Scope and Content Note

The Historical Society holds two groups of Warren Knowles materials, with the distinction between them largely based on provenance and the legal status of gubernatorial records. The eighteen public records series which comprise Knowles' gubernatorial papers were deeded to the Society in 1970, although actual transfer from the executive office began as early as 1966. In keeping with more recent changes which define gubernatorial papers as public property, these records, although privately deeded by Knowles to the Historical Society, have been arranged and described in conformance with practices for other official state records. This finding aid does not describe the separately-cataloged records of various citizen task forces which Knowles implemented to study governmental problems; researchers should consult the catalog in order to locate this material.

Manuscript Collection 665, which is entitled the Warren Knowles Papers, was transferred to the Society in two accessions in 1956 and 1971. It includes all of the non-gubernatorial material which Knowles presented to the Society. The public records series described in this finding aid are:

• Series 2142: Governor's General Correspondence, 1964-1970
• Series 2136: Index to General Correspondence, 1964-1970
• Series 2140: Personal Correspondence, 1967-1968, 1970
• Series 2135: Speeches, 1965-1970
• Series 315: Press Releases, 1964-1970
• Series 22: News Clippings, 1964-1970
• Series 2156: Publicity Photographs and Editorial Cartoons, 1965-1970
• Series 2137: Legislative Bill Files, 1965-1969
• Series 2138: Cabinet Minutes, 1968-1970
• Series 2146: Appointment Files, 1964-1970
• Series 2130: Legal Counsels' Correspondence, 1959-1970
• Series 2131: Legal Counsels' Executive Clemency Summaries, 1965-1970
• Series 2132: Legal Counsels' Subject Files, 1965-1970
• Series 2144: Legal Counsels' Extradition and Requisition Files, 1962-1970
• Series 2133: Executive Secretary's Scheduling Files, 1964-1970
• Series 2134: Schedules, 1965-1970
• Series 2141: Executive Secretary's Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1964-1970
• Series 2139: Special Assistant's Correspondence

Details on Mss 665 and all these public records series can be found in the contents list.