United States. Work Projects Administration. Office of the Wisconsin State Administrator.

The administration of Federal work relief programs in the State of Wisconsin from 1933-43 operated successively under four different Federal organizational structures, the Civil Works Adminstration (CWA), the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and the Work Projects Administration of the Federal Works Agency. The State administration was somewhat differently organized and administered under these three different structures, but many of the programs and most of the records were retained by succeeding officials.

The CWA program in Wisconsin extended from November 1933-March 1934 and employed, at one time, 166,550 persons at a total cost of more than $36 million. The Director of the Civil Works Administration in Wisconsin reported to the Wisconsin Industrial Commission, which in turn was responsible to the Governor. There were apparently only two State Directors (Robert C. Johnson and Clayton N. Ward), although W.L. Coffey assumed briefly the new title of State Coordinator. The State Director appointed Deputy Administrators in each of 21 districts in the State. Most of the State work projects were those planned but not previously funded by the State Highway Commission, Conservation Commission, University of Wisconsin and State Department of Education, including public improvement construction work on highways, schools, municipal buildings, parks and other recreation facilities. The Civil Works Service Division (CWS) of the State office initiated and administered jobs for women and professionals or "white collar" workers. The CWA hired only from state relief rolls in its first several months, but then established an equal division of jobs between persons on relief rolls and so-called "reemployment lists." Democratic party officials were generally appointed as district CWA administrators.

The State Emergency Relief Administration (ERA) and other Wisconsin State offices succeeded to many of the functions and programs of the State director's office in April 1934. Unlike the CWA, which was a Federal program administered by Federal employees in the states, the FERA program operated through providing Federal grants to State officials. Projects had to come within one of the broad major categories declared to be eligible by the FERA, and work had to be carried on in conformity with State and local funds, and local communities were responsible for providing materials, equipment, and supervision. Many of the project previously centrally administered were delegated to those State departments with which they were most closely associated, and to local and State relief administrators. The records created by the State Emergency Relief Administration were primarily monthly reports of disbursements and reports concerning grant funds.

On May 6, 1935, through Executive Order No. 7035, President Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration, later reorganized as the Work Projects Administration. Until 1943, through its national, regional, and state organizations, the WPA exercised control over all Federal work relief activities. The Office of the Wisconsin State Administrator was organized in four divisions (Employment, Finance and Statistics, Operations, Women's and Professional Projects) with five district headquarters offices at Madison, Ashland, Green Bay, Menomonie, and Wood. The State office was located first at 149 East Wilson St. and later 1232 Jenifer St., Madison, Wisconsin. State Administrators were, successively, Ralph J. Immel (1935-37), M.W. Torkelson (1937-39), Philip D. Flanner (1939-?), and Mark Muth (?-1943).

The State office was responsible for the general administration of WPA programs, including the securing of Federal approval and funds for projects operations and maintenance of primary project administration and funding records. The State's district offices were responsible for the direct management of project operations, including assigning certified workers to projects, timekeeping, scheduling, and cooperation with local sponsors in the timing and management of project operations. Although most WPA projects involved construction work on public buildings or facilities such as airports and parks, there were also many professional or white collar projects involving writers, musicians, historians, nurses, teachers, etc.

Instructions issued in the WPA Handbook of Procedures, Letter 367 (October 1938) made State WPA Administrators responsible "for the concentration, housing, filing and cataloguing of all CWA and inactive WPA records,"through a custodian of records under the supervision of the state WPA Director of Finance. ERA records created in states whose relief programs had never been federalized were considered to belong to the State and subject to disposition by State authorities.

From the description of Agency history record. (National Archives Library). WorldCat record id: 145406767