TRANSFER OF OSS RECORDS TO THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP12-01025R000100120004-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 28, 2013
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: December 5, 1983
• Content Type: MEMO

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COrrENTIAL
5 December 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Information Services
FROM:
SUBJECT:
REFERENCE:
Chief, Classification Review Division
Some Comments on the Systematic
Classification Review of OSS Records
DO/IMS Memo 83-556, dated 9 November 1983
,titled, "Transfer of OSS Records to the
National Archives"
1. Reference discusses some aspects of the systematic classifi-
cation review of the OSS records. By concentrating on a few aspects
of that project, it can be read in a way that creates false impressions
and raises some questions. .To fill in some of the missing pieces and
present the record as it was e erienced in CRD, the following brief
story of what was known as the roject is offered: The OSS
review team was first organized in the Summer and Fall of 1972 to syste-
matically review the classification of OSS records held at NARS. This
was required by E.O. 11652. The records at NARS were the OSS Research
and Analysis (KA) files that were given to the Department of State on
the dissolution of OSS on 1 October 1945 and later accessioned to NARS.
The original OSS Review Team consisted of four CIA annuitants who formerly
served in or worked with OSS and who were hired under contract to conduct
this review. They completed the review of the KA files at NARS and then
were brought into Headquarters to review the OSS records held by CIA as
the successor organization to the OSS. -
2. The team was expanded to 15 members, all CIA annuitants with
long years of DO experience. In 1978 it was agreed with NARS to have one
of their archivists, Colonel Raymond Tagge, survey the 6,500 feet of
OSS records held by CIA to determine which were of permanent value.
This project was carried out over several months in coordination with
DO/IMS and DA/RMD. The result was that Colonel Tagge, in consultation
with CIA officers, selected about 3,300 feet of OSS records as being
of permanent value. Then with the Carter Administration, a new Executive
Order was issued, E.O. 12065. It also required systematic classification
UNCLASSIFIED EXCEPT
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SUBJECT: Systematic Classification Review of OSS Records
review of permanent records and slightly changed the definition for what
was classifiable. By 1979, the determination of which OSS records were
permanent was well under way, and with E.O. 12065 becoming effective in
December 1978, it was proposed that the OSS Team begin the review of
what was eventually to become 3,300 feet of permanent OSS records.
That program began in January 1979 and was completed (except for part
of one job, number 56-20) by the end of September 1982. Review guide-
lines'were developed with the active participation of they
were put in writing, and discussed in lively sessions with the Team
members. Procedures also were coordinated with which was
responsible for sending the OSS material to the earn, an hen processing
it after the Team had conducted their classification review. A procedure
was developed to withdraw material that remained classified, place it in
a separate archives job, and record that action in the DARE computer
system which also was used by CRD in its systematic classification review
program of CIA records.
3. In summary, the OSS permanent records were reviewed by one group
of very experienced former CIA officers, under E.O. 12065 and a single
set of guidelines developed as the review progressed, and during the
time period January 1979 to September 1982. In this kind of an effort,
which involves many individual subjective judgements, there is a rather
broad range for possibledisagreement. I would hope that when the
project is examined, it is done so on the basis of the complete recor
.and under the guidelines within which it operated.
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C 0 N ? NTIAL
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Operations
FROM:
SUBJECT:
9 NOV 1983
John F. Pereira
Chief, Information Management Staff
Transfer of OSS Records to the National
Archives
1. This is a request for your approval to advise the CIA
Historian, Dr. J. Kenneth MacDonald that this Directorate is
agreod to the transfer of the declassified OSS records to the
National Archives (NARS) for eventual release to the public.
2. Background: At the request of the DCI, Dr. J. Kenneth
MacDonald is preparing recommendations for the final disposi-
tion of OSS records. .In that context, he met with us and asked
that we consider the transfer of those records to NARS. After
having studied his proposal, we are recommending the transfer
to NARS of the declassified portion of those OSS records which
NARS has appraised as being of historical value (see attached
schedule). These holdings consist of approximately 3,500 cubic
feet of material. A review of them, which began in 1972 and
which was completed last year, resulted in the declassification
of approximately 93% of the documents.
3. ' In December 1979, we transferred to NARS an initial
offering of 198 cubic feet of the declassified OSS records,
including the OSS ETO War Diaries. None of this material has
as yet been released to the public because of Agency restric-
tions. We now propose to lift those restrictions with the
condition that foreign government information must continue to
be protected, and could not be released without prior approval
_
of the governmenT-S Involve .
_
4. Problem: The question whether the declassified OSS
records should be transferred to NARS without further review
was given considerable study. The ten year long declassifica-
.tioil .0_t_OSS records was conducted .upcier_yar;611-i?-:ExeLutive___
Orders with differing_guidelines for declassification. Also,
the reviewers may not have taken into full cori-sidtion
certain politically sensitive areas that might still be damag-
ing to the national security and U.S. foreign relations. we,
therefore, concluded that we make a final check of the OSS
material not yet transferred to NARS to ensure the protection
of all such sensitive materials.
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In our final check of those records we would be concerned in
particular with records relating to Great Britain, whose
activities were so 'closely intertwined with many OSS opera-
tions.
5. The Proposal: Our recommendation, therefore, is to
advise Dr. MacDonald that he may indicate in his report to the
DCI that the DO has agreed to transfer the declassified OSS
records to NARS in stages, beginning with the least sensitive
files. Prior to the transfer of any records, we would make a
final check to ensure that any sensitive material is pro-
teceea. This would consist of an inspection of each box of
records to check that material bearing on foreign liaison or
other politically sensitive areas is protected. This could be
accomplished in relatively short order as it would not require
the time consuming and labor intensive process of
document-by-document inspection which caused the initial review
to take ten years.
APPROVE:
John F. Pereira
? ?ii Stein
Deputy Director for Operations
C 0 N N '1' I A F.
16 NUV
Date
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