Inventory of the Board of Control Records

Processed by Ann Sullivan
California State Archives
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, California 95814
Phone: (916) 653-2246
Fax: (916) 653-7363
Email: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov
URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/
© 2009
California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.

Inventory of the Board of Control Records

Collection number: R127

California State Archives

Office of the Secretary of State

Sacramento, California
Processed by:
Ann Sullivan
Date Completed:
June 2009
Encoded by:
Sara Kuzak
© 2009 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Board of Control Records
Dates: 1856-1995
Collection number: R127
Creator: California State Board of Examiners, 1856-1910
Creator: California State Board of Control, 1911-1995
Collection Size: 174 volumes and 19 cubic feet
Repository: California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Abstract: The records of the Board of Examiners consist of 104 bound volumes created from 1856-1910. These bound folios were assigned identification numbers F2429 and F3349. These record groups are organized into nine series consisting of Minutes, Record of Claims, Appropriations, Public Accounting, Orphans and Abandoned Children, Coyote Claims, Contingent Fund Ledger, Form Book, and Correspondence. The records of the Board of Control consist of seventy bound volumes and nineteen cubic feet of textual material.
Physical location: California State Archives
Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Administrative Information

Access

While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.

Publication Rights

For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], California Board of Control Records, [identification number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Acquisition and Custodial History

The California State Archives acquired the Board of Control and Board of Examiners Records according to state law.

Administrative History

The California Legislature established the Board of Examiners in 1856 to examine the books of the State Controller and State Treasurer and to oversee the money in the treasury (Chapter 85, Statutes of 1856). The Board's membership consisted of the Governor, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General. The Legislature enacted another law in 1858 revising the role of the Board to include ruling on claims against the State for which appropriations had been made, counting the money in the state treasury, and examining the books of the Controller and Treasurer. (Chapter 257, Statutes of 1858)
In 1911, the California Legislature abolished the Board of Examiners and established the Board of Control in its place to provide many of the functions of the previous organization. (Chapter 349, Statutes of 1911) The Legislature charged the Board of Control with the fiscal supervision of state departments, hospitals, prisons, reformatories, boards, commissions, and bureaus. The Legislature reorganized the Board of Control again in 1927 providing new responsibilities such as performing as the governing body of the Department of Finance; regulating travel expenses and allowances for state employees and officers, as well as auditing and determining claims against the State (Chapter 251, Statutes of California 1927). Membership of the Board of Control no longer consisted of the Governor, Secretary of State, and the Attorney General, but consisted of the Director of the Department of Finance, acting as chairman, the State Controller, and a third member appointed by the Governor serving a four-year term.
Activity of the Board of Control from its reorganization in 1927 through the mid-1960s consisted of many routine procedures. Determination and authorization of claims during its twice-monthly meetings was a significant part of the workload. The State Merit Award Program, instituted in 1950, provided one of the earliest specialized claims programs administered by the Board of Control. The Merit Award Program allowed state employees to be financially rewarded for their suggestions that reduced or eliminated state expenditures or improved operations after those suggestions were implemented. The Board of Control appointed four of the five board members to the State Merit Award Board and provided final action decisions for compensation to state employees. Board of Control administrative involvement in the Merit Award Program ceased by 1976 when the program was transferred into the Department of General Services.
The Claims, Rulemaking, and Fiscal Control Program within the Board of Control developed in the early 1970s and became known as the Government Claims Program. The increasing size and complexity of state government required that uniform rules and regulations be developed and implemented regarding fiscal matters and the need for equitable treatment. Another reason to create the Government Claims Program was the increased number of claims filed against the State overloading the courts and therefore creating a substantial backlog. This program dealt with specific fiscal operations managed by the Board such as: review of discharge of accounts receivable by the state; refunds, credits, and cancellation of taxes; sale and disposal of unclaimed property; transfer of funds between state agencies; determination of pro-rata share of administrative costs payable by each state agency; determination of headquarters for purposes of travel claims; and hearings regarding purchase and bid protests.
A significant program administered by the Board of Control was Indemnification of Private Citizens, later becoming the Victims of Crime Compensation Program. Established in 1973, this was the first state-run program in the nation to financially compensate victims who had been injured and suffered financial hardship due to a crime of violence or citizens who had been injured or whose personal property had sustained damage while performing acts benefiting the public (Chapter 1144, Statutes of 1973).

