A Guide to the Texas State Treasury Department Records, 1866-1936, 1950-1964

Historical Note

The state of Texas established the office of the State Treasurer in the Constitution of 1845 and also described the position the Constitution of 1876. The Treasurer was elected every four years to serve as the head of the State Treasury Department. The office maintained state money and accounts of receipts and expenditures, collected certain taxes, controlled securities and unclaimed property in trust, and administered government-investment pool money. Furthermore, the department processed state agency checks and warrants, approved financial institutions for state depositories, maintained securities owned by state agencies, and developed the cash-management programs. In 1996, the department closed, and the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts took over the Treasury’s duties. Former Texas State Treasurers include Charles V. Terrell, W. Gregory Hatcher, M. H. Royston, and George W. Honey.

Sources:

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "State Treasurer,"http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/SS/mbsex.html (accessed September 22, 2010).

Litigation files, Office of the General Counsel, Texas Treasury Department. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/10211/tsl-10211.html (accessed September 22, 2010).

Scope and Contents

The Texas State Treasury Department Records, 1866-1936, 1950-1964, contains legal documents, financial records, bonds, and correspondence, which document the activities of the Treasury Dept. and its relation to other state offices. Correspondence and checks pertain to the return of money on behalf of the General Land Office to individuals as well as to insurance companies binding the State Treasurer, including Charles V. Terrell, M. H. Royston, and W. Gregory Hatcher. Insurance policies, memoranda, and registers provide information on deposits, bonds, warrants, and securities received by the State Treasurer from numerous insurance companies in the United States.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

A portion of these records is stored remotely. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact repository for retrieval.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Texas State Treasury Department Records, 1866-1936, 1950-1964, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Detailed Description of the Papers