The papers of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller primarily consist of correspondence, including personal correspondence to family and relatives, biographical materials; art collection files, and files pertaining to her philanthropic activities.

The Commonwealth Fund office used these files as a cross reference system for the grants. The files concentrate from the 1950s to 1981. The folders consist of cross reference sheets and correspondence. There are some reports and photographs. Original boxes 317, 325, 326, 332, 333, 341, and 342 were not sent to the Archives; consequently files from D, E, P, and W are missing. Folders for The Johns Hopkins University and Massachusetts General Hospital are also missing.

Types of records include: officers' files.

Fellowships are an integral part of the Commonwealth Fund's history, and continually supported the varied public health, mental hygiene, and rural hospital programs of the CF. The advanced medical fellowships were first awarded in 1937, and although they primarily aided medical school teachers and research workers, individuals in other areas of health work also received financial assistance. About twenty fellowships per year were granted during 1950-1959, many of which entailed interdisciplinary studies, and by 1965 well over sixty fellowships were awarded yearly.

Series 4 contains annual reports from 1919-2002. A complete run of bound reports is available in the RAC Library. Individual soft cover reports are available in the archival collection. The Annual Report for 1986 is not available in the archival collection, but it is accessible in the RAC Library. Series 4 also contains a small selection of other reports and pamphlets spanning the mid-1980's through 1994.

Types of records include: manuscripts and library records.

An outgrowth of the Commonwealth Fund's relief activities in Eastern and Central Europe after World War I, the Austrian Program provided vital help in improving the health of children in Austria. From 1923 until 1929 the CF maintained an office in Vienna, and conducted a program of health and preventive medicine for children. Child health demonstrations were conducted in Salzburg, and similar activities transpired in Vienna, Klagenfurt, Graz, and elsewhere.

Types of records include: meeting minutes, financial statements, and reports.

Types of records include: meeting minutes and reports.

Types of records include: correspondence, meeting minutes, proposals, and financial material.

Types of records include: administrative and grant files.

The Commonwealth Fund announced its Child Health Program on June 29, 1922. The goals of the five year program were "safe-guarding the health of the mother-to-be, laying a good health foundation for children in the early sensitive and formative period of their growth and health supervision and the formation of the essential health habits in school children." The responsibility for the conduct of the demonstrations rested with the American Child Health Association, which had been recently formed through the merger of the American Child Hygiene Association and the Child Health Organization of America. The Child Health Demonstration Committee of the Commonwealth Fund oversaw the program, with Barry C. Smith chairman and Courtenay Dinwiddie executive director. Other notable participants in the program include Philip Van Ingen, Richard A. Bolt, L. Emmett Holt, Sally Lucas Jean, Livingston Farrand, Donald B. Armstrong, and Barbara S. Quin.

Types of records include: correspondence, grants, meeting minutes, publications, and personnel files.

The work of the Division on Community Clinics continued the efforts of Division II of the Program for the Prevention of Delinquency. Division II began its first demonstration child guidance clinic at St. Louis on May 10, 1922. With the expiration of the CF's five year program, the Cleveland Clinic's (December 31, 1926) and the Philadelphia Clinic's (June 30, 1927), demonstration nature ended, and they became permanent independent bodies. The entire Division II program was revised to stress increased use of the supervisory and consulting functions of the Division's field consultant staff, and promoted 1) continued contact with and supervision of the permanent clinics, and 2) additional field service to cities requesting assistance and advice regarding mental hygiene problems and programs.

The Commonwealth Fund established the Division of Health Studies as a separate division on April 1, 1931. The purposes of the organization were 1) to make periodic studies of the health conditions in the various communities in which the Commonwealth Fund worked, 2) assist in the development of division programs through the planning of administrative records and the appraisal of results, 3) conduct special studies in the field of health as from time to time seemed important in the development of the work of the Fund or would be of broad application.

The Commonwealth Fund's Division of Publications series is concerned with the publishing of books, journals, articles, and pamphlets. This series consists of correspondence, reports, financial papers, and a few pamphlets and books. The documents are mostly concerned with the financing and publishing of books, and the relationship of the Division with the authors and publishing companies.