Scope and Content

The records of the Board of Examiners consist of 104 bound volumes created from 1856-1910. These bound folios were assigned Record Group Numbers F2429 and F3349. These record groups are organized into nine series consisting of Minutes, Record of Claims, Appropriations, Public Accounting, Orphans and Abandoned Children, Coyote Claims, Contingent Fund Ledger, Form Book, and Correspondence.
The records of the Board of Control consist of seventy bound volumes and nineteen cubic feet of textual material. Record numbers F3349 and F3351 were assigned to bound folios created from 1911-1973. These volumes contain Minutes, Record of Claims, Appropriations, Public Accounting, and Reports. Record number R127 consists of the nineteen cubic feet of textual material created between 1949-1995. These records are organized into six series including: Meeting Agendas; Meeting Minutes; Government Claims Program Files; Administrative Office Files; Victims of Crime Program Files; and Executive Office Files.
The records of the Board of Control document the actions of a fiscal authority responsible for supervising the business affairs of all state departments, hospitals, prisons and reformatories, boards, commissions, and bureaus. The bulk of the R127 records consist of the Board's meeting agendas (R127.1), which cover the years 1949-1991. Meeting agendas illustrate the number and variety of cases the Board was required to rule on as well as the importance of background material when it existed. Individual claimants are listed as agenda items and often include social security numbers or in the case of victim indemnification claims, descriptions of crimes. Some of these agendas have been restricted because of the existence of personal information of claimants within the agenda.
Another significant portion of this collection are the Administrative Office Files (R127.4) and Executive Office Files (R127.6), which were almost exclusively created during the early 1980s and 1990s. These two series offer insight to the changes the Board experienced during this time period. A record of proposed legislation and their analyses exist within the administrative office files. Weekly, monthly, and annual statistical report files from the early 1980s reflect a significant claim backlog and administrative attempts to remedy this problem. A number of correspondences exist within the executive office series. Much of this correspondence reflects the Board of Control supervised expansion of the Victims of Crime Compensation Program. Internal audit reports produced from 1987-1989 are also included within the executive files. William J. Anthony, Director of the Department of General Services, served as Executive Officer from 1984-1990 and Austin Eaton's service followed from 1990-1996 during this significant expansion.
Government Claims Program Files (R127.3) contain some information about Loma Prieta and Northridge Earthquake disaster claims. A sub-series of Government Claims Program Meeting Minutes exists for 1990 where this time period is not represented in the general Meeting Agendas or Meeting Minutes series.
The Board of Control administers the Victim of Crime Program, under the name Victim Indemnification Fund. This program's mission has been to help pay un-reimbursed expenses of victims when they occur as a result of a violent crime. Victim of Crime Files (R127.5) series subjects reflect the program's emphasis to legally define all who may be considered as a victim and to implement a fair and equitable policy for financial assistance. The Board of Control generally heard Victim of Crime claims in closed sessions due to personal information and explicit nature of some crimes. Victim of Crime Program hearing files from 1987-1991 are restricted for this reason unless a direct connection with the victim can be substantiated. Also within this series are joint power agreements between county district attorney's offices and the Board of Control-Victim of Crime Program that allowed for shorter processing times and determination of claims by a local authority near the victim.
Further accruals are expected.

