Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Pennsylvania State Archives
RG-23
Record of the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE
Series Descriptions
Secretary of Public Welfare
The Secretary of Public Welfare is responsible for overall policy and operation of
programs and services of the Department while Deputy Secretaries exercise operational,
program development, and direction for the administration, income maintenance, medical
assistance, mental health, mental retardation, and children, youth, and families
programs. The individual program offices are responsible for their respective programs,
policy and program development, implementation, monitoring, supervision, program
evaluation, and the securing of resources through the state budget process and
federal grants.
Administrative Correspondence,
1963, 1969-1970.
(4 cartons)
{series #23.1}
There are two arrangements. One part consists of interdepartmental files for 1970
that are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the head of the department.
The larger Alphabetical File is arranged alphabetically by subject.
Correspondence of the Secretary of Public Welfare relating to such varied topics
as chiropractic care, alcoholism, the chaplain program for state institutions,
juvenile delinquency, housing, foster grandparent programs, family planning, model
cities, out-of-state travel requests, organizational charts, daycare, and
Opportunities Industrialization Centers. The search room finding aid lists the
titles on each folder. In addition to correspondence, other types of materials
present include Executive Board resolutions concerning the Department of Public
Welfare, Executive Orders from the Governor, sundry reports, printed brochures,
expense vouchers, and planning documents prepared for the Department of Public
Welfare. The Interdepartmental files contain correspondence and memoranda to and
from the Secretary and the Deputy Secretaries concerning departmental policy,
departmental personnel and welfare programs.
Correspondence Relating to Birth Control and Planned Parenthood,
1958-1959.
(1 box)
{series #23.2}
Unarranged.
On December 16, 1958, the State Board of Public Assistance issued a directive
granting welfare case workers the discretion to refer clients to birth control clinics. The language of the directive was: "In those instances where a case worker has reason to believe, or has been informed by a client, that there is a need for maternal health advice or therapy, and where there are not religious restrictions on the part of either the worker or the client, proper referrals may be made to either the client's doctor or maternal health center. Where a case worker, because of religious convictions may not make such a recommendation, the case worker's supervisor shall see that information relative to such service shall be conveyed to the family concerned." On January 27, 1959, the Board deferred enacting the Directive.
The series consists of letters from constituents for and against this ruling and
responses from the Secretary of Public Welfare Harry Shapiro, who did not support
the directive and left the agency in January 1959; Ruth Grigg Horting, who replaced
Shapiro as Secretary of Public Welfare; and Rev. Dr. Jesse Reber, Chairman of the
State Board of Public Assistance.
Minutes of the Board of Trustees for State Institutions,
1968-1970.
(5 cartons)
{series #23.3}
Arranged alphabetically by name of institution.
Minutes of the Board of Trustees responsible for state mental hospitals, mental
retardation centers, state general medical hospitals and other state institutions.
The general hospitals included are: Ashland State Hospital, Blossburg State General
Hospital, Coaldale State General Hospital, Connellsville State General Hospital,
Hazelton State General Hospital, Locust Mountain State General Hospital, Nanticoke
State General Hospital, Scranton State General Hospital, and Shamokin State General
Hospital. Mental health facilities included are: Allentown State Hospital, Clarks
Summit State Hospital, Danville State Hospital, Dixmont State Hospital, Embreeville
State Hospital, Farview State Hospital, Harrisburg State Hospital, Haverford State
Hospital, Hollidaysburg State Hospital, Mayview State Hospital, Norristown State
Hospital, Philadelphia State School and Hospital, Retreat State Hospital, Somerset
State Hospital, Torrance State Hospital, Warren State Hospital, Wernersville State
Hospital, and Woodville State Hospital. Mental retardation institutions included
are: Cresson State School and Hospital, Ebensburg State School and Hospital, Hamburg
State School and Hospital, Laurelton State School and Hospital, Penn Hurst State
School and Hospital, Selinsgrove State School and Hospital, Hospital, Western State
School and Hospital, and White Haven State School and Hospital. Other state
facilities include Central Youth Development Centers, Eastern Mental Health Centers,
Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Eastern State School and Hospital, Eastern
Youth Development Centers, and Western Youth Development Institutions.
Information that can be extracted from the minutes includes the date, time, and
location of the meeting; the names of Board members present and absent; and a
brief synopsis of discussions conducted during the meeting. In addition, reports
of the superintendent, staff minutes, conference committee minutes, and utilization
committee summaries may also be found.
News Releases,
1955-1964, 1972-1974.
(3 boxes, 1 carton)
{series #23.4}
Arranged chronologically by date of news release.
News releases issued by the Governor's Office and the Office of Public Information
of the Department of Public Welfare. Topics include annual budgets, building projects
at state schools and hospitals, medical coverage for the aged, new studies initiated
by the Department, new committees formed, welfare fraud, contracts to vendors, and
public events connected with mental health month.
Speeches,
1955-1962.
(2 folders)
{series #23.5}
Arranged chronologically by date of speech.
Transcripts of speeches delivered by Secretaries of Public Welfare Harry Shapiro (1958)
and Ruth Horting (1959-1962) to such audiences as the Pennsylvania General Assembly,
the Institutional Nursing Conference, the Association for Retarded Children,
Governor's Committee on Children and Youth, the Joint Appropriations Committee, the
Family Rehabilitation Program, Subcommittee on Problems of the Aged and Aging,
Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, and the United States Senate among others.
Topics include the status of Pennsylvania's mental health care system, nurse staffing
for state hospitals, problems facing mentally retarded and/or delinquent children,
services for the blind, and annual budgets.
State Institution Files,
1959-1971.
(2 cartons)
{series #23.6}
First section arranged chronologically by date of meetings of the State Board of
Public Welfare. Second section is grouped by type of hospital, and arranged
thereunder alphabetically by subject.
