| The Historical Records Survey (HRS) was a white-collar work relief project sponsored by the Work Projects Administration between 1936 and 1942. The Survey was organized under the WPA's Federal Project No. 1 which also included the Art, Music, Theater, and Writers' Projects. Although the program of the HRS was greatly diversified, its major goal was to inventory and describe public records found in every county archives in the United States--and effort which was without historical precedent.;As director of the HRS, Evans was confronted with and overcame several serious problems. In 1936, he orchestrated the separation of his program from the Federal Writers' Project when it became clear that Survey resources were being allocated for Writers' Project programs. Through carefully developed instructional manuals and constant editorial review, Evans insured that the products of the Survey would meet scholarly standards even though they were prepared by inexperienced relief workers. One problem Evans failed to solve was the slow rate of publication of the county inventories. Only one-fifth of the projected three thousand finding aids were completed.;Finally, the thesis argues that the HRS was part of the cultural rediscovery of America in the Depression decade. In the writings of Robert Binkley and others influenced by him, the Survey was seen as a source of strength to a democracy threatened by depression at home and totalitarianism aborad. The products of the Survey created an opportunity to broaden the scope of American historiography, to involve more Americans in their local history, and to make better use of the past to plan for the future. Instead of rejecting democracy, those connected with the HRS sought to reinforce it.;The Historical Records Survey was a blend of success and failure. Although it failed to complete its national survey of county archives, the HRS did produce nearly two thousand valuable archival and bibliographic research aids. In addition, it employed thousands of white-collar relief workers and provided an important training ground for American archivists during the profession's nascent period. Most important, however, the Survey was an important indication of America's rediscovery of itself during the Depression decade.;This study demonstrates that the idea for the Survey did not originate within the WPA. Instead, plans for this national inventory of local records were initially drawn by Robert Binkley, chairman of the Joint Committee on Materials for Research (JCMR), in late 1933 and early 1934. In 1935, Luther Evans, director of the HRS, used the work of the JCMR as a foundation for the Survey and frequently sought the advice of its chairman even after the program was well underway. The thesis also identifies the Survey as an important part of an archival awakening occurring in the 1930's which included the foundation of the National Archives and the organization of the Society of American Archivists. |