Related Collections at the California State Archives

Department of General Services
Department of Finance Records
Merit Award Board Records
State Controller Records

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
California. State Board of Control
California. Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board


 

Board of Examiners

F3349

Series 1 Minutes 1856-1857 1891-1910

Physical Description: 6 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

Meeting Minutes provide an overview of Board issues and actions taken during official meetings. Produced after each Board meeting, the meeting minutes include notes regarding claim decisions, bids and bid protests, and other agenda items.
F3349

Series 2 Record of Claims 1856-1911

Physical Description: 50 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

Records of Claims list individual claims and include claim number, name of claimant, appropriation and remarks, description of claim, date presented and acted upon, amount claimed, amount allowed, deductions, withdrawals, and rejections.
Also, includes Indexes to Record of Claims from 1899-1911. Each volume is an alphabetical index for one fiscal year that corresponds to the Record of Claims volume for the same fiscal year. These are alphabetical indexes by claimant's name that identify the page number in the Record of Claims where the claim was recorded.
F3349 and F3351:7

Series 3 Registers of Appropriations 1898-1911

Physical Description: 7 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by fiscal year.

Scope and Content Note

Appropriations and expenditures reviewed by the Board. Includes name of fund, citation of law providing fund, amount of money available, date and type of transaction, and amount of money spent.
F3349 and F3351:10

Series 4 Public Accounting Volumes 1867-1914

Physical Description: 6 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

Abstracts of State Property provide itemized lists of all property and its value held in state offices in San Francisco (F3349:4320) and Oakland (F3349:4322) during 1897 and 1898. The Register of Instruments of Title to Real Estate Owned by the State (F3351:10) includes deed date, date of recording, where recorded, name of grantors, description of land, county name, amount of acres, whether gift or purchase, owner of land title, and remarks from 1901 through 1914. Transportation of Prisoners and the Insane Ledgers, 1880-1886 (F3349:5197, 2427). Memoranda of Laws, Forms, and Regulations of the Treasury Department, 1876 (F3349:3401).
F3349:4046-4050, 4068

Series 5 Orphans and Abandoned Children Volumes 1890-1911

Physical Description: 6 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged by county or orphanage with volume.

Scope and Content Note

These volumes provide a register of claims against the state for appropriated funds by orphan asylums throughout California. (Chapter 326, Statutes of 1870 and Chapter 19, Statutes of 1880) Each asylum is listed alphabetically by county and provides the name, sex, age at admission, date of admission and discharge, and classification of charges as a whole, half, or abandoned children.
F3349:4040, 4045

Series 6 Coyote Claims 1892-1895

Physical Description: 2 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged numerically by claim number.

Scope and Content Note

Coyote Claims register claims against the State by individuals in order to receive compensation for killing a coyote and providing the scalp as documentation. Lists of claimants are by county and provides the names of claimants, amount claimed and allowed, date the scalps were presented for documentation, and the date the claim was acted on.
F3349:4340

Series 7 Contingent Fund Ledger 1857-1858

Physical Description: 1 volume

Arrangement

Arranged by state office or state fund.

Scope and Content Note

This ledger documents State Officers, Legislature, and Agencies expenditures of the State Contingent Fund and Special Contingent Fund. An index in the front of the volume provides an alphabetical list of all offices, agencies, and programs included.
F3349:4072

Series 8 Form Book 1889-1890

Physical Description: 1 volume

Arrangement

Arranged numerically by form number.

Scope and Content Note

This volume contains many examples of claim forms used by the Board of Examiners to track expenditures from appropriated funds. Pre-printed forms are included with some state officer, agency, or commission information while similar forms without specific appropriation information are also included. Also included in this series are examples of forms provided by the Board of Examiners to be filled out by institutions requesting numerous compensation claims at regular intervals such as orphanages, prisons, and asylums.
F3349:1-23

Series 9 Letterbooks 1887-1906

Physical Description: 23 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

Volumes F3349:1-18 are Letters Sent and cover the years 1887-1991, 1893-1900, 1903-1905. Volumes F3349:19-23 are Letters Received and cover the years 1892-1899. Correspondence wee generally sent or received by the Board Secretary and related to such topics as claims before the Board, requests to make out claims, payments of claims or employees, questions and clarifications regarding payment of claims, and audit of claims.

 

Board of Control

R127.01, Boxes 1-12, Folders 1-2

Series 1 Meeting Agendas 1949-1991

Physical Description: 207 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by hearing date.

