SA Series 732 AV

              SA Series 732 AV
Ohio Dept. of the Adjutant General
Ohio State Office Building explosion photograph collection
Page 1
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
State Archives Record Series
SA Series 732 AV
OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
Ohio State Office Building explosion photograph collection
OVERVIEW OF THE SERIES
Series Number: SA Series 732 AV
Creating Agency: Ohio Attorney General’s Office
Series Title: Ohio State Office Building explosion photograph collection
Dates of Series: 1932 - 1933
Media: Photographs
Quantity: 0.83 cubic foot
Location: Ohio Historical Center
AGENCY BACKGROUND
The Ohio General Assembly created the position of Attorney General on February 16,
1846 as a position elected by the General Assembly and commissioned by the Governor
for a five-year term. The 1846 act spelled out the Attorney General's responsibilities as
follows: The position was the legal advisor to the state government; represent the
interests of the State, provide legal opinions to state officials, prepare all state contracts,
maintain records and prepare an annual report to the General Assembly. The Attorney
General represented the State in all civil or criminal matters before the Ohio Supreme
Court and in any court at the request of the Governor or either house of the General
Assembly. The Attorney General was authorized to consult with and advise county
prosecuting attorneys and was directed to compile crime statistics as reported to him by
the county prosecutors.
In 1851, the office of the Attorney General became both an elective and constitutional
one. In May 1852, the General Assembly changed the responsibilities of the Attorney
General. In addition to the responsibilities of the 1846 act, the office was directed to
"enforce the performance of trusts for charitable and educational purposes, and restrain
the abuse thereof," and to provide legal opinions to a wider circle of state officials. The
Attorney General’s ability to prosecute persons upon the request of state officers was
restricted to "upon the written request of the Governor."
The past century has witnessed an expansion of the attorney generals’ duties and staff
keeping in pace with enlarged political and economic developments within the State of
Ohio. Such expanded functions have made the position the official codifier of laws