RG-34. RECORDS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
The Department of Community Affairs was created in 1966 to assist local governments and to enable the state to provide important services necessitated by expanding intergovernmental relationships involving all levels of public jurisdiction. Plans relating to the abolition of the Department of Internal Affairs resulted in the transfer in 1967 of its Bureau of Municipal Affairs and in 1968 its Bureau of Land Records to the Department of Community Affairs.
Community Affairs was responsible for providing technical and training assistance to local governments, and administering appropriate state and federal aid programs. The department directed programs in the areas of housing and development, urban renewal, community planning, and recreation and conservation. In 1996, the Departments of Community Affairs and Commerce were merged to create the Department of Community and Economic Development.
SECRETARY
Records of the Governor’s Committee on Migratory Labor, 1953-1972. (4 cartons) Grouped by subject and thereunder arranged chronologically by year. These records consist primarily of award ceremony speeches, letters, photographs, minutes, and annual reports, and also contain miscellaneous materials regarding migrant labor. Types of materials found regarding the Camp and Crew Award Ceremonies include speeches, letters, photographs, programs, and recommendations for awards. Information contained in the minutes of the Governor’s Interdepartmental Committee on Migratory Farm Labor meetings include names and titles of the members present and the date, time, and place of meeting. Various topics discussed include health, welfare, crime, and education. The annual reports of the Committee of Migratory Labor document the activities of the year as prepared by the Governor’s Committee on Migratory Labor. They contain reports by interdepartmental members of the committee, various tables, and information regarding community outreach. The files of minutes and annual reports of the Governor’s Committee on Migratory Labor, 1953-72, contain letters, reports, and newspaper articles that include references to African Americans. An article from the Harrisburg Patriot News, dated April 15, 1964, features the state Secretary of Labor and Industry, William P. Young, an African American, reviewing the work of Pennsylvania’s migratory labor program in recent years at a two-day Conference on Migrant Health at the Harrisburger Hotel. Included are photographs taken during the conference.
BUREAU OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Community Plans and Studies, 1963-1968. (9 cartons) Included in these records are comprehensive plans for various improvement projects for communities, cities, and boroughs throughout the state. An example of material relating to African Americans is charts citing percentages of the non-white population in the predominantly African American community of Media in Delaware County, as well as information on various organizations, churches, and educational facilities in that community.