Files of Deputy Secretary of Public Welfare Norman V. Laurie containing meeting
packets and minutes of the State Board of Public Welfare for December 3, 1970 and for
January 7, February 4, and March 23, 1971. Also present are miscellaneous documents
pertaining to meetings held through August 12, 1971. In addition, there are
reports on medical inspections of youth development centers (1964), Fayette County's
medical clinics, juvenile delinquency, the Juvenile Court Judges Committee, and on
various children's homes or institutions including the Glen Mills School, Sleighton
Farm School for Girls, Christ Home, and Carlisle Day Care Center. State general
hospital files contain memoranda, newspaper clippings, written complaints and reports
on private hospitals. Among these are materials regarding the political implications
of firing and rehiring an administrator at Hazleton General Hospital, the uses of the
state hospitals, personnel issues, and federal funding under the Hill-Burton Bill.
Also present are "memory books" from the Philipsburg State General Hospital School of
Nursing, 1968-1969, and reports on the cost of running hospitals in coal-mining
areas such as Schuylkill County.
The Office of the Aging was created in 1956 to raise the standards of institutional
care for the aging and to encourage communities to develop programs to assist
elderly persons achieve and maintain an active role in community life. In 1978
the responsibilities of this Office were transferred to a new cabinet-level
Department of Aging that became responsible for long term care, pharmaceutical
assistance, and other programs benefiting the elderly.
Minutes and Correspondence Relating to the Governor's Committee
on Aging,
1954-1960.
(3 cartons)
{series #23.7}
Grouped chronologically by date.
Minutes and correspondence of the Governor's Committee on Aging, a citizen's
advisory committee that assisted the Governor in preparing for the White House
Conference on Aging. The types of items found include public hearing planning
materials and summaries, meeting minutes, planning documents, reports, correspondence,
mailing lists, budgets and printed materials. The minutes and correspondence
document services provided to the elderly including housing, education, personnel
training, income maintenance, medical care, recreational activities, older worker
programs administered through the Department of Labor and Industry and public
assistance provided to the elderly.
Minutes, Reports, Correspondence and Printed Materials Relating
to the Governor's White House Conference Committee on Aging,
1959-1962.
(3 cartons)
{series #23.8}
Minutes and subcommittee reports are grouped by type of committee or subcommittee,
final reports are arranged alphabetically by county, general correspondence
alphabetically by subject or name of correspondent, and publications are arranged
in the order in which they were published.
Minutes, reports and correspondence of the Governor's White House Conference
Committee on Aging met in Harrisburg, September 13 and 14, 1960 to review recommendations
and reports of subcommittees of the Governor's Committee on Aging that were,
in turn, based on reports by prepared by the individual counties. This conference
was designed to prepare delegates for the national White House Conference on
Aging held January 9-12, 1961. Records included in this series are for both
Conferences. Materials from the Governor's Conference document the organizational
structure and the role of various committees and agencies, reports from the
individual counties on needs of the aging, and brochures and pamphlets designed
to offer guidance to the counties. Materials from the White House Conference
include brochures on education, recreation, religious affiliation, income maintenance,
retirement, and unassisted living. Also present are bibliographies, biographical
information on the delegates, and transcripts of speeches delivered by participants.
Office of Children and Youth
The Office of Children and Youth is charged with assuring adequate provision of child
welfare services and promoting high standards of practice in local child welfare
agencies. Under the direction of the Deputy Secretary for Children, Youth, and
Families, this Office works through county children and youth agencies and the
federal courts to provide an array of services to troubled children and their
families. When the situation warrants, the Office also arranges to provide a
temporary or permanent alternative home for endangered children as quickly as
possible. Under the Child Protective Services Act of 1975 the Office launched a
major initiative aimed at fighting child abuse and the agency is also responsible for
licensing and registering child-care facilities. Through the federal Title XX
program, augmented by state funds, this office manages a network of child day-care
contracts to provide subsidized child day care to parents who meet income-eligibility
requirements.
Child Welfare Institution Historic Files,
1922-1965.
(2 cartons)
{series #23.9}
Unarranged.
Reports, hearing transcripts, notes, and memoranda on juvenile delinquency and child
welfare. Among the materials are a report from the Committee on Delinquency of the
Joint State Government Commission (1948), documentation on the departmental
administrative advisory boards and commissions, notes on government responsibility
for detention of children, and letters and reports concerning the detention of
children in prisons and county jails. Also present are news releases, transcripts of
speeches and transcripts of testimony delivered before the Subcommittee on Juvenile
Delinquency before the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate (1959),
memoranda concerning the Office of Children and Youth, lease agreements with the City
of Philadelphia for a youth development center, reports the Pennsylvania Junior
Republic investigation, population statistics, and photographs of the Oakdale Home.
Some of the schools or centers mentioned include the Boys Industrial Home of Western
Pennsylvania, Luzerne Industrial School, Cresson Youth Development Center, Loysville
Youth Development Center, Philadelphia Youth Development Center and the Pennsylvania
Training School at Morganza. Some of these records contain notes regarding individual
delinquent children.
Office of General
and Special Hospitals
Originally the Bureau of Hospital Standards and Supervision, this Office carries
out the responsibilities of the Department of Public Welfare for the maintenance and
improvement of standards of patient care in all hospitals of the state except mental
hospitals and those operated by the Department of Health. It administers state-owned
hospitals in association with their boards of trustees and under the provisions of
federal and state laws and disburses federal funds for hospital and medical facility
construction.
State Supervised Hospitals' History File,
1914-1973.
(12 cartons)
{series #23.10}
Grouped alphabetically by name of hospital.
Primarily reports of inspections of hospitals that received state funding. Included
in this series are correspondence, copies of disaster plans and personnel policies,
inspection reports, notes of inspectors, fire inspection reports, hospital by-laws,
and photographs. Inspection reports provide the following information: the date the
hospital was organized, names of owners of the hospital, names of the medical and
administrative staff, and assessments of the quality of the social service department,
business office, nurses' station, and the surgical and obstetrical departments.