Access Information

These files are RESTRICTED as per Government Code Section 7923.755 (formerly Gov. Code sections 6254.17 (a) and (b)) (restricted unless direct connection to the claim can be verified). Many individual claims set to be ruled on during the meetings use social security numbers as identification.

Scope and Content Note

Meeting Agenda Files include proposed agendas for the semi-monthly meetings of the Board of Control. Limited background materials, referring to agenda items, are also included in many files. Typical agenda items include claims, bid-protest rulings, headquarter determinations, merit award decisions, and discharges from accountability. Also within this series are meeting agendas for specific programs including the Merit Award Program, Government Claims Program, and Victims Claims Program. These supplementary agendas address issues specific to the designated program and lists claim requests where the Board approves, denies, or continues the request.
R127.02 and F3349:4205-4231, Boxes 12-13, Folders 3-7

Series 2 Minutes 1910-1981

Physical Description: 24 volumes and 12 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

Meeting Minutes offer a detailed perspective to issues and actions that occurred before the Board of Control meetings. Meeting Minutes provide another perspective of Board issues and actions taken during official meetings. Produced after each Board meeting, the meeting minutes include notes regarding claim decisions, bid-protests, and other agenda items.
R127.03, Boxes 13-15, Folders 8-1

Series 3 Government Claims Program Files 1952-1995

Physical Description: 19 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically thereunder.

Scope and Content Note

Typical items found within the Government Claims Program series include correspondence and meeting minutes. Other subject files include determination of allowable travel expenses from agencies, boards, and commissions. Catastrophic events presented special challenges to the Government Claims Programs and subject files of the Bay Bridge and Nimitz Freeway Disaster and the Northridge Earthquake are included. Government Claims Program meeting minutes exist for 1990 only.
R127.04, Box 15, Folders 2-19

Series 4 Administrative Office Files 1951-1991

Physical Description: 18 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically thereunder.

Access Information

Subject file: "Audits-Internal" (1991)is RESTRICTED per Government Code Section 7923.755 (formerly Gov. Code sections 6254.17 (a) and (b)) (Restricted unless direct connection to the claim can be verified). This file includes detailed description of crimes and personal information of victims within the claims processed by the Victims of Crime Program.

Scope and Content Note

This series was created by the Board of Control's Administrative Office and includes reports, correspondence, and background information. The bulk of the series consists of administrative reports. A significant backlog of claims occurred in the early 1980s and many of these reports address solutions as well as preventative measures to avoid similar situations in the future. Specific subjects in this series include: Administrative Procedure Bulletins; Annual Reports (1979-1990); Budget Background (1988-1989); Legislative Files (1984-1989); and Policy and Regulation Proposals (1988-1989).
R127.05, Boxes 15-17, Folders 20-6

Series 5 Victims of Crime Program Files 1983-1994

Physical Description: 47 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically thereunder.

Access Information

Subject files: "Alex Carbaga" and "Hearing Minutes" (1987-1989, 1991) are RESTRICTED per Government Code Section 7923.755 (formerly Gov. Code sections 6254.17 (a) and (b)) (restricted unless direct connection to the claim can be verified). These files include detailed description of crimes and personal information of victims within the claim processed by the Victims of Crime Program. However, Hearing Minutes-Consent Only (1988-1989) is not restricted.

Scope and Content Note

Subject files of the Victims of Crime Program reflect issues facing the Board of Control's most publicly examined program. Subjects found within these files are audit reports, legislative background material, and regulatory issues. Victims Compensation Program files also contain Status Reports from 1988-1994, which provide an overview of the program.
R127.06, Boxes 17-19, Folders 7-21

Series 6 Executive Office Files 1971-1991

Physical Description: 65 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically thereunder.

Access Information

Subject files: "Board Member Correspondence-Internal" and "VOC-Joint Powers Agreements" are RESTRICTED per Government Code Section 7923.755 (formerly Gov. Code sections 6254.17 (a) and (b)) (restricted unless direct connection to the claim can be verified). These files include detailed description of crimes and personal information of victims within the claim processed by the Victims of Crime Program.

