Records of the Bicentennial Council of

the Thirteen Original States

Regional historical agency.

Records, circa 1970-1985.

Size: 8 lin. ft.

Catalog number: MSS 1005

Processed by: Robin Flynn, August 1997

This collection stored OFFSITE as of July 2011.

©Rhode Island Historical Society

Manuscripts Division

The organization was founded in Newport, R.I. For many years its offices were located in Atlanta, and after 1976 were located in Alexandria, Virginia. It became the Council of the Thirteen Original States, Inc., circa 1981. It was not a government agency but a private organization. The director of the RIHS, Albert Klyberg, considers the BCTOS the most important of the many private bicentennial agencies. The agency was not under the auspices of the RIHS, and the materials in the records are of limited Rhode Island interest.

The records include correspondence, licensing contracts, financial reports and statements, subject files, newsletters, conference minutes and reports, and miscellaneous files.

Unknown. Records were transferred to the library from the Aldrich House basement in June, 1995. They may have been left there by Patrick T. Conley, who was very active in the affairs of both the BCTOS and the RIHS.

A very rough inventory was taken of the records. They were rehoused in archival boxes, but none of the material has been organized, weeded, or foldered.

Boxes 1 and 2. Licensing contracts for merchandise, correspondence, subject files, study kit, financial statements, IRS filing papers, York (Pa.) conference, "Miscellaneous 1978".

Box 3. Five binders, labeled: Newsletters, 1977-1982; 5th Annual Conference, 1981;

Conference Planning, 1980; Conference, 1979; Washington Reports (newsletters), 1974.

Box 4. Eight binders, labeled: "council members biographies"; Executive committee minute

book, 1970-1972; Council minutes, 1974-1978; Council minutes, 1970-1973; More bio- graphics; Exec. comm. minutes, 1973-1976; Fund trustees minutes, 1977-1985; Exec. comm. minutes, 1977-1985.

Box 5. Two binders, labeled: Conference, 1978 and Conference, 1977; Correspondence, 1976; Bicentennial fund state registrations; Connecticut files; miscellaneous 1976.

Box 6. BCTOS fund miscellaneous 1977; Great American Achievement Program; 1977 trustees meetings; York, Pa. conference speeches, 1977; 1978 executive comm. meeting minutes,

Box 7. State-by-state files, mostly re: establishing charitable organizations; dissolution file, 1978; financial records; BCTOS fund files.

Box 8. Same records as box 7, and: BCTOS fund; NEH grant; licensing contracts, Franklin

Oversized folder. Proclamation of "Bicentennial Council of the Thirteen Original States Day" by R.I. Governor J.J. Garrahy, July 11, 1980.