Also found is retention information, an evaluation of the adequacy of medical
record-keeping, the condition of the operating room, the types of patient rooms
available, and the names of board members. Correspondence often provides information
concerning code violations and the corrective measures taken. Among the many
hospitals mentioned are Rolling Hill, Shadyside, Tri-County, Carlisle, Kane Summit
Stetson, F.W. Black Community, Adrian and Allegheny Valley.
Office of Hearings and
Appeals
The Office of Hearings and Appeals conducts administrative appeal hearings for clients
and employees of the Department of Public Welfare who dispute actions taken by
the Department in denying benefits, administering child care cases, or caring for
the mentally ill.
Hearing Correspondence,
1975.
(1 carton)
{series 23.11}
Arranged alphabetically by county.
Included in this series are notes, forms and memoranda from individuals who appealed
decisions concerning the termination or reduction of welfare benefits. Information
provided for each case includes names, social security numbers, and addresses of
persons affected; the amount received for various types of assistance such as food
stamps, medical assistance or cash assistance; and the reason benefits were denied
or assistance reduced. Correspondence generally includes detailed notes from the
applicant arguing why the benefits should not be denied or reduced, notes from case
workers, and numerical citations of the Department of Public Welfare policy provisions
invoked in justifying the denial.
The Act of September 29, 1938 (P.L. 53) authorized the Commonwealth to assume primary
responsibility for the care and treatment of all mentally ill citizens of Pennsylvania.
All county mental institutions existing at that time were placed under the
jurisdiction of the Department of Welfare but the administrative operating authority
was shared with each institution's boards of trustees. The role of the boards were
changed to an advisory status by the Act of December 14, 1955 (P.L. 853) which
centralized responsibility for the mental health program and created the post of
Deputy Secretary of Mental Health. The Office regulates the admission and commitment
of patients to hospitals for mental illness and licenses and inspects privately
operated mental institutions and nursing homes and schools for the mentally retarded.
In recent years, the emphasis has been shifting toward helping the mentally ill and
mentally retarded remain in their communities by opening group homes and similar
alternatives to traditional mental hospitals.
Board and Committee Meeting Files,
1963-1968.
(1 carton)
{series #23.12}
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Reports, memoranda, notes and correspondence from boards and committees of the
Office of Mental Health. Among these are minutes of the Drug Control Committee,
Mental Health Advisory Construction Council, and the Committee of Superintendents for
Mental Health Hospitals. Also included are reports on mental health from an
international conference that was held in Spain, the Special Committee of the House
on After-Care of Mental Patients, and The Pennsylvania State University on training
needs for mental hospital staff. There are also notes and memoranda from an annual
conference for state mental hospital nurses, a report evaluating occupational
therapies used in state mental hospitals, training given to clergy and industrial
therapists working in mental hospitals, and reports on federal funding provisions of
the Public Health Service Act.
Office of Policy and Planning
The Office of Policy and Planning, formerly under the direction of a Deputy Secretary
of Policy and Planning, developed and coordinated Departmental policy, analyzed
issues critical to the Department of Public Welfare's decision-making process,
providers, managed the operation and divestiture of state general hospitals, provided
planning and technical assistance to county governments, and evaluated program impact
studies. In 1983 the Office was abolished and its responsibilities were parceled out
among various other offices in the Department of Public Welfare.
United Services Agency Files,
1972-1983.
(12 cartons)
{series #23.338}
Grouped by publications first, computer systems material second, unarranged thereunder.
In November 1972, the Department of Public Welfare established the United Services
Agency (USA) as a special demonstration project for the integration of public social
services in Luzerne and Wyoming counties. The project was established in cooperation
with the Boards of Commissioners of both counties and was granted special status as a
federally approved demonstration project. The United Services Agency coordinated
services previously administered separately by the Department of Public Welfare and
the individual counties. Among the programs coordinated by the United Services Agency
were aging, child welfare, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health, mental retardation,
public assistance, and a special support service unit to provide transportation and
housing services. To bring services closer to the people and to avoid duplication of
services five multi-service stations were established. While originally developed in
response to the devastation caused by tropical storm Agnes, the United Services Agency
shared the knowledge acquired with all levels of government and with other communities.
The development of a computerized management information system, the innovative nature
of the program and the extensive research component focused national attention
on the United Services Agency as a working model of an integrated social service system.
Despite all of the positive feedback, however, the Agency was abolished in 1983.
The Administrative Files of Bette Horan, Deputy Director for Center Operations,
contain reports evaluating the United Services Agency. Among these are the Study of
the United Services Agency Claims Service, USA: Maximizing Federal Financial
Participation, Review and Analysis of the Advisory Committee Structure of the USA,
reports from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and four
volumes of Nine Months Progress Report: USA Evaluation. Other supporting documents
include organizational charts, annual reports, Wyoming County Center Advisory Council
minutes, staff training manuals, United Services Agency transition plan (1981-1983),
Hazleton Advisory Committee minutes and Luzerne and Wyoming County Human Services
Advisory Council minutes. Six cartons contain user manuals and reports concerning
building layouts and funding and staffing plans for the Hazleton and other offices,
operations of the management information system, worker case loads, transportation,
and relations with the Department of Public Welfare in Harrisburg.
Office of Public Assistance
The Office of Public Assistance was created by the Act of June 24, 1937 (P.L. 2051) to
provide for the administration of a program of financial assistance, medical care, and
services to Pennsylvania residents who were without sufficient resources to provide
for themselves and their dependents a decent and healthful standard of living. It
also administers a program of medical care for those unable to pay for medical
necessities. Locally administered through County Boards of Assistance, by 1965 the
Office supervised seven programs: Old Age Assistance, Aid to Dependent Children, Aid
to the Disabled, Federal-State Blind Pension, State Blind Pension, General Assistance,
and the Medical Assistance Program. After a recent restructuring that renamed the
agency the Office of Income Maintenance under a Deputy Secretary for Income Security,
it continues to administer income maintenance, medical assistance, and food stamp
programs through county assistance offices and manages the statewide Title IV-D
Child Support Enforcement Program.