Scope and Content Note

Items found within the Executive Office Files include reports, correspondence, legislation background, and newspaper clippings. These files represent the most comprehensive and valuable material in understanding the scope of programs the Board of Control provided. This series spans William J. Anthony's term as Board of Control Chairman (1984-1990) and part of Austin Eaton's terms as Executive Officer and then Chairman from (1990-1996). Subject files focus on the U.S. Department of Justice's interest to the California Victim of Crime Program and funding of this program. Legal Proceedings contain a sampling of claims against the state where the Government Claims Programs could not resolve the issue and were finalized in court. A subject file entitled Legislation contains legislative bill analyses affecting Board of Control administrative procedures or programs.
F3349 and F3351:15-17

Series 7 Record of Claims 1911-1920

Physical Description: 17 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by fiscal year.

Scope and Content Note

F3349:4016-4017, 4023, 4026-4027, and 4036-4037 are Records of Claims for each fiscal year from 1911-1919. Two volumes for the fiscal years starting on July 1915 and ending on June 1917 are missing. Records of Claims list individual claims presented to the Claims Board by state agencies, companies, and individuals. Volumes include claim number, name of claimant, appropriation and remarks, description of claim, date presented and acted upon, amount claimed, amount allowed, deductions, withdrawals, and rejections.
F3349:4005-4011 and F3351:16-17 are Indexes to Record of Claims from 1911-1920. Each volume is an alphabetical index for one fiscal year that corresponds to the Record of Claims volume for the same fiscal year. These are alphabetical indexes by claimant's name that identify the page number in the Record of Claims where the claim was recorded.
F3351:15 is a Register of Claims Paid by the Social Insurance Commission from 1915 through 1919. The entries are listed chronologically by the date of the claim. Claimants are either Commissioners or employees of the Social Insurance Commission and types of claims include traveling, salaries, office expenses, and payments.
F3349:4311 and F3351:1-6

Series 8 Registers of Appropriations 1911-1919

Physical Description: 7 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by fiscal year.

Scope and Content Note

Registers of state agency appropriations and expenditures reviewed by the Board of Control. Includes name of fund, citation of law providing fund, amount of money available, date and type of transaction, and amount of money spent.
F3349 and F3351

Series 9 Public Accounting Volumes 1915-1934

Physical Description: 13 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged by record type.

Scope and Content Note

F3351:8-9 are the Board of Control's Revolving Fund Books from 1920-1923 which itemize the appropriations and expenditures. Includes encumbrance register, statements of expenditures, list of cash receipts, journal of transactions, and analyses of income and expenditures. Also recorded are the expenditures of Administration, Purchasing, Rented Offices, and Maintenance of Buildings and Grounds.
Volumes list monthly inventories, maintenance charges for farm employees, and the quantity and value of local products produced and consumed at state owned institutions from 1930-1934. These expenditures are recorded in four separate volumes for the following institutions: Folsom State Prison (F3351:11), San Quentin State Prison (F3351:12), Special Schools and State Hospitals (F3351:13), and Veteran's Homes (F3351:14).
Abstracts of State Property, F3349:1121, 2499, 2503, 4321, 4323 and F3351: 21-22, are reports prepared by the State Property Agent annually itemizing the value of real property owned by the state, the amount of acreage owned by the state, and the agricultural and industrial products produced by state institutions.
F3349:4330, F3351:18-20, F3351:23, F3356:2

Series 10 Reports 1910-1924

Physical Description: 6 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

Four volumes, F3351:18-20 and F3349:4330, document the Board of Control's audit and report regarding Los Angeles County's bond issuance and repayment from 1910-1917. Bond register for school districts in Los Angeles County. Includes date bond sold and delivered, name of school district, rate of interest, amount of bond, date bond issued, bond number, date of maturity, par value of bond, and year of redemption.
The Survey of the Accounting System of the California Highway Commission, F3351:23 records the historical perspective of the original accounting system and an analysis of the then current 1924 accounting system including its organization and recommendations for the future.
A Report on Examination of the Books and Records of Account of the Board of State Harbor Commissioners for the Bay of San Diego for the period February 1, 1911 to February 1, 1915, F3356:2.