Extract from "The U.S. Department of Energy and the Cold War," by Terrence R. Fehner, History Division, Executive Secretariat, U.S. Department of Energy. Presented at National Archives conference, September 26, 1998

Accessing Records

Although the Department of Energy's declassification effort continues and much more needs to be done, many significant collections relating to Cold War issues have been made available, or at least partially available, to researchers. The vast majority of these are AEC collections, most of which, as far as headquarters records, are accessible either at the National Archives in College Park or at the History Division's archives at the department's facility in Germantown, Maryland. [Questions concerning access to AEC materials should be directed to Marjorie Ciarlanti at the National Archives at (301) 713-7250 and Marie Hallion in the DOE History Division at (301) 903-4135; (301) 903- 9673, fax; marie.hallion@hq.doe.gov, e-mail.]

Nearly all research into headquarters AEC records begins with the Secretariat files. These files were maintained for the five commissioners, and contain correspondence, memos, staff papers, and other materials that went to or were sent out from the Commission. Most of the agency's top-level documentation is in the Secretariat files. Organized by subject, the files are actually a series of distinct collections broken down chronologically. The first collection contains materials from 1947 to 1951, the second from 1951 to 1958, and so on. These first two collections are at the National Archives. A full-scale declassification review--both NSI and RD--is nearing completion and about three-fourths of the material in and these collections is open to researchers.

The six remaining collections making up the Secretariat files and running from 1958 to 1975 are maintained by the History Division. These collections are currently going through an NSI [National Security Information] review under the Executive Order. [Executive Order 12958, signed by President Clinton on April 17, 1995, set guidelines to govern declassification.] Over the next several years as the NSI review is completed, the History Division intends to transfer the collections to the National Archives, but, in the interim, research access to the Secretariat files is available through the History Division. Large portions of the files, mostly those dealing with non-national security issues, are unclassified. Access to weapons-related files, though, remains somewhat limited. The History Division maintains a research room in Germantown, open by appointment. A folder title index is available for all of the Secretariat collections. The History Division also has a card catalog indexing significant documents in the Secretariat collections. The catalog is classified, however, and because of its complexity has thus far resisted efforts by the Office of Declassification to declassify it.

Other AEC headquarters collections are accessible either at the National Archives or through the History Division. Most of the materials collected by individual commissioners have been saved. The records of David Lilienthal, first chairman of the AEC, are at the National Archives. Others, such as those of Lewis Strauss and John McCone, are on their way. Some, such as Glenn T. Seaborg's office collection of over 250 cubic feet, have yet to go through declassification review. The AEC General Manager's files, which duplicates some of the Secretariat material but also contains documentation not found in the Secretariat files, is going through a declassification review. As with the later Secretariat files, limited access to the General Manager's files is available through the History Division.