Division of Purchases Annual Reports

Division of Purchases Annual Reports, 1922-1974

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Seattle (Wash.). City Clerk
Title: Division of Purchases Annual Reports
Dates: 1922-1974 (inclusive)
19221974

1937-1950 (bulk)
19371950
Quantity: .2 cubic foot, (1 box)
Collection Number: 1802-I1
Summary: Annual reports of the Division of Purchases, a division of the Department of Finance.
Repository: Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions: Records are open to the public.
Languages: English
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Division of Purchases within the Department of Finance was established in 1936 by Charter amendment, and the position of City Purchasing Agent was established in 1937 through Ordinance 67976 to act as the central purchasing agent for the City. (A Purchasing Department had formerly existed within the Department of Public Works.) The City Purchasing Agent, appointed by the Comptroller, dealt with purchase of and contracts for materials and equipment required by the various City departments. Depending on the price of the item required, the Purchasing Agent received bids from vendors (for purchases of more than $1000) or purchased items in the open market. The Division of Purchases was also responsible for inspection of the purchased goods.

The division was transferred to and established as a division of the Executive Department in 1973 with Ordinance 102151.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The bulk of the annual reports date from 1937 to 1950, with a few from the 1970s. The 1922 report, which appears to be a draft, is from the Department of Public Works' Purchasing Department. The reports provide a narrative summary of the year's activities and include information about savings, lists of requisitions and purchase amounts by department, and sales from surplus, junk, or obsolete material. Information about inspections is included in some reports. Annual reports from 1941 to 1946 (many in the form of brief letters, due to the necessity of saving paper) discuss the division's wartime difficulties. The 1972 report is a brief narrative and contains no savings, purchase, or sales figures.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Division of Purchases Annual Reports, Record Series 1802-I1. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Annual reports are arranged chronologically by year.

Custodial History

Records were originally filed with the City Clerk in the Comptroller/Clerk's Files (CFs) and were removed to create this record series.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Division of Purchases Annual Reports, 1922-1972Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1/1	Purchasing Department Annual Report (draft)	1921
1/2	Department of Finance, Purchasing Division Annual Report	1937
1/2	Department Finance, Purchasing Division Annual Report	1938
1/2	Department of Finance, Purchasing Division Annual Report	1939
1/2	Department of Finance, Purchasing Division Annual Report	1940
1/2	Department of Finance, Division of Purchasing Annual Report	1941
1/2	Purchasing Annual Report	1943
1/2	Department of Finance, Division of Purchasing Annual Report	1944
1/2	Department of Finance, Division of Purchasing Annual Report	1945
1/2	Department of Finance, Division of Purchasing Annual Report	1946
1/3	Department of Finance, Division of Purchasing	1947
1/3	Department of Finance, Division of Purchasing Annual Report	1948
1/3	Department of Finance, Division of Purchasing Annual Report	1949
1/3	Department of Finance, Division of Purchasing Annual Report	1950
1/4	Purchasing Department Annual Report	1972
1/4	Purchasing Department Annual Report	1973
1/4	Purchasing Department Annual Report	1974

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Purchasing departments--Washington (State)--Seattle
Purchasing--Washington (State)--Seattle

Geographical Names

Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government

Form or Genre Terms

Annual reports

Other Creators

Corporate Names
- Seattle (Wash.). Division of Purchases (creator)

Archives West Finding Aid

Table of Contents