In 1951, the Montana Legislative Assembly created the Office of the State Controller to assume the duties of the state accountant. The controller was appointed by the governor for an eight-year term and was directed to establish a system of financial control, install a uniform accounting and reporting system, examine appropriation requests, and submit a revised and final budget to the legislature. The controller was also the ex-officio state purchasing agent.
In 1963, the Montana legislature established the Department of Administration (DOA) under the Office of the State Controller (Chapter 271, Session Laws of 1963). The state controller was made the chief executive of the Department, with Divisions for Accounting, Purchasing, Architecture and Engineering, and General Services. The controller became responsible for centralized mailing and telephone systems for state government, allocation of office space, custodial care of the Capitol and other state property, records management for state records, preparation of building programs, appointments of architects, supervision of construction and renovation of state buildings, disposal of state property (including the Montana Centennial Train), purchasing of major equipment for state agencies, and distribution of surplus commodities.
The controller also oversaw several advisory bodies, including a council to create construction standards for state buildings (this later became the Building Code Council), a fiscal coordinating committee, a personnel study committee, the State Board of Review, and a committee on data processing equipment which worked to coordinate the selection of computer systems and equipment in state government. As a result of this latter committee, the Data Processing Bureau was created within the Department of Administration. A Management Systems Unit was also created and worked to produce the Statewide Budget and Accounting System (SBAS) that went into operation in 1972.
As a result of the Executive Reorganization Act passed in 1971, the Department of
Administration was reestablished, and the title State Controller was changed to
Director. As of 2024, Department of Administration Divisions include: Director’s
Office, Architecture and Engineering, Banking and Financial Institutions, General
Services, Health Care & Benefits, Lottery, Risk Management and Tort Defense,
State Financial Services, State Human Resources, State Information Technology
Services, and State Office of Labor Relations. The Montana Lottery Division was
transferred from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Administration in
the early 2000s. For a full list of current Divisions, Bureaus, and Administration
staff, visit the
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This collection is organized into eight subgroups, represented by the Divisions, Bureaus, and Boards within or related to the Department of Administration. Some of the Divisions contain several sub-subgroups, often Bureaus, Programs, Offices, or Units that operate within a Division.
To learn more detail about the records in each subgroup, please click on the links below to be redirected to those finding aids.
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Collection open for research.
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.
In 2024, the various collections of the Montana Department of Administration were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 493, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog, and to follow best archival practices.
Collections from Montana Department of Administration's various Divisions and Bureaus
that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into
Each of the links above will redirect the user to a specific subgroup (Division) of
the Montana Department of Administration. There may be some overlap or
inconsistencies in terms of which records are in which subgroup or sub-subgroup, as
these collections have
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Library & Archives, Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society Research Center catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.