Scope and Content: During the Revolutionary period, Massachusetts provided medical services to the military beginning in 1775, when the Committee of Safety voted in February that Dr. Joseph Warren and Dr. Benjamin Church form a committee to inventory military needs, and on Apr. 29 empowered Dr. Isaac Foster to remove sick and wounded soldiers to a Cambridge hospital.  On May 8, the Second Provincial Congress resolved that commanding officers recommend surgeons for their regiments to be approved by a committee of doctors. During the spring and summer of 1775, these surgeons, who dealt with minor illnesses, were stationed in Cambridge, Roxbury, and Prospect Hill, near the main army camps, working in conjunction with general hospitals in Cambridge, Roxbury, Metonomy, and Watertown.  After the bulk of the Continental Army moved out of Massachusetts in the spring of 1776, Craft’s artillery regiment on Castle Island and other troops used hospitals at Rainsford Island, West Boston, and Sewall’s Point in Brookline.
Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Orders  (2) Log
Notes: Box 1: (1) Thomas Kittredge, Frye’s Regiment, June 4-Aug. 3, 1775  (2) Stephen Sevett, Phiney’s Regiment, July 18-Aug. 3, 1775 (chiefly Fort no. 2)  (3) Elisha Story, Little’s Regiment, July 17-Aug, 2, 1775 (some from Prospect Hill or College Hospital) (4) David Townsend, Brewer’s Regiment, July 4-Aug. 3, 1775 (from Prospect Hill and Cambridge, some by mate Harris Ellery Tudger)  (5) Isaac Rand, Cambridge (smallpox) Hospital, June 30-Aug. 2, 1775  (6) John Homan, Woodbridge’s Regiment, June 23-July 30, 1775  (7) Aaron Putnam, mate for Frye’s Regiment, June 26-July 29, 1775  (8) Isaac Foster, Cambridge and Metonomy hospitals, Apr. 30-July 29, 1775  (9) William Dunsmore, Whitcomb and Ward’s Regiment, June 7-Aug. 3, 1775 (includes Cambridge Hospital no. 2, Phipses House, Metonomy Hospital, College Hospital, Denes Hill)  (10) Edward Flint, Ward’s Regiment, June 20-July 26, 1776, chiefly Cambridge Hospital no. 2. Box 2: Joseph Gardner, Craft’s Regiment, Apr. 1777-May 1781 (bulk 1778-1780) (Boston and Rainsford Island Hospital, some by J. Whipple or E. Willard)
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Scope and Content: Richard Devens, a member of the Committee of Safety, was appointed commissary general by Nov. 1775 (Resolves 1775-76, c 343).  The commissary general was occupied in the delivery of arms and provisions needed by the state for the war effort. A store building was built in Watertown in Feb. 1776 (Resolves 1775-76, c 679), where the state government was then located. In May 1776 the commissary office was moved to Boston and a store established there, following the British evacuation of that city.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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Scope and Content: During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress (Journals, Oct. 7, 1776) resolved that a commissary of prisoners of war be appointed in each state. The Massachusetts General Court elected Robert Pierpont commissary (exact terminology varies) (House Journal, Jan. 24, 1777).  He was replaced when the General Court elected Joseph Henderson commissary (House Journal, Feb. 10, 1778). Pierpont was paid for his services per Resolves 1777-78, c 1038, Apr. 28 1778.  Series consists of an outgoing letterbook kept by Commissary of Prisoners of War Robert Pierpont, Jan. 31, 1777-Feb. 21, 1778.
Notes: Originals loaned to Archives for photostatting sometime before 1985
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Scope and Content: The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts appointed a Court Monitor in 1979 to administer court consent decrees relating to five state schools for the mentally retarded. In 1986 the responsibility was transferred to the gubernatorially established Office of Quality Assurance for the Mental Retardation Consent Decrees. In 1993 oversight was transferred to a Governor’s Commission  on Mental Retardation, while specific quality assurance functions were placed under an Office of Quality Enhancement, Office of Quality Management, Dept. of Mental Retardation, which had taken over responsibility for the mentally retarded from the Dept. of Mental Health in 1986.
