Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State Archives search room (Room 100). Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage areas by staff members.
Because of the possibility that portions of these records fall under Public Information Act exceptions including, but not limited to, 552.101, privacy and other statutory exceptions; 552.107, attorney-client privilege; 552.111, agency memoranda; 552.117, home addresses, home phone numbers, social security numbers, and personal family information of government employees; and 552.136, account numbers, an archivist must review these records before they can be accessed for research. The records may be requested for research under the provisions of the Public Information Act (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Chapter 552). The researcher may request an interview with an archivist or submit a request by mail, fax, or email including enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the archivist to accurately identify and locate the information requested. If our review reveals information that may be excepted by the Public Information Act, we are obligated to seek an open records decision from the Attorney General on whether the records can be released. The Public Information Act allows the Archives ten working days after receiving a request to make this determination. The Attorney General has 45 working days to render a decision. Alternately, the Archives can inform you of the nature of the potentially excepted information and if you agree, that information can be redacted or removed and you can access the remainder of the records.
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.).
None.
The Attorney General is the lawyer for the people of Texas and is charged by the Texas Constitution to: defend the laws and the Constitution of the State of Texas, represent the State in litigation, and approve public bond issues. To fulfill these responsibilities, the Office of the Attorney General serves as legal counsel to all boards and agencies of state government; issues legal opinions when requested by the Governor, heads of state agencies and other officials and agencies as provided by Texas statutes; sits as an ex-officio member of state committees and commissions; and defends challenges to state laws and suits against both state agencies and individual employees of the State.
The Office of the Attorney General has taken on numerous other roles through the years. Texas statutes contain nearly 2000 references to the Attorney General. In addition to its constitutionally prescribed duties, the Office of the Attorney General files civil suits upon referral by other state agencies. In some circumstances, the Attorney General has original jurisdiction to prosecute violations of the law, but in most cases, criminal prosecutions by the Attorney General are initiated only upon the request of a local prosecutor. Although the Attorney General is prohibited from offering legal advice or representing private individuals, he serves and protects the rights of all citizens of Texas through the activities of the various divisions of the agencies. Actions that benefit all citizens of this state include enforcement of health, safety and consumer regulations, educational outreach programs and protection of the rights of the elderly and disabled. The Attorney General is also charged with the collection of court-ordered child support and the administration of the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund.
(Sources include: the Attorney General's web site at
The Attorney General is the lawyer for the people of Texas and is charged by the Texas Constitution to: defend the laws and the Constitution of the State of Texas, represent the State in litigation, and approve public bond issues. To fulfill these responsibilities, the Office of the Attorney General serves as legal counsel to all boards and agencies of state government; issues legal opinions when requested by the Governor, heads of state agencies and other officials and agencies as provided by Texas statutes; sits as an ex-officio member of state committees and commissions; and defends challenges to state laws and suits against both state agencies and individual employees of the State. Records are speeches, press releases, calendars, and organization charts, 1956-1999, 2003-2006, created and maintained by staff of the Texas Attorney General's Office. Materials include speeches for Attorney General Crawford C. Martin and First Assistant Attorney General Barry McBee and schedules for Attorney General Greg Abbott.
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.
These records are organized into three series by State Archives staff based on the agency's retention schedule and the way the records were received:
(Identify the item and cite the series), Texas Attorney General's Office records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Press releases for the Office of the Attorney General were appraised
and some were deemed archival on December 6, 2005. A copy of the appraisal
report is available on-line at
Certain calendars for the Office of the Attorney General were
appraised and some were deemed archival on September 21, 2006. A copy of the
appraisal report is available on-line at
Paul Beck, May 1994
Tonia J. Wood, September 2005, October 2006
Accession numbers: 1994/062, 2004/082, 2006/004, 2006/139, 2006/388, 2007/029
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Office of the Attorney General on January 27, 1994; September 8, 2005; May 4, 2006; and September 13, 2006; and by the Legislative Reference Library on January 20, 2004 and January 26, 2006.