The Commonwealth Fund announced in late 1929 a new project that began operation on January 1, 1930, and promoted rural health and medical service in the United States. The new program, instead of emphasizing child care, comprised all health services in rural communities. Initially the project was limited to two states, Tennessee (1930-1945) and Massachusetts (1930-1945), and to two counties or districts in each state. Later the program was also active in Mississippi (1931-1947), Oklahoma (1938-1949), Alabama (1938-1942), Arkansas (1945-1947), California, Florida (1945-1947), Kentucky (1945-1947), Louisiana (1946), Maine, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia, and Washington. Dr. William J. French, the first director of the CF's child-health demonstration in Fargo, North Dakota, and former head of the CF's Austrian Program, was named director. French resigned his post on April 4, 1931, and on May 15, 1931, Clarence L. Scamman became the new director of the Division.

Prior to 1925 the Commonwealth Fund granted only limited monies for the building or enlargement of hospitals, i.e., to Yale University for improvements to the New Haven Hospital, to the Grenfell Association for small hospitals in Newfoundland, to the Presbyterian Board of Missions for a hospital at Point Barrow, Alaska, and to Memorial Hospital in New York City to aid in the construction of a new building. The Fund's experiences with the Child Health Demonstrations included more than just child health services and brought the realization of the need for improved medical and surgical facilities in rural America. In June 1925 Henry C. Wright, hospital consultant, studied the possibilities of improving rural hospital services. Wright's study led to the establishment of the Division of Rural Hospitals and the appointment, in March 1926, of a director, Henry J. Southmayd, who served in that capacity throughout the division's existence.

Only two files from the Commonwealth Fund's Educational Research Program remain. The rest were destroyed on February 25, 1949, under Barry C. Smith's instructions. The first file, The Survey of Rural Education in New York State, was appeal #287 and received the Commonwealth code designation 1225-S. This survey, begun in 1920, represents one of the earliest projects funded by the CF. A "Committee of Twenty One" comprised of noted New York educators oversaw the survey project. Members from the Dairyman's League, The New York State Department of Education, the Farm Bureau Federation, the State Grange, the State College of Agriculture, the New York State Teachers Association, and the New York State Federation of Home Bureaus actively participated in the survey. Samuel C. Fairley, assistant director of the Commonwealth Fund, George M. Wiley of the University of the State of New York, and John H. Finley, New York State Commissioner of Education, directed the survey.

Types of records include: budgets, correspondence, and meeting minutes.

Grant actions comprise the largest series of the Commonwealth Fund records. The earliest grants funded a broad range of projects and associations and reflected the diverse and varied program of the Fund's beginning years. In many cases the grants were parallel or ancillary to existing Commonwealth Fund projects. Often, however, unrelated or special short-term grants were awarded. When the Commonwealth Fund's program became more oriented toward medical education and research, the grant actions mirrored this policy alteration. The records found in the Grants Series are the combination of the unprocessed Grants and Expired Grants Series.

The Harkness Family Papers are the private records of Edward S. and Mary S. Harkness. These documents are concerned with their donations to universities, schools, institutions and individuals. There is a great quantity of information on donations to schools and universities like Phillips Exeter Academy, Columbia, Harvard, Yale and others. There is a book on the residential halls of Yale University in the Harkness Family Volumes. The Harkness Family provided funds for organizations like the Pilgrim Trust in which further information can be found in the Harkness Family Volumes. There are other institutions which the Harkness family contributed to like Presbyterian Hospital, New York Public Library and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gifts and donations for servants, friends and family are documented. Members of the family include the Russels, the Stillmans and the Taylors. There are records of the Harkness family. These are mostly concerned with Edward S. Harkness' Estate and Trust after his death. The Harkness Family Volumes contains condolences offered at his death. The Harkness Family papers were examined by Malcolm P. Aldrich, Trustee of the Edward S. Harkness Estate. These documents consist mostly of correspondence, financial data, legal documents and reports.

