Writers' Program (New York State)

The Federal Works Progress Administration was established by Presidential Executive Order No. 7034 on May 6, 1935 to coordinate execution of the Federal work relief program. The Federal Writer's Project (FWP) was approved the following July as part of Federal Project One, the WPA Arts Program. The FWP was supervised by WPA's Division of Women's and Professional Projects (1935-1939), Division of Professional and Service Projects (1939-1941), and Division of Community Service Projects (1941-1942). All publications prepared and editing completed by the state office was subject to approval by the national FWP office.

New York was divided between two independently administered writers' projects. The New York City Federal Writers' Project was responsible for the five counties of New York City and the New York State Federal Writers' Project covered the other 57 counties of the state, including Long Island. Generally, there was little collaboration between the two projects. The State Project was headed locally by district supervisors and county officers. Each local office employed "field workers" to conduct research and prepare copy for editing. The majority of field workers were drawn from relief rolls, and all were technically federal employees.

In 1939 the federal government changed the conditions under which WPA aid could be granted to states. The Emergency Relief Appropriation (ERA) Act, passed on June 30, 1939, required a tax-supported agency to provide 25% of the costs of each project. The State Education Department, through the Division of Archives and History, assumed sponsorship of the renamed "Writers' Program." The WPA (now called the Work Projects Administration) retained its supervisory responsibilities over the Writers' Program (WP).

Initially, the New York State FWP concentrated on preparing a statewide guide (excluding New York City), published in 1940 as New York: A Guide to the Empire State. In addition, many local and regional guides were prepared, some of which were published. These guides typically contain essays on the history, culture, and resources of the community or region and provide detailed tour routes with descriptions of notable sites and structures along the route. Later, the Writers' Program also prepared material for a comprehensive State Encyclopedia, a State Almanac, and several smaller projects that were never published. During 1941 and 1942 the Division of Archives and History cooperated with the Writers' Program, the State Library, and the State Museum on a project to compile a Historical Album of New York State. The uncompleted album was to have contained photographs and descriptive information about significant natives, residents, historic sites, and structures in New York State.

Staffing of the WP declined during 1941 and 1942 as national defense assumed a more important role in government operations. Early in 1942 the WP was redesignated the Writers' Unit of the WPA War Services Subdivision (formerly division of Community Service Projects). The New York State unit ceased operations in July 1942. As district and county offices closed, their records were forwarded to the state office in Albany. Pursuant to a directive from the national office of the Writers' Program, the State Director selected the New York State Library as a suitable repository for the records accumulated by FWP and WP. The records were transferred to the Library sometime after the Writers' Unit ceased operating in July 1942. In 1978 the records were transferred to the New York State Archives.

From the New York State Archives, Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY. Agency record NYSV87-A8