News releases for Attorney General Greg Abbott dating back to December
2002 are available on-line at
The Attorney General is the lawyer for the people of Texas and is charged by the Texas Constitution to: defend the laws and the Constitution of the State of Texas, represent the State in litigation, and approve public bond issues. Speeches and press releases publicize the Attorney General's mission and activities. Records date 1956-1999, 2003-2006. Materials include speeches for Attorney General Crawford C. Martin and First Assistant Attorney General Barry McBee.
Crawford C. Martin (b. 1916 - d. 1972), former Attorney General of Texas, was first elected to that office in 1966 and won reelection in 1968 and 1970. His total term in office as Attorney General was from January 1, 1967 to December 29, 1972. A native of Hillsboro, Texas, Martin had served previously in the Texas Senate from 1948 to 1962. In 1963, he was appointed Texas Secretary of State by Governor John Connally, holding that office from January 15, 1963 to March 12, 1966.
As first assistant attorney general, Barry McBee served as the second highest ranking attorney and as the agency’s chief administrator under the State Attorney General. He was appointed to the post by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott in 2002. Prior to joining the attorney general’s office, McBee served as chief of staff for Rick Perry in both the Governor’s and the Lieutenant Governor’s offices. He also served as deputy commissioner of agriculture from 1991 to 1995 and was appointed by Governor George W. Bush to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission where he served as chairman from 1995 to 1998. He left the Attorney General's Office in June 2006 to become vice chancellor for governmental relations in the University of Texas System.
These records are arranged in chronological or reverse chronological order as received from the agency.
(Identify the item), Speeches and press releases, Texas Attorney General's Office records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 1994/062, 2004/082, 2006/139, 2006/388
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Attorney General's Office on January 27, 1994 and May 4, 2006; and by the Legislative Reference Library on January 20, 2004 and January 26, 2006.
Paul Beck, May 1994
Tonia J. Wood, October 2006
The Attorney General is the lawyer for the people of Texas and is charged by the Texas Constitution to defend the laws and the Constitution of the State of Texas, represent the State in litigation, and approve public bond issues. Calendars, 2003-2006, provide day-to-day information on how an individual fulfills his job responsibilities. The calendars provide evidence of policy-making functions, provide an overview of high level officials' activities, and list meetings, subjects, attendees, and speaking engagements. Attorney General Greg Abbott's calendar is prepared in schedule format, noting arrival and departure times, events, meetings and attendees, and office time for each work day. Other staff members' calendars are printouts from electronic calendars or are copies of desk calendars.
These records are arranged by position, and then chronologically, as received from the agency.
(Identify the item), Calendars and schedules, Texas Attorney General's Office records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 2006/388, 2007/029
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Attorney General's Office on May 4, 2006 and September 13, 2006.
Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State Archives search room (Room 100). Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage areas by staff members.
Because of the possibility that portions of these records fall under Public Information Act exceptions including, but not limited to, 552.101, privacy and other statutory exceptions; 552.107, attorney-client privilege; 552.111, agency memoranda; 552.117, home addresses, home phone numbers, social security numbers, and personal family information of government employees; and 552.136, account numbers, an archivist must review these records before they can be accessed for research. The records may be requested for research under the provisions of the Public Information Act (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Chapter 552). The researcher may request an interview with an archivist or submit a request by mail, fax, or email including enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the archivist to accurately identify and locate the information requested. If our review reveals information that may be excepted by the Public Information Act, we are obligated to seek an open records decision from the Attorney General on whether the records can be released. The Public Information Act allows the Archives ten working days after receiving a request to make this determination. The Attorney General has 45 working days to render a decision. Alternately, the Archives can inform you of the nature of the potentially excepted information and if you agree, that information can be redacted or removed and you can access the remainder of the records.
Tonia J. Wood, October 2006
The Attorney General is the lawyer for the people of Texas and is charged by the Texas Constitution to defend the laws and the Constitution of the State of Texas, represent the State in litigation, and approve public bond issues. Records are organization charts detailing the structure of the Texas Office of the Attorney General and including names of individuals holding positions, dating 2003-2005.
These records are arranged chronologically and by division as received from the agency.
(Identify the item), Organization charts, Texas Attorney General's Office records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession number: 2006/004
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Office of the Attorney General on September 8, 2005.
Tonia J. Wood, September 2005