Archives West Finding Aid

This collection contains records from various Divisions, Bureaus, and Boards within or related to the Montana Department of Administration. The Montana Department of Administration records were integrated under one collection number to help facilitate access and reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog.

To learn more detail about the records in each subgroup, please click on the links below in the arrangement section to be redirected to those finding aids.

Subgroup 1: Information Services Division (now named State Information Technology Services Division)

This subgroup (1970-1996) contains records from the Information Services Division (now named State Information Technology Services Division). It consists of general correspondence, minutes of assorted councils, committees, and task forces, along with subject files pertaining to security studies, childcare surveys, insurance surveys, and ISD agency plans. This collection is preliminarily sorted only.

Subgroup 2: State Lottery

This subgroup (1987-2004) of the Montana State Lottery consists of director's, marketing, public relations, and interoffice correspondence, minutes, press releases, speeches, Montana Lottery Commission meeting packets, subject files and more. The Lottery initially operated under the Department of Commerce but was transferred to the Department of Administration in the early 2000s.

Subgroup 3: State Financial Services Division

This subgroup contains records from the sub-subgroup (1965-1986), Local Government Services Bureau. It includes annual reports and audit reports submitted to the agency by local governments for examination and reconciliation. All the records are listed in the inventory for the fiscal years covered (For example, FY 1971 represents the period July 1, 1970 through June 30, 1971).

Subgroup 4: State Procurement Services Division

This subgroup (1933-1934) contains records from the State Purchasing Agent. This entity was abolished in 1974, and its duties were transferred to the Department of Administration’s Purchasing Division, now named the State Procurement Services Division. The records consist of a subject file (1934) on the acquisition of elevator equipment for the Montana State Capital Building, including correspondence with Otis and Kimball Elevators, and a copy of the architect's specifications.

Subgroup 5: Procurement and Printing Division (defunct)

This subgroup (1975-1995) contains records relating to the Procurement and Printing Division (defunct). As of 2024, the Procurement and Printing Division is no longer active, and State printing responsibilities fall under the State Print & Mail office within the General Services Division. The Procurement and Printing Division subgroup also contains the records of various bureaus it oversaw, including the Purchasing Bureau, Property and Surplus Bureau, the Publications and Graphics Bureau, and the Advisory Councils and Task Forces. Materials include correspondence, minutes, quarterly reports, subject files, miscellaneous, and more.

Subgroup 6: Board of Examiners

This subgroup (1889-1983) contains records from the Board of Examiners. It consists primarily of general correspondence of the various clerks of the Board of Examiners, reflecting the day-to-day activities of the staff in administering the Board's many responsibilities. Also included are financial records, consisting of account ledgers and journals recording the claims presented and audited by the Board, arranged by agency account showing the agency's appropriation, including claim number, dated filed, name of claimant, nature of claim, amount disallowed or allowed, date allowed, and amount expended; legal documents; minutes, including a subject card index; reports; subject files documenting the Board's review of claims against the state; and miscellany, including lists of all Korean conflict honorarium claims, arranged by claim number. Additionally, there are records from the Vietnam Veterans Bonus Division, which consist of general correspondence, news releases, reports, and miscellany, including lists of Montana Vietnam veterans (arranged by claim number), receiving the honorarium as well as information concerning the World War I Honorarium Adjusted Compensation Division payments.

Subgroup 7: Office of the State Controller

This subgroup (1958-1971) contains records from DOA's predecessor agency, Office of the State Controller, and includes correspondence with state agencies, interoffice correspondence, and subject files pertaining to various topics, such as the Statewide Budgeting and Accounting System (SBAS), the Centennial Train, the Governor's office remodeling, building codes, state institutions, and more.

Subgroup 8: Office of the State Examiner

This subgroup (1895-1970) contains records from the Office of the State Examiner, abolished in 1975. Collection includes correspondence with county officials, irrigation districts, fire department relief associations, banks, and the Montana Attorney General; legal documents consisting of bonds and contracts; and financial records of The Banking Corporation. The bulk of the records consist of annual reports of the State Examiner, the State Banking Department, cities and towns, county clerks, county examinations, and audit reports of cities and towns, county high schools, state banks, rural fire districts, school districts, and state offices and institutions.