History Office of Insular Affairs

1 history

1.1 division of territories , island possessions
1.2 office of territories
1.3 office of territorial affairs

history

the office has evolved on years along changes in administration , in united states territories.

prior 1930s, responsibility administration of united states possessions divided among several government departments. alaska , hawaii under interior department; puerto rico , philippine islands administered bureau of insular affairs in war department; , united states virgin islands, guam, , american samoa administered united states department of navy.

division of territories , island possessions

the division of territories , island possessions, 1934 1950 responsible administering interior department s responsibilities on territories , island possessions of united states consolidated interior department. under supervision of secretary of interior, division served mediator between territories , federal government performing administrative activities territorial governments , taking on colonization projects furthered interests of united states in areas.

the division established within interior department on may 29, 1934 under president franklin d. roosevelt s executive order 6727 pursuant of economy act of march 20, 1933 required president reorganize executive branch. executive order transferred administrative functions on puerto rico bureau of insular affairs war department newly formed division.

on february 13, 1936 secretary order 1040, division assigned responsibilities interior department on territorial affairs in alaska, alaska railroad project, alaska road commission, , jurisdiction on hawaiian islands , u.s. virgin islands. in may 1936 , march 1938 executive order 7368 , executive order 7828, baker island, howland island, jarvis island, canton island, , enderbury island placed under interior department , assigned division.

on july 1, 1939, bureau of insular affairs war department , functions, including administrative responsibilities on philippine islands transferred interior department , consolidated division reorganization plan no. ii of 1939.

in 1943 division reorganized 3 geographic , 2 functional branches: hawaii , philippine islands, alaska, , puerto rico , virgin islands, legal, , administrative.

in 1949, division s administrative responsibilities expanded include guam executive order 10077 , made effective july 1, 1950 executive order 10137. in 1950, office of territories established , functions of division transferred office secretarial order no. 2577.

the first director of territories ernest gruening, served 1934 1939, , later served territorial governor of alaska , 1 of first senators elected alaska upon statehood.

the major publication division annual reports of department of interior has section on division of territories , island possessions written director outlining division s activities on past fiscal year. additionally, division published general information serial pamphlets on puerto rico, virgin islands, , territories of alaska , hawaii, , later general information on trust territory. division published specific reports pertaining alaska s postwar period , road , agricultural development efforts, report on surplus property of administrative areas.

office of territories

in 1950, division s name changed office of territories , office s work reduced in 1952 after puerto rico attained commonwealth status , in 1959 alaska , hawaii granted statehood.

office of territorial affairs

in 1971, office of territories temporarily abolished , administration coordinated deputy assistant secretary territorial affairs in office of assistant secretary public land management. in 1973, agency reconstituted office of territorial affairs, remained designation until 1980, when office of assistant secretary territorial , international affairs created. (the designation international refers became freely associated states of marshall islands, federated states of micronesia, , palau.)

today, interior department, through office of insular affairs, continues responsible outlying insular areas including american samoa, guam, u.s. virgin islands, , northern mariana islands.