These records capture a large proportion of the most important, top-level incoming correspondence of the first three decades of UCI's history. The collection contains correspondence, departmental memos, meeting minutes, financial statements, statistical analyses, reports, program development plans, building development plans, and miscellaneous notes generated by various units of central UCI campus administration and UC offices. Some of the materials predate the establishment of the Central Records Unit in 1963. The bulk of the records pertain to campus administrative activities and operations, academic affairs, academic departments, community affairs and the planning and construction of the UCI campus.

The Central Records Unit was established by Vice Chancellor L.E. Cox in late 1963 and began operations on January 1, 1964. The primary goal of the unit was to provide central administrative offices a simple and effective system to manage their administrative documents and collect and maintain a body of material that would serve as campus administration's corporate memory for business purposes. This unit provided a central location for the maintenance of office files, reproduction services, processing incoming and outgoing mail, monitoring action items until they were completed, distribution of campus administrative procedure and policy statements, and managing retention schedules for records having administrative, legal, fiscal, or research value. Initially the offices served by Central Records included the Chancellor's Office, Public Affairs, Student Affairs (except student records), Vice Chancellor of Business and Finance, Architects and Engineers, Personnel (except records on individuals), Purchasing, Grounds and Buildings and various academic departments.

299.9 linear feet 736 boxes and 11 oversize folders

Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and University Archives.

Collection open for research.