The records of the Harkness Fellowships reflect the close personal relationship the Fund Instituted with over 1,800 fellows.

The records of the Harkness Fellowships reflect the close personal relationship the Fund Instituted with over 1,800 fellows. A typical file in Series 20.2 contains a fellow's application, his curriculum vitae and letters of recommendation, his fellowship report, and photographs. It was not unusual for fellows and officials at the Commonwealth Fund to maintain correspondence for more than twenty years, and files often contain family photographs, professional writings, and newspaper clippings from fellows who succeeded in a wide variety of fields. Such files clearly demonstrate that close and personal relationships were maintained by the Fund and the Harkness fellows.

The majority of the Institute's surviving records consist of financial statements, audits and correspondence relating to fiscal or budget matters. The minutes of the Institute detail the activities of the Board of Directors, the incorporators, the annual corporation meetings, and the committee dividing the assets of the Institute. In late 1937 the Commonwealth Fund decided that all case files pertaining to the treatment of children at the Institute should be destroyed. Therefore, in February of 1938 these records, as well as the index to these cases, were burned. Other folders in this series contain sensitive material.

Types of records include: administrative and grant files.

Types of records include: grant files and applications.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s the Commonwealth Fund provided financial support for several unique projects concerning psychiatry, pediatrics, and the teaching/training of psychiatrists. Public and private institutions, as well as individuals, were recipients of these grants, with the majority going to universities and colleges. The records for the special studies consist mainly of correspondence and general files relating to a specific grant. Financial records are also found in the folders titled "General Files and Correspondence." A list of the original Commonwealth Fund code assigned to the grants is available in the print version of the finding aid.

Pilgrim Trust records primarily consist of Annual Reports, Minutes, and a variety of newspaper clippings.

Types of records include: meeting minutes, correspondence, speeches, and reports.

The Reference Files consist of ready-reference materials, primarily publications and articles, orginally compiled for the Commonwealth Fund Library.

Barry C. Smith served as General Director of the Commonwealth Fund, 1920-1947. During this period the reports were officially titled as Report of the General Director to the Directors of the Commonwealth Fund. Beginning in 1948, the offical title became known as Report of the President and Staff to Directors of the Commonwealth Fund.

Types of records include: financial material and general files.

This series is a vertical file created by Reginald H. Fitz consisting of articles, reports, studies, reprints and other associated subject matter.

Types of records include: blueprints, photographs, and maps. Images document the Harkness Family, Harkness House, Harkness Fellows. This series also contains a variety of material separated from the body of the early Commonwealth Fund grant records including grants in public health, rural hositals and disease research (FA290 Commonwealth Fund Grants, SG 1, Series 18.1) as well as the Division of Publications (FA285 SG 1, Series 13).

This set of general files chronicles management of the philanthropic affairs of David Rockefeller during the period 1992-1996. when he was naturally beginning to curtail his activities.

This series documents portions of Nelson A. Rockefeller's public and private activities between 1968 and 1974. These records were created and maintained by members of Rockefeller's staff at his office at 22 West 55th Street, New York, also called the New York Office. Rockefeller was one of the first New York governors to maintain a permanent office in New York City. In general, Rockefeller was in Albany only while the Legislature was in session or for special occasions. The management of his public duties was undertaken largely at 55th Street. The office was paid for privately by Rockefeller, but many of the staff were public employees. When he resigned as governor, on December 20, 1973, some of the staff became Rockefeller's personal employees. Some of them went on the federal payroll and moved to Washington, DC, when Rockefeller became Vice President of the United States on December 19, 1974.

This small series contains a portion of the files of N. Lee Cook, who served as a Program Assistant for Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller. These files are specifically related to Affirmative Action Programs. The majority of the files contain significant documentation of the Affirmative Action Program of Greater Buffalo (BAAP) and the work undertaken by that organization in 1970 and 1971. Primarily, these files deal with construction issues and equal employment opportunities, as well as affirmative action concerns on construction sites around New York State.