Minutes of the County Boards of Assistance,
1965-1966, 1969-1973.
(8 cartons)
{series #23.339}
Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder alphabetically by county and
chronologically by date of meeting.
County Boards of Assistance were set up in 1937 under policies established by the
State Board of Public Assistance and the Department of Public Welfare that supervised
the county boards and established rules and regulations. Members of the State Boards
of Assistance were appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate and as
of 1998 the Boards are still the governing body for the County Assistance Offices.
The Minutes provide the names of the Board members present and documentation of
discussions that occurred at each meeting. Typical topics addressed include
personnel changes and salaries, choosing locations for offices, responses to
correspondence, responses to the energy crisis, advisory committees, minutes from
open meetings, travel expenses, client files, discussions concerning the effects of
state policies on the counties, requests for changes in policy, speaking engagements
of caseworkers, and conferences attended.
Welfare Press and Publications
Office
Known as the Office of Communications since 1995, this Office provides information
about the Department of Public Welfare to news media, coordinates publication and
distribution of pamphlets and brochures about the Department's services and
coordinates promotional activities. It also advises the Secretary of Public Welfare
and his Deputy Secretaries on media relations, advises in the preparation of speeches
and public appearances and gauges the probable public reaction to policy decisions.
Public Information Motion Picture Films,
1948-1976.
(300 reels)
{series #23.340}
Arranged alphabetically by name of film.
Films are 16mm print reels documenting the public information activities of the
Department of Public Welfare. The printed 1979 Film Catalog provides information on
the dates some reels were produced and descriptions of their content. Subjects
include child behavior, brain damaged children, mental retardation, behavior therapy,
depression, fertility, learning, senility , mental hospitals, mental health,
psychosis, psychiatry, shyness, and stress. Some titles include: "Walk Down Any
Street," "Tuesday's Child," "Understanding Aggression," "Responsibility," "A Study
of Maternal Attitudes," "Phoebe," "Organic Reaction Type: Senile," "Breakdown,"
"Family Circus," and "From Six to Nine."
Bureau of Community
Mental Health Services
The Bureau of Community Mental Health Services provided grant-in-aid funds to
community clinics and institutions treating mentally ill patients. Since 1964 the
responsibilities of this Bureau have been consolidated with those of the Bureau of
Mental Health.
Grant Files,
1950-1964.
(14 cartons)
{series #23.341}
Arranged numerically by project number.
Records of grant-in-aid funds disbursed to clinics and institutions that treated
mentally ill patients. These grants funded salaries and other administrative costs.
Most project files contain receipts for disbursements, allotment requests,
correspondence, applications for funding personnel and general budget lines,
application evaluations, and inventories of equipment. Among the institutions that
received aid were Ridgway Area Psychiatric Center, William Lintz Sheltered Workshop,
Mental Health Clinic at Montefiore Hospital, Lancaster Guidance Clinic, and Horizon
House.
Bureau of Mental Health
Services
The Bureau of Mental Health Services operates under the direction of the Deputy
Secretary of Mental Health to provide a wide range of community and hospital mental
health services with an emphasis on helping people remain in their communities.
Community-based services include short-term inpatient and outpatient care, emergency
crisis intervention, counseling, public information, patient referral and case
management. A restoration center provides care for geriatric patients, all of whom
are former residents of state hospitals. The goal of the center is to move residents
into appropriate community programs whenever possible and to provide long-term care
for the rest.
Minutes of the Boards of Trustees of State Hospitals and Superintendents' Report,
1957-1964.
(3 cartons, 3 boxes)
{series #23.342}
Arranged alphabetically by name of hospital.
Monthly minutes generally contain the names of those present for the meetings and a
synopsis of the discussion that took place. Typical topics discussed include
professional development, plant management and building construction, and public
and community relations. Also present is a superintendent's report to the Board
which provides such personnel information as when positions were filled and the
quota available, finances, and staff training. Also found is information concerning
patient activities, evaluation of drug usage, and reports on medical services,
volunteer services, psychological counseling, nursing, social services, business
management, maintenance, institutional farm activities, fire marshal's report,
treasurer's report, and nursing education programs.
Nursing Department Reports,
1959-1967.
(3 boxes)
{series #23.343}
Arranged alphabetically by institution.
Semi-annual and annual reports submitted to the Bureau of Mental Health Services in
Harrisburg from the nursing staff at various mental institutions. Most of the reports
document staffing and vacancies at the hospital, employee training and education,
problems facing the nursing staff, orientations for new personnel, nursing committees,
conferences and classes attended, tests given to new employees and ward improvements.
Bureau of Social Research
and Statistics
A Bureau that formerly compiled statistics and conducted research into such social
issues as pregnancy and illegitimacy rates, unemployment rates, and poverty rates in
Pennsylvania. These functions are now conducted by the individual Bureaus directly
concerned with administering the programs affected by the respective statistical rates.
Miscellaneous Manuals, Reports and Related Printed Materials,
1934-1967.
(1 carton)
{series #23.344}
Unarranged.
