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The National Archives at St. Louis: A Trove of Federal Personnel Records

The National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri, serves as a vital repository of historical records, including Official Personnel Folders (OPFs) for federal civilian employees. These records, under the custody of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), typically encompass personnel files for federal employees, though availability may vary depending on the agency and time period.

From 1890 to 1951, the National Archives at St. Louis houses OPFs for a multitude of federal agencies that were part of the U.S. Civil Service at that time. Some of the agencies and types of jobs that might have records available include:

Federal Civil Service: This encompasses a wide range of positions across various federal departments and agencies, such as the U.S. Postal Service, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and many others.
Department of the Navy: Early personnel records might include those for civil service positions within naval shipyards and other facilities.
Veterans Administration (now known as the Department of Veterans Affairs): Records might include those for VA hospitals and other facilities.

While the National Archives at St. Louis maintains a vast collection of personnel records, not all records from every agency are guaranteed to be available. Some records may have been lost or destroyed over time, and others might be restricted due to privacy laws.

For the most accurate and detailed information about specific agencies and their OPFs from 1890 to 1951, it is advisable to contact The National Archives at St. Louis directly or visit their website for more detailed guidance. They can provide specific information about the availability and accessibility of these records.

It is important to note that not all OPFs of former civil servants whose employment ended prior to 1952 are open to the public due to restrictions under the Privacy Act of 1974 (P. L. 93-579). For more information about Federal civilian employees whose employment ended after 1951, there is a link provided.

The archival holdings of OPF are considered a collection of records, and they include those created by various Federal agencies that ended service before 1952. Some of the other agencies with records in the archives include:

Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital: Records date from 1908 to 1933.
U.S. Customs Service: Records date from 1891 to 1967.
National Park Service: Records date from 1921 to 1960.
Forest Service: Records date from 1821 to 1972.
State agency: Records date from 1882 to 1951.
Census Bureau: Records date from 1900 to 1947.
Panama Canal Commission: Records date from 1900 to 1970.
Commerce agency: Records date from 1889 to 1951.
Interior agency: Records date from 1904 to 1968.
Office of Scientific Research and Development: Records date from 1941 to 1947.
Immigration and Naturalization Service: Records date from 1898 to 1947.
Food and Drug Administration: Records date from 1906 to 1947.
Federal Security Agency: Records date from 1870 to 1951.
Post Office Department: Records date from 1919 to 1951.
Civil Aeronautics Board: Records date from 1943 to 1947.
Internal Revenue Service: Records date from 1894 to 1952.
Civil Service Commission: Records date from 1883 to 1950.
Social Security Administration: Records date from 1947.
Office of War Information: Records date from 1933 to 1945.
Army and Air Force: Records date from 1939 to 1951.
Bureau of Indian Affairs: Records date from 1850 to 1957.

Access to some records is restricted, and only limited types of information from these records are releasable to non-authorized users. If determined to be not open to the public, the case will be handled by the National Personnel Record Center-Civilian Personnel Records Annex. Once a specific record has been identified and located, the record's status and releasability will be determined following these restrictions.