Notes: From the records of the Governor’s Commission on Mental Retardation, transferred to  Archives, 1994-2008. For details consult the Massachusetts Archives series control file
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Scope and Content: Resolves 1802, c 123 provided that commissioners be designated by the governor to fix terms of awards from Henry Knox, principal proprietor, to settlers without title in Waldoborough, Waldo Patent, District of Maine.  Commission files were created in fulfilling this function.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Working papers (2) Background files; Arranged within each subseries chronologically
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Scope and Content: Pursuant to Resolves 1963, c 60, the Massachusetts General Court established an unpaid special commission including five members of the legislature, designees of the commissioner of administration, state secretary, attorney general, and state librarian, and appointees of the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Boston chapter of the American Records Management Association, to study records laws of Massachusetts. The commission’s mandate was extended by Resolves 1964, c 5, and Resolves 1965, c 2, and filed its report in Feb. 1965.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Transferred to Archives from Massachusetts State Library
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Scope and Content: Resolves 1949, c 75 provided for an investigation and study by a special commission relative to an examination of the structure of the state government of Massachusetts with a view to elimination of duplications of functions, improvement of operations, and abolishment or consolidation of agencies, thereby reducing the costs of government and the burden of taxation.  Resolves 1950, c 36 and c 76 increased its scope to include consideration of an economic commission, a women’s business board, and protections for public employees.  It consisted originally of twelve legislative and gubernatorial appointees; Resolves 1950, c 83 and Resolves 1954, c 12 each increased its membership by two.  Resolves 1951, c 10, Resolves 1952, c 28, Resolves 1953, c 17, and Resolves 1954, c 12 successively extended the commission’s tenure in order to issue a final report to the General Court, from the original date of Mar. 31, 1951 to Mar. 15, 1954. –The commission issued fifteen reports, some of which formed the basis of legislation, as follows: (1) Progress report–1950 H 2685.  (2) Survey of overall problems–1950 H 2126.  (3) Utility and small purchases, unclaimed checks, commission procedures–1951 H 2186. Cf. St 1951, c 759.  (4) Industrial relations–1951 H 2523. Cf. St 1952, c 630.  (5) Public welfare and youth services–1951 H 2591.  Cf. St, 1951, c 801;  St 1952, c 602, c 605.  (6) Cigarette tax stamp–1951 H 2880.  (7) Education–1952 H 2051.  Cf. St 1952, c 499, c 585, c 630.  (8) Conservation–1952 H 2032.  Cf. St 1952, c 480, c 501, c 563, c 622.  (9) Public safety–1952 H 2400. Cf. St 1952, c 541.  (10) Restudy of parts of 4th and 9th reports–1952 H 2199.  Cf. St 1953, c 644.  (11) Building construction–1953 H 2575.  Cf. St 1953, c 612.  (12) Dept. of Corporations and Taxation–1953 H 2828.  Cf. St 1953, c 654.  (13) Public health–1953 H 200.  Cf. St 1954, c 581.  (14) Personnel administration–1953 H 2352.  Cf. St 1954, c 597, c 680.  (15) Salaries of state officers and employees subject to MGL c 30, s 46–1954 H 2600.  Cf. St 1954, c 407, c 453.
Arrangement: Arranged chiefly alphabetically by subject
Notes:  Transferred to Archives from Littauer Library, Harvard University, April 13, 2000. Series constitutes part of the papers of William Augustus Waldron, an attorney practicing in Boston with an additional career in public administration.  He held posts with the New York State Assembly and Constitutional Convention (1937-1938), the federal Dept. of Justice (1942), and the National War Labor Board (1942-1945); and in Massachusetts served with the Special Commission on the Structure of the State Government (1950-1954, from 1952 as executive director), as special assistant attorney general (1962), as commissioner of administration (1963-1965), and as special counsel to the General Court’s House Rules Committee (1969, 1971, 1973-1974)
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Scope and Content: The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts appointed a Court Monitor in 1979 to administer court consent decrees relating to five state schools for the mentally retarded. In 1986 the responsibility was transferred to the gubernatorially established Office of Quality Assurance for the Mental Retardation Consent Decrees. In 1993 oversight was transferred to a Governor’s Commission  on Mental Retardation, while specific quality assurance functions were placed under an Office of Quality Enhancement, Office of Quality Management, Dept. of Mental Retardation, which had taken over responsibility for the mentally retarded from the Dept. of Mental Health in 1986.
Restrictions: Personal information restricted by statutory provision; MGLA c 4, c 7, cl 26(c) and c 66A . For conditions of access consult repository
Notes: From the records of the Governor’s Commission on Mental Retardation, transferred to  Archives, 1994-2008. For details consult the Massachusetts Archives series control file
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Scope and Content: The Dept. of Public Utilities was established in 1919, combining the functions of the Board of Gas and Electric Light Commissioners and of the Public Service Commission, which were abolished.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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