Titles of the publications include "An Analysis of the Administrative Organization
and Business Management of Mental Hospitals within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,"
by Richard E. Schultze (1965); "Illegitimacy and its Impact on the Aid to Dependent
Children Program," by United States Department of Health Education and Welfare, (1960);
Manual of Financial Procedure, Accounting, and Reporting for State and Local Civil
Works Administrations," (1934); "Manual of Work Division Procedure," by Federal
Emergency Relief Administration (1934); "Pennsylvania Laws Relating to the
Handicapped," by the Governor's Committee for the Handicapped, (undated);
"Origin and Development of Public Assistance in Pennsylvania," by the Department of
Public Assistance (1958); "Relief Population of Pennsylvania," (1936); "Public
Assistance in Pennsylvania," by the Joint State Government Commission (1951); "Bureau
of Personnel Report" (1966); "What's New About Welfare in Pennsylvania," (undated);
and others.
Board of Public Charities, 1869-1921
The Board of Public Charities was established in 1869 to inspect charitable and
correctional institutions and the Committee on Lunacy was created in 1883 to inspect
institutions for the confinement of the insane. These responsibilities were
transferred to the Department of Welfare that was established by the Act of
May 15, 1921.
Committee on Lunacy, 1883-1921
The Committee on Lunacy was established in 1883 by the Board
pf Public Charities to examine places for the confinement of the insane. The
committee was disbanded in 1921 when the Department of Welfare was created
to replace the Board of Public Charities.
Institutional Population Records,
[ca. 1882-1920].
(49 volumes, 18 boxes)
{series #23.345}
[RESTRICTED]
This series contains two arrangements. The boxes are grouped alphabetically by
name of institution, and thereunder chronologically by date.
The volumes are arranged chronologically by date.
Indexed externally alphabetically by first letter of patient's surname.
Admission records for the following treatment facilities: Allegheny City Home,
1884-1886, 1888; Burn Brae, 1884-1888; Danville State Hospital, 1883-1888;
Pennsylvania Hospital for Insane (Philadelphia), 1883-1888; Pennsylvania State
Lunatic Hospital (Harrisburg), 1883-1888; Philadelphia Hospital, 1884-1888;
Pittsburgh City Farm Insane Asylum, 1884-1886, 1888; St. Francis Hospital
(Pittsburgh), 1887-1888; Schuylkill County Almshouse, 1883-1888; and the
"Friends Asylum" (Frankford), 1883-1888. A record of admissions, transfers, and
deaths or discharges of patients maintained by institutions that cared for the
mentally ill or the indigent. Each hospital's records are arranged uniquely and
the records of some institutions are more extensive than are others.
Information provided about generally consists of the patient's name;
date of admission, transfer, death or discharge; occupation and gender;
registration number; a detailed medical history; and a description of the
patient's psychological state at the time of commitment.
Of particular value to researchers is information found on the
"Order for the Reception of a Patient" forms. Categories of data normally
found on these forms include the date of admission; the patient's name, sex,
age, and residence during past year; marital status, number of children,
occupation or name of employer; names of living parents, the residence of any
living brother or sister, and the name and residence of any other known relative;
the earliest date upon which symptoms were noted, the circumstances surrounding
the first onset of symptoms, the names and addresses of all medical attendants
treating the patient for the preceding two years, and the name, occupation,
and relationship of the person petitioning for the patient's commitment.
Also found is the date of certification and the name, residence and credentials
of each certifying physician, magistrate or judicial officer.
Letter Press Books,
1896-1919.
(17 volumes)
{series #23.346}
Arranged chronologically by date of letter.
Indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of correspondent.
Letter books of two Secretaries of the Committee on Lunacy Henry M. Wetherwill and
Frank Woodbury. Letters concern inquiries regarding patient suicides, removal or
transfer of patients, condition of county facilities, personnel matters,
overcrowding, legal problems arising from commitment of patients, and a trip to
Michigan.
Memorandum Journal,
1910-1921.
(1 volume)
{series #23.347}
Arranged chronologically by date of entry.
Journal of the Secretary of the Committee on Lunacy Frank Woodbury. The
"Judge Johnson" who is frequently mentioned in the Journal was Judge Isaac Johnson,
a member of the Board of Public Charities and chairman of the Committee on Lunacy. I
nformation discussed includes conditions at the state, county, and private hospitals
Secretary Woodbury visited. He specifically cited the conditions of individual
patients, noted how many patients were restrained, consulted with prisons to determine
if a particular inmate was insane, and discussed methods of preventing patient
poisonings, the treatment of tuberculosis, and the investigation of suicides among
other topics. The actual title on front cover is "Memorandum Report of the Secretary."
Records of Admissions, Discharges and Deaths at State Institutions,
[ca. 1882-1920].
(89 cartons)
{series #23.348}
[RESTRICTED]
Grouped by hospital, and thereunder chronologically by date of admission, discharge,
or death.
Records of patient admissions, discharges, and deaths originally sent to the Committee
on Lunacy by the following hospitals: Philadelphia Hospital for the Insane,
Harrisburg State Hospital, Rittersville Hospital, Danville State Hospital,
Wernersville Hospital, Torrance State Hospital, Adams County Hospital, Allegheny
County Hospital, Mercer County Hospital, Hillside Home, Lancaster County Hospital,
Elk County Hospital, Chester County Hospital, Blair County Hospital, Easton
Sanitorium, St. Francis Hospital, Retreat State Hospital, Burn Brae Hospital,
Schuylkill County Hospital, and others. Types of documents include Notices of
Admission that are signed by the superintendent of the hospital and the medical
examiner stating the patient is mentally impaired and voluntary admission requests
signed by the patient. Orders for the Reception of a Patient normally provide the
name, sex, age, residence, marital status, number of children, occupation, trade or
employment of the patient; names of living parents; date of admission; residence of
any living brother or sister; name and residences of any other known relative; date
from which insanity was supposed to have existed and the circumstances that induced
such belief; names and addresses of all medical attendants treating the patient for
the past two years; name, occupation, and relationship of the person petitioning for
commitment of the patient; and such certification particulars as the date of
certification and the name, residence and credentials of each certifying physician,
magistrate or judicial officer.
Department of Welfare,
1923-1958
This was the name of the Department of Public Welfare prior to its merger with
the Bureau of Public Assistance in 1958.
