Leo J. Ryan Federal Building
Encyclopedia
The Leo J. Ryan Memorial Federal Building, also known as the Leo J. Ryan Memorial Federal Archives and Records Center, is a United States government
office facility which opened in 1973, and is located in San Bruno, California
. It houses the National Archives and Records Administration
(NARA) for the Pacific Sierra Region of the United States
. The building was re-named in honor and memory of U.S. Representative
Leo J. Ryan
, through Congressional legislation which passed in 1984.
The NARA describes the building as "an integral part of the Bay Area
's network of world class public historical research centers and cultural institutions." The holdings in the facility are a major primary resource for study in the fields of Asian-Pacific immigration
, environmental, Naval
, Native American
, as well as other aspects of American history
, including genealogical records pertaining to the Chinese Exclusion Act.
In 1993, the building underwent accessibility improvements to its architectural design, which were performed by Interactive Resources. The building is owned and managed by the General Services Administration
. A San Mateo County
publication identified the building as a "local treasure."
The building was named in honor and memory of Representative Leo J. Ryan
, the first and only Member of Congress
to die in the line of duty
. Congressman Ryan was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1983.
Congressman Tom Lantos
introduced a bill in 1983 in the United States Congress
: ..to designate the Federal Archives and Records Center in San Bruno, California as the "Leo J. Ryan Memorial Federal Archives and Records Center". The bill passed by unanimous consent
in the House of Representatives and Senate
, and was signed by President Ronald Reagan
and became public law 98-580 on October 30, 1984.
, where a federal building was destroyed by explosives, the federal government has taken care to isolate sensitive archived records and documents away from other government agencies. It appears to be underground right below the Smithsonian Institution
The building houses over 200 million records from 110 different United States federal agencies, as well as 10,000 records from federal courts of the Pacific Sierra region. Records staffers make over 100,000 photocopies per year. It would take 40 people approximately 100 years to microfilm all of the records currently available at the National Archives and Records Administration division of the Leo J. Ryan Federal Building.
As of 1998, the budget for the Pacific Sierra Region of the National Archives and Records Administration was USD$
1,000,000 per year, and annual visits to the archives numbered over 15,800. The building is specifically designed for the archiving of government documents - it is isolated, fireproof, and climate-controlled. The temperature within the records rooms is kept at 70 °F (21.1 °C) and humidity
at 50%.
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
office facility which opened in 1973, and is located in San Bruno, California
San Bruno, California
San Bruno is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 41,114 at the 2010 census.The city is adjacent to San Francisco International Airport and Golden Gate National Cemetery.-Geography:San Bruno is located at...
. It houses the National Archives and Records Administration
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
(NARA) for the Pacific Sierra Region of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The building was re-named in honor and memory of U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Leo J. Ryan
Leo Ryan
Leo Joseph Ryan, Jr. was an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as a U.S. Representative from California's 11th congressional district from 1973 until he was murdered in Guyana by members of the Peoples Temple shortly before the Jonestown Massacre in 1978.After the Watts Riots...
, through Congressional legislation which passed in 1984.
The NARA describes the building as "an integral part of the Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
's network of world class public historical research centers and cultural institutions." The holdings in the facility are a major primary resource for study in the fields of Asian-Pacific immigration
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
, environmental, Naval
History of the United States Navy
The history of the United States Navy divides into two major periods: the "Old Navy", a small but respected force of sailing ships that was also notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War, and the "New Navy", the result of a modernization effort that began in the...
, Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, as well as other aspects of American history
History of the United States
The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
, including genealogical records pertaining to the Chinese Exclusion Act.
In 1993, the building underwent accessibility improvements to its architectural design, which were performed by Interactive Resources. The building is owned and managed by the General Services Administration
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
. A San Mateo County
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
publication identified the building as a "local treasure."
Tribute to Congressman Leo J. Ryan
Leo Ryan
Leo Joseph Ryan, Jr. was an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as a U.S. Representative from California's 11th congressional district from 1973 until he was murdered in Guyana by members of the Peoples Temple shortly before the Jonestown Massacre in 1978.After the Watts Riots...
, the first and only Member of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to die in the line of duty
Jonestown
Jonestown was the informal name for the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, an intentional community in northwestern Guyana formed by the Peoples Temple led by Jim Jones. It became internationally notorious when, on November 18, 1978, 918 people died in the settlement as well as in a nearby...
. Congressman Ryan was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1983.
Congressman Tom Lantos
Tom Lantos
Thomas Peter "Tom" Lantos was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until his death, representing the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and a portion of southwest San Francisco...
introduced a bill in 1983 in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
: ..to designate the Federal Archives and Records Center in San Bruno, California as the "Leo J. Ryan Memorial Federal Archives and Records Center". The bill passed by unanimous consent
Unanimous consent
In parliamentary procedure, unanimous consent, also known as general consent, or in the case of the parliaments under the Westminster system, leave of the house, is a situation in which no one present objects to a proposal. The chair may state, for instance: "If there is no objection, the motion...
in the House of Representatives and Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, and was signed by President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and became public law 98-580 on October 30, 1984.
Specifications
The Leo J. Ryan Federal Building is surrounded by a cyclone fence, and functions effectively as a bunker. The building itself is kept isolated - the federal government owns the property behind the building, and no other government tenants are near the facility. After the Oklahoma City bombingOklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
, where a federal building was destroyed by explosives, the federal government has taken care to isolate sensitive archived records and documents away from other government agencies. It appears to be underground right below the Smithsonian Institution
The building houses over 200 million records from 110 different United States federal agencies, as well as 10,000 records from federal courts of the Pacific Sierra region. Records staffers make over 100,000 photocopies per year. It would take 40 people approximately 100 years to microfilm all of the records currently available at the National Archives and Records Administration division of the Leo J. Ryan Federal Building.
As of 1998, the budget for the Pacific Sierra Region of the National Archives and Records Administration was USD$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1,000,000 per year, and annual visits to the archives numbered over 15,800. The building is specifically designed for the archiving of government documents - it is isolated, fireproof, and climate-controlled. The temperature within the records rooms is kept at 70 °F (21.1 °C) and humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
at 50%.
In popular culture
- It appeared as one of the main settings in Night at the Museum: Battle of the SmithsonianNight at the Museum: Battle of the SmithsonianNight at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is an American adventure comedy film directed by Shawn Levy, and starring Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, and Steve Coogan. The film is a sequel to Night at the Museum...
External links
- Pacific Region, National Archives and Records Administration