In her role as Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller's executive assistant, Ann Whitman maintained a large number of his office files. This series primarily covers the time period surrounding the 1968 Presidential election, when Governor Rockefeller sought the Republican party's presidential nomination. A significant portion of the material deals with the deepening conflict in Vietnam.

This is an incomplete portion of Governor Rockefeller's Appointments Office correspondence, dating from 1958 to 1970. Only three boxes of alphabetical correspondence are represented, from C through L. There is no record or indication of what happened to the rest of the alphabetical run. The final box of the series is a box of miscellaneous subject files, dating from 1967 to 1970. Alphabetically arranged by topic, this portion of the series is also incomplete. The material contained withing these files may be duplicated within the official gubernatorial record, maintained on microfilm at both the New York State Archives and the Rockefeller Archive Center.

This series contains a portion of the office files of Arthur Massolo, who served in the Appointments Office during Nelson A. Rockefeller's third gubernatorial term. This incomplete selection of papers is composed entirely of correspondence with individuals seeking employment in the Rockefeller administration. As Assistant Appointments Officer to the Governor, Massolo forwarded the correspondence to the appropriate department. Massolo often included cover memoranda with recommendations on the individuals to the directors, commissioners, or secretaries of the many New York State departments.

This series contains a comprehensive collection of the bills submitted to Nelson A. Rockefeller for approval during his tenure as Governor of New York, an office he held from 1959 to 1973. As the chief executive of the state, Rockefeller signed all bills into law or vetoed them. Each bill that was submitted to Rockefeller for his signature was accompanied by a memorandum from the Counsel to the Governor. These memoranda stated the subject and purpose of the bill, including the original sponsor of the bill; brief comments offering background on the legislation; and the recommendation of the Counsel. The Counsel would usually conclude the memo with a recommendation of "Approval" or "Disapproval." In either case, the legislation may also have been signed or vetoed with an accompanying memorandum from Rockefeller.

This series is a collection of resolutions forwarded to Charles H. Palmer, Assistant Secretary to the Governor for Reports, from the New York Department of Civil Service. Each year of Governor Rockefeller's gubernatorial tenure is represented by resolutions that were approved by Governor Rockefeller on Palmer's recommendation and those resolutions that were "Withdrawn or Withheld" at the request of the Civil Service Department head. Resolutions would be withdrawn or withheld as a result of the information being superceded by a subsequent resolution or the reasons for the resolution being resolved in some other manner.

The primary responsibility of Counsel to the Governor was to translate the Governor's programs into law. The counsel's staff ensured that bills were correctly drafted, and helped to stop bills that were antithetical to the Governor's programs from being enacted. Bills in the Governor's annual legislative program were drafted by the Counsel's Office to ensure that they reflected the Governor's views. Drafting work was divided among assistant counsels, roughly according to subject matter. The Counsel's staff also reviewed bills drafted by other agencies. Governor Rockefeller was not directly involved in this work, concentrating instead on broad policy matters. During Governor Rockefeller's administrations, the Counsel was one of three people, along with the Secretary to the Governor and the Budget Director, on whom he relied most heavily for administration and program development.

This series consists of periodic reports prepared by departments and agencies of the New York state government for Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller. The reports are of four different types, from four different periods representing each of Governor Rockefeller's four administrations. In general the reports offer an assessment of each department's responsibilities, goals, performance, problems, and needs. Each of the four different report types is found for most, but not all, of the departments. The four types of reports are as follows:

This series documents portions of Nelson A. Rockefeller's public activities from 1953 to 1973. Diane Van Wie was on Nelson A. Rockefeller's executive staff prior to and while he was Governor of New York. She was one of two assistants to Ann Whitman, executive assistant to the governor, in the Albany office.

This series primarily comprises correspondence from New York State residents to members of Governor Rockefeller's staff, specifically those working on the Gubernatorial Executive Branch staff. The correspondence is congenial, thanking the staff members for meeting with them or thanking the staff member for appearing at an event on the Governor' behalf. Many members of the executive staff are represented here, although the series is dominated by correspondence with Alexander Aldrich, Richard Amper, and Robert McManus.