Harold A. Jerry, Jr. Professional Papers

Series consists of five sub-series created during the author's tenure with various state government agencies and commissions: Office for Regional Development, Temporary Commission on the State Court System, Temporary Study Commission on the Future of the Adirondacks, Commission on the Adirondacks in the Twenty-First Century, and Adirondack Highway Council.

Harvard educated attorney Harold A. Jerry's career in public service spanned five decades. From 1959 to 1962, Jerry represented Elmira in the New York State Senate. In 1963, he was named director of the Office for Regional Development within the Executive Chamber. He held that position until the Office of Planning Coordination succeeded the Office for Regional Development in 1966. The following year, Governor Nelson Rockefeller named Jerry executive secretary of the Temporary Study Commission on the Future of the Adirondacks. The commission's recommendations led directly to the creation of the Adirondack Park Agency in 1971. From 1970 to 1973, Jerry served as director and counsel of the Temporary Commission on the State Court System. In 1973, he was appointed to the Public Service Commission, on which he served until his retirement in 1997. In the meantime, Jerry also served as a member of the Commission on the Adirondacks in the Twenty-First Century, which was created under Governor Mario Cuomo.

This series consists of Harold Jerry's personal copies of records compiled during public service with the Office for Regional Development, the Temporary Commission on the State Court System, the Temporary Study Commission on the Future of the Adirondacks, the Commission on the Adirondacks in the Twenty-First Century, and the Adirondack Highway Council. Records include correspondence; working, policy, and issue papers; press releases; economic and environmental studies; environmental field reports; draft legislation; meeting minutes, summaries, and agendas; budget materials; and newspaper clippings.

18880 Series 18880, Administrative Files on Establishment and Early Planning of the Adirondack Park Agency, contains records of the Temporary Study Commission on the Future of the Adirondacks and the Commission on the Adirondacks in the Twenty-First Century

16290 Series 16290, Subject, Correspondence, and Meeting Files, contains records of the Commission on the Adirondacks in the Twenty-First Century

10360 Series 10360, Research and Administration Files contains records of the Temporary Commission on the State Court System

10984 Series 10984, Subject, Correspondence, and Meeting Files, contains records of the Temporary Study Commission on the Future of the Adirondacks

This collection's description was enhanced as a part of the New York State Archives Environmental History Virtual Research Collection Project, 2004. The National Endowment for the Humanities provided funding for this project.

Harold Jerry deposited these records with the State Library in 1997. Records pertaining to Jerry's career in public service were then transferred to the State Archives and accessioned as record series 18880-97 and B1580-97. In 2004, the records were reexamined and those accessioned as 18880-97 were removed from series 18880. These were then combined with the records originally accessioned as B1580-97 to form record series B1830, entitled Harold A. Jerry, Jr. Professional Papers.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.