Administrative File of the Secretary of Welfare,
1955-1958.
(14 cartons)
{series #23.349}
Grouped by topic and thereunder more or less alphabetically by subject.
Administrative files of Secretary of Welfare Henry Shapiro containing published
reports, correspondence with other agencies, memoranda on hospital hearings, drawings
and specifications for building construction, reports on migrant children and families,
and letters concerning state hospitals with regard to such topics as chaplaincy,
burning trash, budgeting, and administration of drugs. Topics covered include the
Haverford Mental Health Center, personnel issues, youth camps, and programs for the
elderly. Also present are reports and memoranda on such state hospitals Retreat,
Polk, Pennhurst, Morganza, Embreeville and Harrisburg.
Audits of Hospitals and Correctional Institutions,
1923-1949.
(35 boxes)
{series #23.350}
Grouped by type of institution and arranged thereunder alphabetically by name of
institution.
Audit reports of hospitals and correctional institutions in Pennsylvania that were
conducted by the Auditor General and by private firms. The reports are grouped by
category into medical and surgical, mental, feeble-minded, penal and correctional,
and miscellaneous. In addition to the audit findings, this series also contains
general correspondence concerning each of the institutions audited. The audits
provide information on each institution's organizational structure and personnel,
assets, liabilities and capital, operating income, operating expenses, a commentary
on programs, and "schedule" statements detailing various aspects of facility operations.
Most correspondence concerning the audits are requests by the Secretary of Welfare
for the institution's boards of directors to answer concerns addressed in the audit
and the responses given by the respective boards. Among the institutions audited
are the Pennsylvania Soldiers' and Sailors' Home in Erie, Selinsgrove State Colony
for Epileptics, Western State Penitentiary, Torrance State Hospital, Laurelton State
Village, Norristown State Hospital and Coaldale State Hospital.
Institutional Dietary Committee Minutes, Reports, Hospital Questionnaires and
Miscellaneous Records,
1954-1955.
(3 boxes)
{series #23.351}
This series is grouped by type of material with the minutes being thereunder arranged
chronologically by date of meeting, the reports are unarranged, and the hospital
questionnaires and miscellaneous records are arranged alphabetically by the name of
the hospital.
The Institutional Dietary Committee consisted of staff members from the various state
hospitals and from the Department of Welfare who were charged with studying the
nutritional and dietary procedures followed at all of the hospitals. This committee
was formed in response to a report issued by the State Government Survey Committee
in October 1952 called "A Survey of Institutional Feeding." Subcommittees were
established that specialized in accounting, purchasing, nutrition, food service,
health and sanitation and personnel. Included in this series are the dietary study
report, food service personnel training program report, meat manual, dietary
operations policies, and a summary of the conclusions reached from this dietary study
of sixty-one institutions. Also present is a dietary manual from Hazleton State
Hospital, drafts of procedures recommended by subcommittees, and a summary of
information supplied on dietary questionnaires. The bulk of the material consists of
the questionnaires sent by the committee to each institution that were designed to
elicit information concerning accounting, food service, purchasing, personnel,
health and sanitation, and nutrition at each of the facilities. Questions concerned
how foods were transported, what grades or brands were purchased, how often certain
foods were served, what was done with leftovers, and the nature of the training
provided to the food service staff.
A Bureau within the old Department of Welfare that was responsible, in cooperation
with the Bureau of Public Assistance, for inspecting county homes, evaluating
county efforts at providing poor relief, and in carrying out the directives
of the State Emergency Relief Board in finding work for the unemployed.
Reports on County Homes,
1917-1935.
(6 boxes)
{series #23.352}
Grouped alphabetically by name of county and institution, and arranged thereunder
chronologically by date of report.
Reports of inspections conducted by field representatives of the Bureau of Assistance
and submitted to the Secretary of Welfare to facilitate the preparation of recommendations
to the county homes. Also present is inter-office and inter-agency correspondence.
Information given in each report includes the name of the institution, the city
and county where located, the name of the field representative conducting the
inspection, a statistical breakdown of the institutional population, the names
and titles of institutional officers and personnel, information concerning the
facilities and grounds, findings concerning fire protection and administrative
issues, and Committee recommendations.
Reports on County Poor Relief,
1932-1939.
(3 boxes)
{series #23.353}
Arranged alphabetically by name of county.
Reports compiled by field representatives of the Bureau of Assistance and submitted
to the Secretary of Welfare to assist in preparing recommendations to the Directors
of the Poor of each county. The reports consist of evaluations of county homes
and almshouses, the number of children in foster care, and the status of children's
programs. Information found consists of the names, titles, and salaries of staff;
population statistics; information concerning plant and equipment; and an evaluation
of the care and treatment of residents. Also present are weekly menus, newspapers
articles, and reports on investigations undertaken as a result of complaints
received.
State Emergency Relief Board, 1932-1937
The State Emergency Relief Board was created by the Act of August 19, 1932,
(P.L. 88) to plan and develop a comprehensive program for administering state
and federal relief funds during the Great Depression. Chaired by the Governor,
the Board consisted of the Lieutenant Governor, Auditor General, State Treasurer
and the Speaker of the House, the Attorney General and Secretary of Welfare
served as advisory members. Before direct federal relief grants were discontinued
on December 1, 1935, the Board acted as a federal agency directly carrying
out programs to administer unemployment relief. Later, relief efforts were
administered by local county and regional boards approved by the state Board
with the treasurer responsible for disbursing funds to the counties. The State
Emergency Relief Board was discontinued in 1937.
Bulletins,
1934-1937.
(3 volumes)
{series #23.354}
Arranged chronologically by bulletin number.
Indexed internally.
