Programs and institutions for the mentally ill and retarded of Massachusetts were among the responsibilities successively of the Board of State Charities (St 1863, c 240), State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity (St 1879, c 291), and State Board of Lunacy and Charity (St 1886, c 101).  They were then the sole responsibility successively of the State Board of Insanity (St 1898, c 433), Massachusetts Commission on Mental Diseases (St 1916, c 285), Dept. of Mental Diseases (St 1919, c 350, ss 79-81), and Dept. of Mental Health (St 1938, c 486). The Dept. of Mental Health and its predecessors have had general supervision of all public and private institutions for the mentally ill, mentally retarded, epileptic persons, and persons addicted to alcohol and narcotics.
Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Public institutions (2) Private institutions; Arranged within each subseries by institution, thereunder chronologically, then by patient no
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Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Tewksbury opened in 1854.  It was renamed successively the State Hospital (1900), the State Infirmary (1909), Tewksbury State Hospital and Infirmary (1939), and Tewksbury Hospital (1959)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Contents: Oct. 1892-Sept. 1895.  Oct. 1895-July 1902
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Scope and Content: The Worcester City Hospital was established by state mandate in 1871, reconstituted in 1953, placed under the Worcester Health and Hospitals Authority in 1990, and closed in 1991.  It was then placed under interim management of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and since the authority’s dissolution in 1993 has been operated as the center’s City Campus.
Arrangement: 1980-1988 Arranged chronologically. thereunder alphabetically by patient; thereunder by case no
Restrictions: Public health hospital/clinic client information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 111, s 70. For conditions of access consult repository
Notes: From 1990 records were in custody of the Worcester Health and Hospitals Authority
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Scope and Content: The Worcester City Hospital was established by state mandate in 1871, reconstituted in 1953, placed under the Worcester Health and Hospitals Authority in 1990, and closed in 1991.  It was then placed under interim management of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and since the authority’s dissolution in 1993 has been operated as the center’s City Campus.
Arrangement: In four subseries: (1) Joint Conference Committee, 1952-1983 (2) Executive Committee, 1943-1978 (3) Staff Association, 1960-1982 (4) Medical staff committees, 1964-1983; Arranged within each series chronologically, in reverse order
Restrictions: Evaluative information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 4, s 7, d 26(c) and c 66A. Public health hospital/clinic client information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 111, s 70. For conditions of access consult repository
Notes:  From 1990 records were in custody of the Worcester Health and Hospitals Authority
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Scope and Content: The State House Building Commission was established in 1913 to oversee construction of east and west wing additions to the State House.  Series consists of partly used book of printed work order forms kept by architects for the commission to order and track work and to track expenses.
Arrangement: Arranged numerically/chronologically
Notes: Stubs 1-118 completed, 120-144 not completed, 145-183 with blank order intact.  Book is for single contractor (William Crane)
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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 establishes working groups to conduct inquiries on specific policy issues.  Working group subject files are created to assist in such inquiries.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by term, thereunder by subject, and then alphabetically by subsidiary subject
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Scope and Content: Joseph H. Foisy, who served in France during World War One as a sergeant in the 96th Aero Squadron, American Expeditionary Force, recorded his activities from his enlistment in August 1917 until his discharge in May 1919.
Notes: Loaned to Archives for filming on behalf of the owner by Albert H. Whitaker, Jr., 1993
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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.
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Scope and Content: The Massachusetts Hospital for Consumptives and Tubercular Patients was established in 1895 and opened at Rutland in 1898.  It was successively renamed the Massachusetts State Sanatorium in 1900, Rutland State Sanatorium in 1910, Rutland Hospital in 1963, and after the move to a new facility, Rutland Heights Hospital in 1965.
Arrangement: Arranged by sex; thereunder alphabetically by patient
Restrictions: Public health hospital/clinic client information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 111, s 70. Personal medical information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 4, s 7, d 26(c) and c 66A. For conditions of access consult repository
Notes: Transferred to Archives in Feb. 1978. Records for males T-Z lacking
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