Scope and Content: The Experimental School for Teaching and Training Idiotic Children conducted at the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind from 1848 was incorporated by Massachusetts as the Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble-Minded Youth in 1850.  It was renamed Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded in 1883 and Walter E. Fernald State School in 1925.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by client, thereunder chronologically
Restrictions: Mental retardation client information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 123B, s 17. For conditions of access consult repository
Notes: Scheduled as: Educational evaluation files
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Scope and Content: The State Board of Agriculture, established by Massachusetts in 1852, was replaced successively by the State Dept. of Agriculture in 1918 and the Dept. of Agriculture in 1919. That body was renamed the Dept. of Food and Agriculture in 1975.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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Scope and Content: The state secretary holds constitutional and statutory responsibilities for elections, duties carried out since 1948 in the secretary’s Elections Division.  Pursuant to MGLA c 54, s 117, upon examination by the governor and council, voting returns are replaced in their envelopes and transmitted along with a certificate of examination to the secretary’s office where they are kept as a permanent record.  Certificates of examination of voting returns, signed by the governor and council, attest that returns for presidential electors, members of Congress, state and county officials, and proposed constitutional amendments and other ballot questions from initiative or referendum petitions have been examined and accepted.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder by office, county, and municipality
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Scope and Content: The state secretary holds constitutional and statutory responsibilities for elections, duties carried out since 1948 in the secretary’s Elections Division.  Certificates of qualification of governor and lieutenant governor are the printed oaths of office administered by the secretary to those assuming the offices in accordance with the state constitution (Const Pt 2, C 6, Art 1). –For a listing of related commissions series see: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State.  Records of commissions, proclamations, pardons, and other official documents, 1713-1945 (bulk 1747-1936) ((M-Ar)161X)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by date of qualification
Notes: Contents: Vol. 1: 1851-1876.  Vol. 2: 1877-1957.  Vol. 3: 1959-2007.  Resignation of Gov. W.F. Weld, 1997.  Resignation of Gov. A.P. Cellucci, 2001.  Appendix: Order of ceremonies for administration of oath of office to M. Romney, K.M. Healey, and councillors, 2003, with proclamation by state secretary of qualification of M. Romney and K.M. Healey; 2007, proclamation by state secretary of qualification of D.L. Patrick, T.P. Murray
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Scope and Content: The state secretary holds constitutional and statutory responsibilities for elections, duties carried out since 1948 in the secretary’s Elections Division.  Certificates of qualification of state officials are the printed oath forms signed by officials assuming constitutional offices, or seats in the Council,  Senate,  and House of Representatives of the General Court, in accordance with the state constitution (Const Pt 2, C 6, Art 1). –For a listing of related commissions series see: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State.  Records of commissions, proclamations, pardons, and other official documents, 1713-1945 (bulk 1747-1936) ((M-Ar)161X)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year of election, thereunder by type of election (general/special), then by office, then chronologically by date of oath (may be year following election)
Notes: Files for 2008 general election lacking
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Scope and Content: The state secretary holds constitutional responsibility, carried out since 1948 in the secretary’s Elections Division, for forwarding to registered voters before each state election the full text of proposed constitutional amendments and other ballot questions resulting from initiative or referendum petitions (Const Amend Arts 48; 74, S 1; and 108).
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year
Notes: Pamphlets through 1974 have title: Official information to voters. –Issued biennially.  Missing or not issued for: 1946, 1950-1960, 1984, 1992-2012
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Scope and Content: Initiative and referendum petitions are popular initiatives to place before the electorate proposed constitutional amendments or legislation and existing legislation for review respectively.  In accordance with the state constitution (Const Amend Arts 48, 74, 81), qualifying initiative and referendum petitions are filed in the state secretary’s office, where since 1948 they have been kept in the secretary’s Elections Division.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by date of filing
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Scope and Content: Federal law directs the executive of each state to prepare the meeting of the College of Presidential and Vice-Presidential Electors and related papers.  In Massachusetts, in accordance with MGLA c 54, s 148, the state secretary is responsible for calling to order the meeting of presidential electors and for recording and filing their proceedings, the latter duties carried out since 1948 in the secretary’s Elections Division.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year of election
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Scope and Content: The Massachusetts constitution can be amended by a legislative amendment (originating in the legislature) or by initiative amendment (originating in an initiative petition signed by a specified number of voters), submitted to the voters after required approval by two successively elected legislatures (Const Amend Arts 48, 81); or by calling and holding a constitutional convention.  This series consists of proposed legislative or initiative constitutional amendments that were approved or rejected by the voters. –For gubernatorial proclamations relating to amendments rejected 1913, 1915 see: Massachusetts. Governor’s Office of Constituency Services. Statutory proclamations ((M-Ar)235)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Received from the Office of the Secretary of State, which has responsibility for elections, specifically since 1948 from its Elections Division
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Scope and Content: The state secretary holds constitutional and statutory responsibilities for elections, duties carried out since 1948 in the secretary’s Elections Division.  Pursuant to MGLA c 54, s 115, the governor and council, upon examining and tabulating voting returns to determine the results, are responsible for transmitting an abstract of the tabulation and determination to the office of the secretary.  Registers of votes for national and state officers and constitutional amendments are bound registers that contain a tabulation of votes for presidential elections; members of Congress; state and county officials; and proposed constitutional amendments and other ballot questions from initiative or referendum petitions. –Votes for governor and lieutenant governor, 1783-1784 are in: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. House journal ((M-Ar) 532), 1783, p. 14; 1784, p. 9. –See also: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Returns of votes for state representatives, 1778-1866 ((M-Ar)197X); Returns of votes for state senators, 1842-1885 ((M-Ar)198X)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder by office, county, and municipality. Arranged by office, thereunder chronologically
Notes: Spine title varies: abstract of votes; votes for state officers
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