State Emergency Relief Board office bulletins, telegraph bulletins and executive
bulletins. Office bulletins were issued by the office manager in Harrisburg
to all employees of the Emergency Relief Board. Typical topics include holidays,
changes in office hours, bowling league, Department of Justice rulings, policies
on long distance calls and care of typewriters. Telegraph bulletins were messages
issued from Harrisburg to the counties and generally deal with termination
of federal projects, special statistical reports, and payrolls. Executive
bulletins (labeled simply bulletins in this series) were issued by the Executive
Director in Harrisburg and concern such topics as office hours, inventories,
administrative expenses, holidays, and policies concerning use of automobiles.
Circular Letters,
1935-1937.
(2 volumes)
{series #23.355}
Arranged by date and circular number.
An incomplete collection of Civilian Conservation Corps circular letters providing
information on eligibility requirements, progress toward reaching racial quotas
and planning. Also present are circular letters issued by various officers in
Harrisburg to the county boards covering such topics as personnel matters, postage,
rent, vacations and budgets.
Flow Charts,
undated.
(1 volume)
{series #23.356}
Unarranged.
Flow charts documenting the work flow through county offices. The charts provide
information about the activities of the county comptroller, cash relief, direct
relief, rent relief, and the administrative payroll. Each chart is identified
by a form number and contains the names of the officers who were in charge of
the process. Also present is a report prepared by the Social Service Exchange
Committee and by the Association of Community Chests and Councils entitled "Emergency
Set-Up For Social Service Exchange or Central Index, 1932."
Manuals,
1934-1937.
(8 volumes)
{series #23.357}
Arranged by section number.
Manuals issued by the Work Division of the State Emergency Relief Board covering
the following topics: General Rules and Regulations for the New Work Program,
purchasing procedures, disbursing relief, administrative expenditures, procedures
for paying team, truck and equipment rentals and policies concerning invoices
and purchase vouchers. Also present is an internally indexed procedure manual
on the thrift garden program in 1935, procedures used in maintaining commitment
and appropriation requisition registers, procedures for authorizing distribution
of cod liver oil, procedures for operating shelters for transients, office supply
procedures, and procedures for granting rent relief. Miscellaneous other manuals
provide procedures for starting a shoe repair program, distributing federal
commodities, guidelines for operating district offices, payroll instructions,
policies concerning cash relief, and statistical charts.
Memoranda,
1934-1937.
(13 volumes)
{series #23.358}
Arranged by memorandum number.
Indexed internally.
Two of these volumes contain memoranda and bulletins issued by the Work Division
providing interpretations of formerly issued operating instructions, monthly
reports, information on direct relief, a summary of the work relief program
as it related to the relief division, and segregation of the emergency education
program projects and the curtailing work projects. Also present is a set of
memoranda originally issied to transient bureaus and camps addressing vacancies
in the camps, boxing and wrestling matches, inventories, use of whole and raw
milk, laundering of blankets, and publication of newsletters. The remainder
of the memoranda (1-946) are addressed primarily to county executive directors
and local and regional comptrollers concerning payment irregularities, 1934
income tax returns, selection of workers for educational projects, policies
Workmen's Compensation insurance for administrative employees, regional budget
requests, and commodity requisitions.
Minutes,
1932-1937.
(2 boxes)
{series #23.359}
Arranged by date of meeting.
Minutes of the State Emergency Relief Board meetings. Information found includes
discussions on how counties could spend Emergency Board funds, special allocations,
insurance, clothing allotments, warehousing, clothing committee reports, and
reports on malnutrition and thrift gardens. Also present is information concerning
the operations of the County Poor Boards, the rent relief program, problems
faced by veterans, Workmen's Compensation insurance, the work relief expense
fund, and procurement and distribution policies. Some of the earlier minutes
also include copies of news releases issued by Governor Pinchot.
Department of Public Assistance,
1937-1958
The Department of Public Assistance was established by an act of the legislature
in 1937 to take over duties formerly performed by the State Emergency Relief
Administration and the Bureau of Assistance of the Department of Welfare. Local
emergency relief boards and other boards administering assistance were combined
into one board of assistance that was placed under the Department of Public
assistance. The staff of the local boards were thereafter hired under state
civil service rules. The Department was abolished in 1958 and its responsibilities
merged with those of the Department of Public Welfare.
Bulletins,
1939-1959.
(1 volume)
{series #23.360}
Arranged by office bulletin number.
Indexed internally by subject and date.
Bulletins issued to Department of Public Assistance staff concerning such topics
as customer service, parking, outgoing mail policies, the civil defense plan,
parking regulations, civil service announcements, the motor pool, and policies
concerning hotel charges, Christmas trees, and telephone calls.
Circular Letters,
1937-1942.
(2 volumes)
{series #23.361}
Arranged chronologically by date of letter.
Circular letters issued by the State Emergency Relief Board in Harrisburg to
all local Civilian Conservation Corps directors. Information found concerns
passage and implementation of Civilian Conservation Corps legislation, program
enrollment procedures, statistical breakdowns of state enrollment, and routine
directives concerning program operations.
Employees' Manual,
1938-1949.
(5 volumes)
{series #23.362}
Arranged chronologically by date of issue.
Partially indexed internally.
Employee manual for all employees of the Department of Public Assistance. As
sections became obsolete, they were updated or marked obsolete. There are alphabetical
indexes by topic in the beginning of volume one, each dated and marked obsolete.
There is also a typed table of contents with dates of issuance in the Handbook
of Assistance {series 23.364}, which preceded the Employees' Manual. Topics
covered include policies regarding public assistance eligibility, procedures
for granting assistance, guidelines for granting pensions for the blind, background
on national assistance programs, information concerning cooperation between
state agencies and local agencies, statistical reporting procedures, forms to
be used, cash disbursement procedures, guidelines for assistance to military
personnel, budgeting, and the hospitalization benefit program.
General Correspondence,
1942-1946,
(1 folder)
{series #23.363}
Unarranged.
