Museum, New York State

The New York State Museum originated with the State Geological and Natural History Survey, established by the legislature in 1836 (Chapter 142). It was charged with completing a geological survey of the State and furnishing "a full and scientific description of its rocks, sails and minerals, and of its botanical and zoological productions, together with specimens of the same" to be deposited in the State Library. The State was divided into four districts, each in charge of a geologist who, along with a staff mineralogist, botanist, and zoologist, completed the initial survey in 1842. The following year the legislature authorized a continuation of the work of the geological survey (Chapter 85) in arranging and describing the geological collections and conducting an agricultural survey. This work was prosecuted under James Hall and Ebenezer Emmons, respectively.

The collections of the survey, known as the State Cabinet of Natural History, were placed in the charge of the State Board of Regents in 1845 (Chapter 179). Scientific investigations remained independent of the State Cabinet until James Hall was appointed Curator in 1866. Entomological work by the State began in 1847 when Asa Fitch was employed to collect insect specimens for the State Cabinet. After Fitch's death, the Legislature appropriated funds in 1880 (Chapter 549) for the salary of an official Entomologist, to be appointed by the governor. The following year the title was changed to State Entomologist and charged with the study of "insects injurious to agriculture and of methods for controlling and preventing their depredations" (Chapter 377). In 1868 the state added botanical research to its functions by appropriating funds for the employment of a botanist (later State Botanist) to arrange a herbarium in the State Capital (Chapter 830).

The State Cabinet first became a repository for cultural artifacts in 1847 when the Board of Regents appointed a special committee to plan for a "State Antiquarian Collection" to be attached to the State Cabinet. The following year the Regents resolved to solicit Lewis Henry Morgan's collection of Indian artifacts for the "Historical and Antiquarian Collection." In 1896 the Legislature mandated the formation of "as complete a collection as practicable of the historical, ethnographic and other records and relics of the Indians of the State of New York including implements or other articles pertaining to their domestic life, agriculture, the chase, war, religion, burial and other rites and customs" (Chapter 586).

Administrative responsibility for the work of the state scientists and the State Cabinet changed several times. In 1850 the Secretary of State was made responsible for completing and publishing the work of the geological survey (Chapter 360). He and the Secretary of the Board of Regents were to examine claims for work and report to the legislature. The State Cabinet became the New York State Museum of Natural History under the Board of Regents in 1870 and the former Curator was appointed Director with authority to "supervise and direct all its scientific and practical operations" (Chapter 557). In 1883 (Chapter 355) the Regents were authorized to appoint the staff of the Museum including the Director, State Geologist, State Entomologist, and Botanist. The Museum was made a part of University of the State of New York in 1889 (Chapter 529).

Appointment of the scientific staff of the Museum (State Geologist and Paleontologist, State Entomologist, and State Botanist) was transferred to the Governor in 1893 (Chapter 488). Three years later the State Geologist and Paleontologist (James Hall) was continued in office and made independent of supervision by the Board of Regents (Chapter 493). The State Museum became part of the newly created State Education Department in 1904 (Chapter 40), where the work of the Museum and its scientific staff was placed in a Division of Science and State Museum under a director. In 1904 an honorary archeologist was added to the Museum staff, and two years later the first salaried staff Archeologist (State Archeologist after 1933) was hired.

The curatorial and scientific functions of the Museum were separated in 1945 (Chapter 651) with the creation of the State Science Service within the Museum. The functions of the Science Service were to engage in scientific research, cooperate with other public and private scientific agencies, and make its services available to state agencies and residents of the state. The Science Service was administratively divided into three surveys to carry out these functions: Anthropological Survey, Biological Survey, and Geological Survey. The director of the Museum was also head of the Science Service. In 1954 the director of the State Museum and Science Service was upgraded to the level of Assistant Commissioner and the Science Service was placed under a director.

In 1976 the Board of Regents reorganized the Education Department offices having functions relating to history. The Local Records Section of the Office of State History, with responsibility for examining and providing advice on the management of local records, was transferred to the New York State Archives. All other functions of the office were transferred to the newly created Division of Historical Services in the New York State Museum. The Board placed the division under a director designed as Acting State Historian. In 1978 this division was renamed Division of Historical and Anthropological Services upon the transfer to it of the functions of the Anthropological Survey. The scientific and curatorial activities of the State Museum were combined into a Division of Research and Collections in 1985. Within the Division were the Geological Survey, Biological Survey, Anthropological Survey, and Historical Survey.