Texas Military Facilities Commission:

An Inventory of Military Facilities Commission Records at the Texas State Archives, 1921-2005

Agency History

The Texas National Guard Armory Board was originally created in 1935 (Senate Bill 501, 44th Legislature, Regular Session) to oversee the expenditure of six million dollars allocated to Texas by a congressional appropriation to the War Department for the purpose of building National Guard armories. The Board was initially granted only the authority to cooperate with federal authorities in building facilities in Texas; it functioned as a separate entity in a close relationship with the Texas Adjutant General. In 1937 (Senate Bill 402, 45th Legislature, Regular Session), the Board's duties were expanded to include the right to sue and be sued, to contract, to acquire property, to borrow money, and to issue bonds, enabling the Board to obtain further grants and loans from the federal government. The Board, thus, had responsibility for the acquisition, construction, rental, control, maintenance, and operation of all armory facilities for the Texas National Guard. After World War II, the agency was authorized to handle surplus property being released to the states by the federal government (House Bill 448, 51st Legislature, Regular Session, 1949). A need for a specific separation from the Adjutant General prompted a complete revision of all the provisions concerning the Texas National Guard Armory Board in 1967 (House Bill 406, 60th Legislature, Regular Session). In 1979, the Board was granted the additional authority to issue refunding bonds to finance its expenses (Senate Bill 878, 66th Legislature, Regular Session). The agency was authorized to borrow money and to issue and sell bonds, debentures, and other evidences of indebtedness in support of its facilities program. The Board's objectives were to support the state Adjutant General's goals and missions; to construct new armory facilities to accommodate new units of the Texas National Guard; to initiate a comprehensive perpetual maintenance and repair program; to renovate armories; and to reduce the backlog of minor construction projects. In 1972, the board maintained and operated armories in 140 locations but by 1996, due to cost cutting measures, it operated facilities in only 106 places.

In 1997, the name of the agency was changed to the Texas Military Facilities Commission (Senate Bill 352, 75th Legislature, Regular Session) and it was made the exclusive authority for the construction, repair, and maintenance of National Guard armories, facilities, and improvements owned by the state that are located on commission property. The Commission is a public authority and a body politic and corporate and has all powers necessary for the acquisition, construction, rental, control, maintenance, operation, and disposition of Texas National Guard or Texas State Guard facilities and real property, including all property and equipment necessary or useful in connection with the facilities. The Commission retains the authorization to borrow money and to issue and sell bonds, debentures, and other evidences of indebtedness in support of its facilities program. The agency operates under the legal authority of the Texas Government Code, Title 3, Subtitle C, Chapter 435.

The policy-making body of the Texas National Guard Armory Board was a six-member board composed of the two senior officers of the Texas Army National Guard, the senior officer of the Air National Guard, and three representatives of the general public appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate for overlapping six-year terms. No member could simultaneously hold any other office or position of honor, trust, or profit under the state or federal service. These were non-salaried positions, and members elected the chair. An Executive Director for the agency was appointed by the board. Following the changes mandated by the 75th Legislature, the composition of the Texas Military Facilities Commission was altered to include one senior officer of the Texas National Guard (appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate from a list submitted by the adjutant general), who must be actively serving in the Texas National Guard at the time of appointment and five members of the general public (appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate), none of whom may actively serve in the Texas National Guard while serving as members of the commission, and two of whom must have experience in architecture, civil engineering, or construction management. Other conditions of service remained similar to those of the Texas National Guard Armory Board. In accordance with Senate Bill 287 (78th Legislature, Regular Session) which required that agencies with an even number of board members alter to an odd number of members to comply with the changes made to Section 30a, Article XVI of the Texas Constitution, the Commission became a seven-member board in 2003 (the additional seat was not filled until 2004).

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Scope and Contents of the Records

The Texas Military Facilities Commission (before 1997 known as the Texas National Guard Armory Board) has the exclusive authority for the construction, repair, and maintenance of National Guard armories, facilities, and improvements owned by the state that are located on commission property. Types of records include correspondence, board meeting minutes and agenda, agreements, leases, title abstracts, powers of attorney, easements, resolutions, environmental assessment reports, plans, tax appraisals, photostats, invoices, advertisements, bluelines, architectural sketches, blueprints, contracts, deeds, legal opinions, inspection reports, project manuals, bid abstracts, performance bonds, bid bonds, printed material, certificates of award, photographs, news clippings, press releases, and a personnel manual. Records date from 1921 to 2005 and document the activities of the Texas National Guard Armory Board and its successor, the Texas Military Facilities Commission.

Minutes and agenda document the meetings and actions taken by the Texas National Guard Armory Board and Military Facilities Commission since 1935. Real estate files document the Board's initial acquisition of various real estate sites for the construction of armory facilities and the eventual disposition of those sites when they were no longer deemed necessary or viable for the use of the National Guard. Construction project files document construction projects undertaken by the Board in compliance with its mandate to construct new armory facilities to accommodate new units of the Texas National Guard; to initiate a comprehensive perpetual maintenance and repair program; to renovate armories; and to reduce the backlog of minor construction projects. Specifications include detailed plans, drawings, and written technical specifications for new construction projects and renovations to existing structures, usually found with basic documentation for the specific project, such as contracts, bid abstracts, awards, and bonds. Legal opinions and advice concern the composition and administrative control of the Board, the independence of Board activities, the competitive bidding process, the validity of contracts, property management, and issues regarding funding and personnel. A few agency press releases and a personnel manual round out the record group.

To prepare this preliminary 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

None.

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

Researchers are required to wear gloves provided by the Archives when reviewing photographic materials. Rolled drawings are too large to photocopy.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Texas Military Facilities Commission records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 1997/039, 1997/056, 1998/161, 1999/060, 1999/104, 1999/108, 2000/068, 2000/076, 2001/081, 2002/032, 2002/083, 2002/115, 2002/135, 2003/017, 2004/015, 2004/018, 2004/089, 2005/093, 2005/111, 2005/121, 2006/040

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas National Guard Armory Board on November 15, 1996 and December 30, 1996; by the Texas Military Facilities Commission on June 9, 1998; December 3, 1998; February 3, 1999; February 23, 1999; December 1, 1999; December 9, 1999; December 6, 2000; October 4, 2001; December 14, 2001; May 22, 2002; September 26, 2002; September 15, 2003; September 19, 2003; February 13, 2004; December 16, 2004; January 27, 2005; February 15, 2005; and October 13, 2005; and by the Legislative Reference Library on March 27, 2002.

Processing Information

Lisa M. Hendricks, November 1996, January 1997

Nancy Enneking, April 1999, June 1999, December 1999, November 2000, August 2001, July 2002

Rebecca Romanchuk, December 2005

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Detailed Description of the Records

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