Records in this record group document the functions and responsibilities of the Office of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and date from Iowa's first territorial Governor, Robert Lucas (1838-1841) through Governor Terry Branstad (2011-2017). The only exception being Gov. Harold Hughes (1963-1969) where the majority of records are located at the University of Iowa . Two examples of record series unique to a single governorship are Gov. William L. Harding's Council of Defense records from World War I and Gov. Robert D. Ray's records of Refugee Programs, following the Vietnam War. Prior to 1913, most records from the governor's office are organized by record series and then by date. After 1913, most records are arranged by governor and then by series and date.
There may be related records for some Iowa governors located in the State Historical Society of Iowa's Manuscripts Collections. The following is a partial list of records from the Governor’s Office in our holdings. A complete list of record series is available at the Research Center in Des Moines.
Some or all of these records are available to search in the Iowa History Collections Catalog .
General General Date Span American Revolution Bicentennial 1971-1978 Council of Defense 1917-1921 Original Filings of Rules 1997-2006 Proceedings of the Vicksburg Monument Commission 1902-1912 Refugee Programs 1976-1982 Trade and Trade Missions (See also: Departmental and Subject Files) 1970-1982
⤢ Appointments Appointments Date Span Appointments - Judicial 1947-2010 Appointments - Military 1840-1910 Appointments - Notarial 1839-1912 Appointments - Special Commissions 1846-1920 Appointments - State Offices, Boards and Departments 1847-2010 Executive Journals 1859-2006
⤢ Communication/Media Communication/Media Date Span Appearances - Accepted and Declined 1969-2011 News Summaries/Newspaper Clippings 1974-1983, 1999-2007 Press Releases (See also: Departmental and Subject Files 1913-1968) 1969-2010 Speeches (See also: Departmental and Subject Files 1913-1968) 1969-2011
⤢ Correspondence Correspondence Date Span Correspondence - Constituent 1969-2010 Correspondence - Constituent Subject/Issue Files 1963-2010 Correspondence - Executive and General 1838-2010 Correspondence - Military 1839-1910 Correspondence - Reports, State Boards, Departments and Offices 1917-1921, 1925-1931 Correspondence - State Institutions (See also: Departmental and Subject Files) 1838-1920 Correspondence - State Offices, Boards and Departments 1838-1931 Letter Book - Telegram 1902-1908 Letter Books 1864-1902 Letter Books - General 1900-1917 Letter Books - Military Record 1861-1867
⤢ Commissions Commissions Date Span Commissions - Military 1840-1998 Commissions - Notarial Register 1858-1966 Executive Journals 1859-2006
⤢ Criminal Records Criminal Records Date Span Applications for Executive Clemency 1945-2004 Applications for Restorations of Right to Firearms (See also: Applications for Executive Clemency) 1978-1998 Commutation Record 1898-1932 Commutations (See also: Applications for Executive Clemency) 1913-2001 Consecutive Registers 1867-1960 Correspondence - Criminal 1847-1998 Criminal Records (Misc.) 1847-1850, 1869-1906 Executive Clemency Journals (See also: Applications for Executive Clemency) 1934-2007 Extraditions - Waivers 1969-2008 Extraditions and Requisitions (See also: Letter Books - Requisitions) 1838-2009 Final Discharge Record 1908-1938 Final Discharges (See also: Applications for Executive Clemency) 1938-1968 Letter Books - Criminal 1898-1909 Letter Books - Criminal - Pardon Clerk 1914-1916 Letter Books - Requisitions 1900-1909 Life Inmate Files 1915-2011 Pardon Record 1876-1934 Pardons (See also: Applications for Executive Clemency) 1913-2004 Parole Record 1902-1904 Remission Record 1906-1932 Remissions of Fines (See also: Applications for Executive Clemency) 1913-2004 Restorations of Citizenship (See also: Applications for Executive Clemency) 1933-2004 Restoration of Citizenship Journals 1951-2009 Suspended Sentences (See also: Applications for Executive Clemency) 1913-1962 Suspension Record - Suspensions and Pardons (See also: Applications for Executive Clemency, Pardon Record, Pardons, Suspended Sentences) 1888-1937
⤢ Departmental and Subject Files Departmental and Subject Files Date Span Departmental and Subject Files 1932-2010
⤢ Executive Journals Executive Journals Date Span Executive Journals 1859-2006 Executive Journals - Indian Affairs 1838-1846 Executive Journals - Source Material 1949-1956, 1969-1982 Executive Orders (See: Executive Journals 1859-2006)
⤢ Organizations and Associations Organizations and Associations Date Span Council of State Governments 1943-1945, 1968-1982 Education Commission of the States 1968-1982 Governors Associations (Democratic and Republican) 1969-1982 Midwestern Governors Association 1969-1982 National Governors Association 1969-1982
⤢ Proclamations Proclamations Date Span Proclamations (See also: Department and Subject Files and Executive Journals) 1997-2011
⤢ Reports Reports Date Span Annual/Biennial Reports 1910-2011 Reports of County Officers 1838-1910 Reports of Railroads 1852-1904 Reports of Special Commissions 1838-1998 Reports of State Institutions (See also: Departmental and Subject Files) 1840-1962 Reports of State Officers, Boards and Departments 1838-1916
⤢ Special Committees, Councils, and Task Forces Special Committees, Councils, and Task Forces Date Span Governors Ad Hoc Committee on Iowa Commission for the Blind 1972-1978 Governors Committee of Economy 1969-1982 Governors Conference on the Year 2000 (Iowa 2000) 1974-1979 Governors Council on Physical Fitness and Sports 1970-1982 Privacy Task Force 1978-1979
⤢ State Land Patents State Land Patents Date Span Executive Journals 1859-2006 Executive Journals Source Material (See also: Departmental and Subject Files) 1949-1956, 1969-1982
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