Texas Secretary of State, Statutory Documents Section:

An Inventory of Secretary of State Official Proclamations of the Governor at the Texas State Archives, 1984-1997

Agency History

The Texas Constitution of 1845 required the Secretary of State to "keep a fair register of all official acts and proceedings of the Governor" and to provide these to the legislature when required. This duty (and others) were reiterated in the act "to define the duties of Secretary of State," approved May 9, 1846. This authority was reconfirmed by the Constitutions of 1866 (Article V, Section 17), 1869 (Article IV, Section 17) and 1876 (Article IV, Section 21), and subsequent amendments.

The Secretary of State is a constitutional officer of the executive branch of state government, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate for a term concurrent with the governor's (a two-year term at first, a four-year term since 1974). The office was first created by the Constitution of the Republic of Texas in 1836 (Article VI, Section 10), and has been continued by each succeeding Constitution.

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Scope and Contents of the Records

One of the constitutional duties of the Secretary of State (beginning with the first state constitution) is to register all official acts and proceedings of the governor, including gubernatorial proclamations. These records consist of proclamations made by made by Governors Mark White, William P. Clements, Ann Richards, and George W. Bush, and filed with the secretary of state, plus some supporting documentation, dating 1984-1997. These proclamations have original signatures of the governor and the secretary of state and the seal of the State of Texas, except for veto proclamations (which are copies of the originals). Subjects of the proclamations include the following: calling special sessions for the legislature, ordering general and special elections, vetoing legislation, appointing special judges, bestowing the honor of burial in the state cemetery, establishing speed limits on interstate highways in Texas, announcing animal health regulations, designating as disaster areas those portions of the state in need of emergency assistance, and declaring commemorative days/weeks/months. Two kinds of proclamation files contain supporting documentation: Animal Health Commission proclamations are accompanied by a cover letter from the Texas Animal Health Commission plus copies of the appropriate regulations; and Speed Limit proclamations are accompanied by a cover letter from the Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation (or its successor, the Texas Department of Transportation) plus copies of the minute orders from the commission.

Earlier gubernatorial proclamations (along with gubernatorial correspondence; inaugural and valedictory addresses; executive messages; Indian treaties; appointments and resignations; passports; pardons and remissions; extraditions; rewards; reports of state agencies; etc.) are found in Executive record books, 1836-1917.

Governor's clemency proclamations and reward proclamations are maintained as separate record series, described in separate inventories.

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.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State Archives search room. Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage areas by staff members.

Restrictions on Use

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.).

Technical Requirements

None.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Texas Secretary of State official proclamations of the governor. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 1992/053, 2004/121, 2009/032

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Secretary of State, Statutory Documents Section, on January 23, 1992; April 8, 2004; and September 29, 2008.

Processing Information

Original accession summary of Governor's appointments, proclamations, and official memoranda created by Paul Beck, November 1994

Initial folder inventory for Ann Richards proclamations created by Tony Black, April 2007

Oldest accession of proclamations reboxed, and new accession added by Tony Black, October 2008

Appraisal Information

These records were appraised as archival by an appraisal of Secretary of State records held by the State Archives on December 15, 1998. See that appraisal report online at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/appraisal/sosstate.html#52, or in paper in the Archives search room.

Accruals

Periodically, the Statutory Documents Section of the Office of the Secretary of State transfers official proclamations of the governor to the Texas State Archives.

Location of Originals

The originals of veto proclamations are filed in the archival series Texas Secretary of State legislative bills and resolutions filed (General and special laws), 1836-2004, 236.68 cubic ft. (originals), 22 reels of microfilm (duplicates).

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Detailed Description of the Records

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