Newsletters, correspondence, brochures, and civil service bulletins relating
to personnel matters, a conference of the civil service assembly, restrictions
on federal appointments in accordance with the War Manpower Commission, wage
classifications for employment and evaluation of employment positions.
Handbook of Assistance,
1937.
(1 volume)
{series #23.364}
Regulations and procedures used by local boards and staff in administering public
assistance programs. Issued for the period from June 1937 through November 1937,
this handbook was superseded by the Employees' Manual {series #23.362}. Topics
include personnel policies, assistance eligibility policies, application and
investigation procedures, local board decisions, appeal procedures, funeral
payments, accounting and auditing procedures, and policies concerning statistical
reporting by the local boards.
Handbook of Procedures,
1939-1951.
(3 volumes)
{series #23.365}
Arranged chronologically by date of issue.
Manuals for county assistance offices that accompanied the Employees' Manual.
As sections became obsolete, they were replaced or stamped obsolete. Topics
include index filing procedures in county assistance offices; procedures for
maintaining application files, case files, active assistance files, and administrative
files including maintenance and property records; procedures for preparing budget
requests; personnel policies; personnel classifications; state civil service
rules; payroll management procedures; office procurement procedures; and instruction
in managing relief work projects. A table of contents for all three volumes
together with the dates of issuance is found in the Handbook of Assistance
{series 23.362}.
Memoranda,
1942-1943, 1951-1959.
(2 volumes)
{series #23.366}
Arranged by memorandum number.
Indexed internally by memorandum number, subject and date issued.
Memoranda issued by Executive Directors of the Department of Public Assistance
concerning Departmental policies and procedures. Topics include legitimacy of
minor children, Jewish holidays, forms, shelter surveys, payments for nursing
care, summer working hours, legislative updates, civilian war assistance, Works
Progress Administration clothing distribution, and deductions for the earnings
of school children.
Minutes of the State Board of Public Assistance,
1938-1959.
(1 carton)
{series #23.367}
Arranged chronologically by date of meeting.
The State Board of Public Assistance consisted of the State Treasurer, Auditor
General and seven other members appointed by the Governor. Their duties were
to approve rules, regulations and standards recommended by local assistance
boards and the Department of Public Assistance concerning assistance eligibility.
The Board also recommended changes to the assistance laws and to the Governor's
administrative policies. The Board began meeting in 1937 but the minutes for
the first year are missing. Topics discussed include residency and other eligibility
requirements, hospitalization, food raised in gardens, policies concerning the
physically and mentally infirm and on lone recipients who eat in restaurants,
eligibility of able-bodied unmarried men, policies concerning farm employment,
and public assistance payment schedules.
Procedural Manuals,
1933-1943, undated.
(11 volumes)
{series #23.368}
Uarranged.
Procedure manuals and other items from state and federal programs. Items present
are: a federal brochure entitled Fair Employment Practice Committee, How
It Operates (1941); War Manpower Commission publications entitled Information
concerning Manning Tables (to keep track of labor force) (1942), Instructions
for Preparation of the Replacement Schedule (systematic job replacement of men
who went to war), and Employment Stabilization Plan, Lancaster Area,
1943-44. Also present is a bulletin from the Philadelphia County Board of Assistance,
a wartime personnel management pamphlet, a pamphlet on daycare of children of
working mothers issued by the United States Employment Service, Manpower: A
Manual of Control of Employment Practices Selective Service Regulations, Non-Deferrable
Occupations, Essential Activities, Manning Tables, and records documenting changes
to the Department of Public Assistance's Handbook of Procedures {series #23.365}.
The latter contains including a section on personnel expenses (Section 7, part
2). Other items present is a copy of A Plan For Old-Age Assistance And Aid To
Dependent Children (1937-38) which includes job descriptions, types of aid available
and the forms used, a procedural manual for county MAF Boards, (memorandum #141-see
Memoranda {series #23.366}); Federal Emergency Relief Administration,
work project procedures, 1934; Federal Civil Works Administration of Pennsylvania
Proceedings digest with County Administrators of the Civil Works Administration
of Pennsylvania, County Relief Boards, State Emergency Relief Board, 1933; salary
scales for County Civil Works Administration staff and County Emergency Relief
Boards and personnel and office procedures of the Civil Works Administration.
Public Welfare History File,
1937-1952.
(1 box, 1 carton)
{series #23.369}
Arranged chronologically and thereunder sequentially by letter number.
Indexed internally with letter number, subject, and date.
Letters sent from Harrisburg to executive directors of county assistance offices
and other county staff documenting the evolution of welfare policies and procedures
over time. Subjects include the Civilian Defense Program, the types of forms
to be used in administering relief programs, awards and contracts for supplies,
personnel appointments, medical assistance, Works Progress Administration assignments,
and burial assistance policies.
Reports,
1937-1938.
(3 volumes)
{series #23.370}
Arranged chronologically by date of report.
Reports on strategies for providing public relief to destitute Pennsylvanians
during the Great Depression. The report dated November 16, 1937 is a response
by a Mr. de Schweintz to changes in the State strategy that were ordered by
a Mrs. Emma Jeffrey Miller. The second report dated December 16, 1937 was issued
by the Governor's Relief Survey Committee and a report dated January 3, 1938
is a commentary on the Governor's Relief Survey Committee Report.
Special Releases,
1952-1959.
(2 volumes)
{series #23.371}
Arranged by release number from 317 to 615.
A listing of all special releases are found in the front of the folder.
Special Releases issued to the executive directors and supervisors within the
Department of Public Assistance. Topics covered include the outcome of meetings
with legislators, vending machine contracts, county administrative salary costs,
a warning poster concerning political activities, pharmaceutical invoices, caseload
management policies, employee picnics, policies concerning pensions for the
blind, policies on the use of state vehicles, and the responsibilities of District
Attorneys.