None.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
Researchers are required to use gloves provided by the Archives when reviewing photographic materials.
Some of the maps are too large to photocopy.
The Texas Game and Fish Commission managed wildlife, fish, and marine resources and sanctuaries; conducted research and gathered information on Texas' fish and game; promoted preservation efforts; regulated hunting activities and enforced game laws; educated the public about conservation and environmental issues; controlled the sand, shell, and gravel in Texas' waters; and oversaw the operations of fish hatcheries, game preserves, and oyster beds throughout Texas until its merger with the Texas State Parks Board to form the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1963 (House Bill 21, 58th Legislature, Regular Session). The Texas Game and Fish Commission traces its history back to early government conservation efforts during the late 1870s. Charged with monitoring compliance to fish preservation legislation, the Texas Office of the Fish Commissioner was established in 1879 (Chapter 78, 17th Legislature, Regular Session) and lasted until 1885. In 1895 the Legislature (House Bill 55, 24th Legislature, Regular Session) authorized the creation of the Office of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner. Early duties included protecting marine life and oyster beds along Texas bays and coastal waters.
Due to growing concerns over regulating hunting and preserving wild game, a game department was added in 1907 (House Bill 379, 30th Legislature, Regular Session) and the office was renamed the Texas Office of Game, Fish, and Oyster Commissioner. This department was designated to issue hunting licenses with the idea that the department would sell enough licenses to absorb its operating costs. During 1909, the year the first hunting license law was passed in Texas, the department sold five thousand licenses. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s the Office of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner continued its conservation efforts with projects focusing on gathering specimens of native birds, promoting awareness of growing pollution problems, and exploring water sewage issues. The department grew considerably in 1923 (House Bill 85, 38th Legislature, 3rd Called Session) when the game fund was turned over to the agency (instead of remaining under the Legislature's control) and forty-five game wardens were hired. This development made the enforcement of game laws possible, and two years later the activities of the Commissioner expanded further when fish hatchery construction resumed and game sanctuaries were created. Along with these activities came a new emphasis on public education and awareness of environmental issues, and the Division of Education, Publicity, and Research was formed in 1926 to oversee publications and establish a relationship with the press.
In 1929 the Legislature (Senate Bill 83, 41st Legislature, Regular
Session) eliminated the Office of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner and, in its
place, created the Texas Game, Fish, and Oyster Commission. Composed of six
members appointed by the governor with six-year overlapping terms, the
Commission held regular quarterly meetings as well as special session meetings
around the state every year. William J. Tucker was appointed the first
Executive Secretary of the Commission and A.E. Wood its first Chairman. The
Commission handled written and personal requests on designating areas as land
preserves and changes in game laws and regulations. The Commission also made
decisions about fish hatchery, oyster, and predatory animal control activities,
and instituted departmental policies and reviewed departmental projects. With
the 1930s came increased rebuilding of fish hatcheries and growth in the
killings of predatory animals, though the Great Depression and ensuing
dwindling financial resources forced the Commission to conduct departmental
salary reductions and layoffs. Despite the influx of federal relief funds
during the early 1930s, in 1933 the number of game wardens was reduced from one
hundred twenty-five to sixty-five. Educational and research efforts continued
to increase, however, and in 1935 the Texas Wildlife Research Unit was
established at Texas A&M and a game warden's school was created at Texas
A&M in 1946. Public outreach continued to grow as well during the 1940s,
and the Commission conducted radio programs and produced a number of
educational films. The Commission also replaced its monthly bulletin with
In 1951 (Senate Bill 463, 52nd Legislature, Regular Session), the
Commission was renamed as the Texas Game and Fish Commission and the number of
commissioners was increased from six to nine. During the 1950s the Commission
was organized into seven divisions. The Administrative Division handled office
operations and accounting and fiscal matters; the Law Enforcement Division
enforced the Commission's laws and regulations relating to game, fishing, and
pollution; the Education and Publications Division produced
(Sources:
The Texas Game and Fish Commission managed wildlife, fish, and marine resources and sanctuaries; conducted research and gathered information on Texas fish and game; promoted preservation efforts; regulated hunting and fishing activities; enforced game laws; educated the public about conservation and environmental issues; controlled the sand, shell, and gravel in Texas' waters; and oversaw the operations of fish hatcheries, game preserves, and oyster beds throughout Texas until its merger with the Texas State Parks Board to form the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1963. The records date 1896, 1899-1969, 1976, bulk 1928-1963. Types of records consist of minutes, correspondence, project reports, loose 4 x 6 pages from disassembled field notebooks, clippings, publications and other printed materials, questionnaires, news releases, memoranda, proclamations, petitions, legal style documentation, legislative information, ledgers, field and research notes, maps, and photographs. Divided into five series (Minutes, Administrative files, Monthly reports to the Comptroller, Project files, and the Rollover Pass project photographs), the records document administrative activities, finances and operations, educational material, wildlife research and findings, and federal aid to wildlife project reports. The minutes cover the Game and Fish Commission's administrative, financial, and operational matters, while the administrative files illustrate its wide range of administrative, legal, financial, and operational activities. The monthly reports to the Comptroller contain information on the Commission's financial activities, while the project files are comprised of the quarterly, annual, and special reports and supporting data relating to the federal aid to wildlife project undertaken by the Commission in the late 1930s to mid-1940s. The Rollover Pass project photographs series contains negatives, photographs, and several office memoranda, which cover the construction and dedication of Rollover Pass on the Bolivar Peninsula, damage from storms, and the landscape of Rollover Pass.
To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.
The records are organized into five series by State Archives staff:
(Identify the item and cite the series), Texas Game and Fish Commission records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Lisa Hendricks, June 1996
Tonia Wood, November 1995
Abbie Weiser, May 2006, September 2006
Accession numbers: 1972/084, 1992/107, 1996/102, 2000/150, 2003/027, 2004/090, 2005/097, 2006/049, 2006/348, 2006/349
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on January 26, 1972; April 21, 1992; May 3, 1996; May 10, 2000; October 10, 2003; and February 17, 2004; and by the Texas Legislative Reference Library on February 4 and November 8, 2005. Two accessions were transferred by an unknown agency many years ago and were assigned accession numbers for control purposes on April 10 and 11, 2006.
Minutes are also available on microfilm, 1929-1962, 2 reels.
The Texas Game and Commission managed wildlife, fish, and marine resources and sanctuaries; conducted research and gathered information on Texas fish and game; promoted preservation efforts; regulated hunting activities and enforced game laws; educated the public about conservation and environmental issues; controlled the sand, shell, and gravel in Texas waters; and oversaw the operations of fish hatcheries, game preserves, and oyster beds throughout Texas until its merger with the Texas State Parks Board to form the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1963. Records present are minutes of the Game and Fish Commission and its predessor, the Game, Fish, and Oyster Commission, bound into fourteen volumes and two indexes to volumes three and six. The minutes are dated 1929-1963; the two indexes to the minutes are undated. The minutes are also available on microfilm and contain some purchase vouchers that were filmed with the minutes, 1929-1962, 2 rolls. These records provide insights into the functions of the Commission and cover a variety of topics during regular quarterly and special session meetings. Topics include appropriations, establishing game and fishing seasons and regulations, in-person and written requests for dredging and putting land under status as a game preserve, predatory animal control programs, construction of fish and shellfish hatcheries, training for game wardens, and wildlife research endeavors.
These records are arranged in original order as maintained by the agency, which is chronological.
(Identify the item), Minutes, Texas Game and Fish Commission records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 1972/084, 1996/102
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on January 26, 1972 and May 3, 1996.
None.
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Lisa Hendricks, June 1996
Abbie Weiser, May 2006
The Texas Game and Fish Commission managed wildlife, fish, and
marine resources and sanctuaries; conducted research and gathered information
on Texas fish and game; promoted preservation efforts; regulated hunting
activities and enforced game laws; educated the public about conservation and
environmental issues; controlled the sand, shell, and gravel in Texas waters;
and oversaw the operations of fish hatcheries, game preserves, and oyster beds
throughout Texas until its merger with the Texas State Parks Board to form the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1963. Types of records consist of
correspondence, various reports, 4 x 6 notes from disassembled field notebooks,
clippings and other printed materials, questionnaires, news releases,
memoranda, proclamations, petitions, legislative information, ledgers, maps,
and photographs. Records are dated 1896, 1899-1969, bulk 1928-1963. Topics
include administrative and financial matters relating to Commission projects,
personnel, and operating costs; correspondence between the executive secretary
and assorted politicians and businessmen; correspondence relating to high
school conservation surveys; environmental and conservation legislation;
documents relating to court cases; rules and regulations of the Commission;
educational materials and questionnaires; game warden training and the game
warden school. Additional subjects covered include plant and vegetation, soil
conservation, shooting preserve, and fur resources data; and fish hatchery
reports. Maps generally correspond to written reports by game managers and
wildlife biologists, and detail information on vegetation statistics, farming
and ranching land, and wildlife habitats. Many folders contain 4 x 6 loose
pages from disassembled field notebooks, which record wildlife sightings and
other data, and are scattered throughout the series. Black and white
photographs also support these reports and document various aspects of Texas
wildlife and vegetation. Records are divided into three groups:
These records are primarily arranged in original order as maintained by the agency. Loose materials were organized and foldered by State Archives staff. Records are divided into three groups: Topical files, 1912-1963; Ledgers, 1896, 1899-1943; and Publications and reference materials, 1925-1969.
(Identify the item), Administrative files, Texas Game and Fish Commission records, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 1992/107, 1996/102, 2000/150, 2004/090, 2005/097, 2006/049, 2006/349
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on April 21, 1992; May 3, 1996; May 10, 2000; February 17, 2004; February 4, 2005; and November 8, 2005. One accession was transferred by an unknown agency many years ago and was assigned an accession number for control purposes on April 11, 2006.
None.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
Researchers are required to use gloves provided by the Archives when reviewing photographic materials.
Some maps are too large to be photocopied.
Tonia Wood, November 1995
Lisa Hendricks, June 1996
Abbie Weiser, May 2006
The Texas Game, Fish, and Oyster Commission managed wildlife, fish, and marine resources and sanctuaries; conducted research and gathered information on Texas fish and game; promoted preservation efforts; regulated hunting activities and enforced game laws; educated the public about conservation and environmental issues; controlled the sand, shell, and gravel in Texas waters; and oversaw the operations of fish hatcheries, game preserves, and oyster beds throughout Texas until its merger with the Texas State Parks Board to form the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1963. These records are monthly reports (usually two separate reports for each month - typically, one for collections information, the other for disbursement information) to the Texas Comptroller with a few items of correspondence and a separate list of fines collected interspersed among them. The records are dated 1911-1914, bulk 1913-1914. These reports were sent to the Comproller's office to document the Commission's financial receipts and disbursements related to the collection of fines and the issuing of hunting licenses, funds deposited in the fish and oyster fund, and to report monthly accounts of sand and shell business.
These records are arranged in chronological order by State Archives staff.
(Identify the item), Monthly reports to the Comptroller, Texas Game and Fish Commission records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession number: 2006/348
These records were transferred by an unknown agency years ago and were assigned an accession number for control purposes on April 10, 2006.
None.
None.
None.
Abbie Weiser, May 2006
The Texas Game and Fish Commission managed wildlife, fish, and
marine resources and sanctuaries; conducted research and gathered information
on Texas fish and game; promoted preservation efforts; regulated hunting
activities and enforced game laws; educated the public about conservation and
environmental issues; controlled the sand, shell, and gravel in Texas waters;
and oversaw the operations of fish hatcheries, game preserves, and oyster beds
throughout Texas until its merger with the Texas State Parks Board to form the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1963. These records document the
Commission's Wildlife Division's research projects resulting from The Federal
Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, also known as the Pittman-Robertson Act, and
date 1935-1957, 1976, bulk 1938-1946. Congress approved the Act on September 2,
1937 and the program commenced on July 1, 1938. The Act provided federal
funding "for the selection, restoration, rehabilitation and improvement of
wildlife habitat, wildlife management research, and the distribution of
information produced by the projects." The reports cover varying established
regions of Texas and often focus on wildlife subjects, such as Quail, Eastern
Wildlife Development, Wild Turkeys, and Lesser Prairie Chickens. Types of
records consist of quarterly, annual, and special project reports,
correspondence, photographs, maps, field notes, and other data gathered by game
managers and field biologists. Additional federal aid reports on wildlife
conservation and fisheries management (inland and coastal fisheries) can be
found in a separate finding aid, in the series
These records are arranged in original order as maintained by the agency, by project and therein chronological.
(Identify the item), Project files, Texas Game and Fish Commission records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession number: 2000/150
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on May 10, 2000.
None.
None.
Researchers are required to use gloves provided by the Archives when reviewing photographic materials.
Some maps are too large to be photocopied.
Abbie Weiser, May 2006
The Texas Game and Fish Commission managed wildlife, fish, and marine resources and sanctuaries; conducted research and gathered information on Texas fish and game; promoted preservation efforts; regulated hunting activities and enforced game laws; educated the public about conservation and environmental issues; controlled the sand, shell, and gravel in Texas waters; and oversaw the operations of fish hatcheries, game preserves, and oyster beds throughout Texas until its merger with the Texas State Parks Board to form the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1963. This series contains negatives, photographs, and several office memorandum, which cover the construction and dedication of Rollover Pass on the Bolivar Peninsula, damage from storms, and the landscape of Rollover Pass. Many of the photographs and negative envelopes include date, photographer name, locale, and general notes, such as the time of day the photograph was taken and tide information. The memos date from the the late 1950s and are scattered throughout the photographs. These memos recount the delivery of the photographs to the Game and Fish Commission, describe contruction progress, and request additional photographs of the project. A print out of an email dated June 8, 2000 describes the discovery of the negatives in the TPWD's offices and is in the accession file. The records date 1955-1963, bulk 1955-1959.
These records are arranged in original order as received from the agency.
(Identify the item), Rollover Pass project photographs, Texas Game and Fish Commission records, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession number: 2003/027
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on October 10, 2003.
None.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.)
Researchers are required to use gloves provided by the Archives when reviewing photographic materials.
Abbie Weiser, September 2006