The records of the Governor's office document not only the day-to-day transactions of that office but reflect to a considerable degree the overall operations of the state government. Only in recent decades, however, have substantially complete collections of Governor's office files been preserved. Although documentation of the Governor's primary official acts has been carefully maintained in its original form throughout the entire period of the state's history, California law makes no provision for the disposition of the Governor's administrative papers, that is the correspondence, memoranda, and other records that flow between the Governor's office and the other branches of state, federal, and local government as well as to and from the general public. Consequently, the administrative records of California's Governors have been largely scattered to various private and public institutions or destroyed. Major collections of administrative records are lacking for all governors except Hiram Johnson, Pardee, Olson, and Brown, whose administrative papers are in the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley; Haight and Markham, whose administrative papers are in the Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino; and Warren and Knight, whose administrative papers are in the California State Archives. In addition, fragmentary administrative records of most California governors are to be found in the California State Archives.

For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections.