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Governor’s Mansion records

Texas Governor Rick Perry:

An Inventory of Governor Rick Perry Governor’s Mansion records at the Texas State Archives, 1949, 1973-1989, 2001-2014, undated, bulk 2008-2014

Organization History Scope and Contents Restrictions Related Materials

Overview

Governor's MansionCreator: Texas. Governor (2000-2015 : Perry)
Title: Governor Rick Perry Governor’s Mansion records
Dates: 1949, 1973-1989, 2001-2014, undated, bulk 2008-2014
Abstract: The Texas Governor’s Mansion served as the official residence of Texas Governor Rick Perry and his family during Perry’s term of office. Records are artwork, audio files, budgets, CD-ROMs, clippings, a 3.5-inch computer floppy disk, correspondence, curricula, financial records, grant applications, graphic images, legislative records, lists, memoranda, notes, photographs, plans, presentations, press releases, publications, reports, speeches, spreadsheets, stationery, and video files. dates are 1949, 1973-1989, 2001-2014, and undated with the bulk of records dating from 2008 to 2014.
Quantity: 6 cubic ft. and 7.16 GB (5,562 files)
Language: These materials are written in English.
Repository: Texas State Archives

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Other Finding Aids

A description of non-electronic records described in this finding aid are available at https://txarchives.org/tslac/finding_aids/80034.xml.

Organization of the Records

Most of the original file structure formulated by the creating agency has been maintained with considerable subject overlap among the series. Changes have been made to the original file structure for the sake of clarity and consistency and to remove duplicates. These records are organized into seven series:

Agency History

The Texas Governor’s Mansion served as the official residence of Texas Governor Rick Perry and his family for his term of office. Using a $14,500 appropriation from the Texas state legislature, the Texas Governor’s Mansion was designed by Abner Cook. Governor Elisha Pease and his family became the first occupants of the Mansion shortly thereafter. Extensive renovations to the Governor’s Mansion were completed in 1982 during the residency of Governor William Clements and his family. The mansion underwent deferred maintenance in October 2007 to replace plumbing and electrical systems, install indoor fire sprinklers, and improve handicap accessibility. All historical furnishings, art work and antiques were moved to a storage facility at this time, and Governor Perry and his family temporarily moved to an alternate location. On June 8, 2008, the mansion was targeted by an unidentified arsonist and sustained extensive damage to both the interior and exterior of the structure. First Lady Anita Perry announced the Texas Governor’s Mansion Restoration Fund (TGMRF) on June 15, 2008. The fund eventually raised $3.5 million dollars in donations from multiple state agencies, preservationists, history enthusiasts, corporations, and private citizens. An additional $21.5 million dollars was appropriated by the Texas legislature for restoration. Reconstruction of the mansion continued from October 2010 to August 2011. In June 2012, the restoration of the Governor’s Mansion was completed and its historical furnishings returned.

(Sources include: Guide to Texas State Agencies, 11th edition (2001); Office of the Governor, accessed on June 3, 2015; the contents of the records; the Texas Governor’s Mansion web site and interactive timeline at http://gov.texas.gov/mansion, accessed on April 6, 2016 and the Texas Governor’s Office website during Governor Perry’s term, accessed via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine on June 3, 2015.)

Scope and Content of the Records

The Texas Governor’s Mansion served as the official residence of Texas Governor Rick Perry and his family during Perry’s term of office (December 20, 2000 to January 20, 2015). Records are artwork, audio files, budgets, CD-ROMs, clippings, a computer floppy disk, correspondence, curricula, financial records, grant applications, graphic images, legislative records, lists, memoranda, notes, photographs, plans, presentations, press releases, publications, reports, speeches, spreadsheets, stationery, and video files. Dates are 1949, 1973-1989, 2001 to 2014 and undated with the bulk of records dating from 2008 to 2014.

Public relations records are dated 1949, 1973-1989, 2003-2013, bulk 2008-2014 and include promotional materials, correspondence, speeches, memoranda, notes, financial records, audio and video of files of public service announcements (PSAs), CD-ROMS, computer floppy disks, photographs, photo requests, articles, publications, and related records. This series contains both paper and electronic. All other series described in this finding aid are electronic only. Prominent Texans featured in the PSAs include Clay Walker, LeAnn Rimes, Dean Cain, and George Strait. Next, the Mansion education and outreach files focus on educating the public, particularly school-age children, on the history of the Texas Governor’s Mansion and include educational curricula, digital images from a taping done by the Texas Education Agency, a children’s activity book created by the Daughters of the American Revolution, and related records, dated 2008-2013. The Office of the First Lady files of Texas First Lady Anita Perry pertain mostly to fundraising efforts conducted by Anita Perry on behalf of the Governor’s Mansion restoration efforts and include school visits, radio interviews, and press conferences, dated 2001-2014. Other records include recipes and samples of frequently asked questions about the Governor’s Mansion.

The Mansion images series consists of graphic images of the Texas Governor’s Mansion, its grounds and inhabitants, and related records, dated 2002-2014. Topics range from events such as Christmas at the mansion and outdoor picnics to extensive documentation of the appearance of the mansion before the catastrophic fire of 2008. The Mansion restoration files are comprised primarily of images and related records documenting the extensive damage to the Governor’s Mansion caused by fire in June 2008, the fire itself, and restoration of the mansion thereafter, dated 2003-2014. Among the earlier images are several scanned (and some born digital) images of the Governor’s Mansion and its occupants at various points throughout the building’s long history. The Texas Capitol and flag images are digital images of the Texas Capitol and the Texas state flag, dated 2001-2011. Most are stock images from Shutterstock.

Finally, the Texas Governor’s Mansion Restoration Fund files are financial records, artwork and stationery, correspondence, spreadsheets, events files, memoranda, notes, reports, press clippings about the mansion fire, speeches, publications, grant applications, Public Information Act requests concerning the Texas Governor’s Mansion Restoration Fund TGMRF, and related records pertaining to TGMRF, dated 2008-2014 and undated. These records also document the eventual dissolution of the various committees, campaigns, and boards established to raise money for the TGMRF upon completion of the restoration work.

Formats of the original electronic files include word processing files or plain text files (.doc, .pdf, .dot, .xps, and .txt), slide presentations (.ppt), graphic images (.tif, .gif, .psd, .gif, .png, and .jpg), emails, spreadsheets (xls.), sound files (.mp3), XML file (.xml), web pages (.html and .htm), video files (.wmv), and bitmap images (.bmp). Digital files presented for public use will generally be PDF for text documents and .jpg for images. Files in their original format are available on request; restrictions may apply.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

Restrictions and Requirements

Restrictions on Access
Records described in this finding aid may contain information that is confidential under the Texas Public Information Act (PIA) (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552) or other statutes. Restricted information, as outlined in the statutes, applies to both physical and electronic records. As laws change, statutory restrictions may be added to or removed from these records. See our Texas Public Information Act and Researching in the State Archives web page for the more common types of restrictions found in state government records.

Requests for materials held within the State Archives, whether a Research Request or Public Information Act Request, must be submitted via this form: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/sites/default/files/public/tslac/ref/Texas_State_Archive_Material_Request_Form.pdf. A Research Request is sufficient for requesting most State Archives materials. While a PIA Request is always an option, a PIA Request for State Archives materials is required only if a researcher does not agree to the redaction or removal of restricted government information (see: Texas Gov’t Code Chapter 552).

For further assistance with accessing materials within the State Archives, contact the Reference Desk: archinfo@tsl.texas.gov or 512-463-5455.

Restrictions on Use
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements
To view electronic data on the CD-ROMs, please contact Archives staff for appropriate hardware/software.

Some records contain information on 3.5-inch computer floppy disks. The researcher wishing to view any of the information on the disks should consult with Archives staff and be aware that the Archives may not own the equipment needed to access some information. Some information on the disks may be exempted from disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act, and the disks themselves may or may not still be readable. Please see Archives staff for more information.

Researchers are required to use gloves provided by the Archives when reviewing photographic materials.

The following materials are offered as possible sources of further information on the agencies and subjects covered by the records. The listing is not exhaustive.

Texas State Archives
Dorothy Blodgett research and other materials on the Texas Governor’s Mansion, 1960-2004, 7.23 cubic ft. [No finding aid available. Call numbers are 2000/137, 2005/169, 2008/131, 2009/155, 2010/054.]
Governor’s Mansion collection, 1962, undated, 3 inches [No finding aid available. Call numbers are 2-23/855, 859.]
Marjorie Jean Fuquay clippings, photographs and printed materials relating to the Texas Governor’s Mansion, 1939, 1957-1961, 0.1 cubic ft. [No finding aid available. Call number is 2003 Accessions Box 1 (2003/099).]
Texas Commission on the Arts, Governor’s Mansion Committee administrative files, 1931-1982, 2.94 cubic ft.
Texas Governor Rick Perry records, First Lady Anita Perry’s files, 1969, 1996-2015, undated, bulk 2008-2013, 20.25 cubic ft. and 7.93 GB (10,786 files)
Texas Governor Rick Perry records, Press Office media files, 1972, 1998-2015, undated, bulk 2008-2012, 2.7 cubic ft. and 6.4 TB (321,410 files)
Texas Governor’s Mansion collection, 1836-1984, 14.43 cubic ft.
Texas State Purchasing and General Services Commission, Governor’s Mansion drawings, 1947, 5 drawings [No finding aid available. Call number is 1983/183.]
Texas State Purchasing and General Services Commission, Facilities Planning and Construction Division, Governor’s Mansion drawings, 1979-1982, 52 drawings [No finding aid available. Call number is 1983/025.]
Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, Liberty, Texas
Jean and Price Daniel Personal Texas Governor’s Mansion collection, 1957-1984, 8.5 cubic ft. [Accession number 1994.230.]
Publications
Daniel, Jean Houston, Price Daniel, and Dorothy Blodgett. The Texas Governor’s Mansion: a history of the house and its occupants. Austin, Tex. : Texas State Library and Archives Commission, 1984.

Administrative Information

Other Formats for the Records
Use only if other formats for the records exist. i.e. microfilm

Preferred Citation
(Identify the item), Texas Governor Rick Perry Governor’s Mansion records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information
Accession numbers: 2015/067, 2015/117

Paper records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Office of the Governor on December 19, 2014 through March 2015. Electronic records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Office of the Governor on January 29, 2015.

Processing Information
Processed by Jessica Tucker, April 2016

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