Florida Memory is administered by the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services, Bureau of Archives and Records Management. The digitized records on Florida Memory come from the collections of the State Archives of Florida and the special collections of the State Library of Florida.
State Archives of Florida
- ArchivesFlorida.com
- State Archives Online Catalog
- ArchivesFlorida.com
- ArchivesFlorida.com
State Library of Florida
Related Sites
Listen: The Folk ProgramA Guide to Florida Governors and the Florida Cabinet
Adjutant General
Introduction: The post of Adjutant General was first created by the Legislative Council of the Territory on February 1, 1832 and continued into statehood.
The Adjutant General is appointed by the Governor and serves as his chief of staff (in the Governor's role as Commander-in-Chief). During the nineteenth century, the Adjutant General's duties included supervision of the state prison and quarantine of the coast.
Under the 1868 Constitution, the Adjutant General was a member of the Cabinet and as such, was part of the Board of Commissioners of State Institutions. Under the 1885 Constitution, the Adjutant General was excluded from the Cabinet. The Adjutant General also sat on the State Board of Pensions prior to 1915.
In 1921, the Military Department was created and headed by the Adjutant General. In 1973, the name was changed to the Dept. of Military Affairs. The Adjutant General controls all Florida units of the National Guard, supervises all arms, troops, branches, and stores of the Guard, and transports and subsists any armed forces required by the state to maintain law and order.
- John Varnum (1870 - 1877)
- John J. Dickison (1877 - 18??)
- David Lang (1885 - 1893)
- Patrick Houston (1893 - 1901)
- William Arthur MacWilliams (June 4, 1901 - July 23, 1901)
- Joseph Clifford Reed Foster (June 29, 1901 - January 10, 1917) and (February 3, 1923 - June 18, 1828)
- James McCants (March 30, 1919 - March 31, 1919)
- Sidney Johnson Catts, Jr. (September 1, 1919 - January 3, 1923)
- Charles Philip Lovell (1921 - 1923)
- Vivian B. Collins (June 21, 1928 - April 15, 1947)
- Mark W. Lance (1947 - 1962)
- Henry W. McMillan (April 28, 1962 - August 12, 1975)
- Kennedy C. Bullard (August 13, 1975 - December 31, 1981)
- Robert F. Ensslin, Jr. (January 1, 1982 - 1992)
- Ronald Harrison (1992 - 2001)
- Douglas Burnett (November 3, 2001 - present)
John Varnum (1870 - 1877)
Records at the State Archives of Florida:
John J. Dickison (1877 - 18??)
[1816-1902]
Florida Photographic Collection:
- Images related to John Dickison.
- Search Dickison, John Jackson, 1816-1902 in the Florida Photographic Collection.
Records at the State Archives of Florida:
David Lang (1885 - 1893)
[1838 - 1917]
Florida Photographic Collection:
- Images related to David Lang.
- Search Lang, David, 1838-1917 in the Florida Photographic Collection.
Records at the State Archives of Florida:
Patrick Houston (1893 - 1901)
[1837 - 1901]
Florida Photographic Collection:
- Images related to Patrick Houston.
- Search Houston, Patrick, 1837-1901 in the Florida Photographic Collection.
Records at the State Archives of Florida:
William Arthur MacWilliams (June 4, 1901 to July 23, 1901)
[1863-193?]
Florida Photographic Collection:
- Images related to William Arthur MacWilliams.
- Search MacWilliams, William A., 1863-1941 in the Florida Photographic Collection.
No records at the archives
Joseph Clifford Reed Foster (June 29, 1901 - January 10, 1917, and February 3, 1923 - June 18, 1828) [Died in Office]
[1873 - 1928]
Florida Photographic Collection:
- Images related to Joseph Clifford Reed Foster.
- Search Foster, Joseph Clifford Reed, 1873-1928 in the Florida Photographic Collection.
No records at the archives
James McCants (March 30, 1919 - March 31, 1919)
[1876 - ??]
No records at the archives
Sidney Johnson Catts, Jr. (September 1, 1919 - January 3, 1923)
[1894 - ]
No records at the archives
Charles Philip Lovell (1921 - 1923)
[1869 - 1923]
No records at the archives
Vivian B. Collins (June 21, 1928 - April 15, 1947)
[1883 - 1955]
Florida Photographic Collection:
- Images related to Vivian B. Collins.
- Search Collins, Vivian B., 1883-1955 in the Florida Photographic Collection.
No records at the archives
Mark W. Lance (1947 - 1962)
[1898 - 1966]
Florida Photographic Collection:
- Images related to Mark W. Lance.
- Search Lance, Mark W., 1898-1966 in the Florida Photographic Collection.
No records at the archives
Henry W. McMillan (April 28, 1962 - August 12, 1975)
[1911 - 1975]
- Images
related to Henry W. McMillan.
- Search Henry W. McMillan in the Florida Photographic Collection.
No records at the archives
Kennedy C. Bullard (August 13, 1975 - December 31, 1981)
[1917 - ]
No records at the archives
Robert F. Ensslin, Jr. (January 1, 1982 - 1992)
[1928 - ]
Florida Photographic Collection:
- Images related to Robert F. Ensslin, Jr.
- Search Ensslin, Robert F., Jr., 1928- in the Florida Photographic Collection.
No records at the archives
Ronald Harrison (1992 - 2001)
No records at the archives
Douglas Burnett (November 3, 2001 - )
Florida Photographic Collection:
- Images related to Douglas Burnett.
- Search Burnett, Douglas in the Florida Photographic Collection.
No records at the archives
Related Resources
Features
Territorial Legislative Council Records, 1822-1845
Documenting Florida's legislature prior to statehood
State and County Officer Directories, 1868-1969
Lists of Florida's state and county officials either elected or appointed between 1868 and 1969.
Guide to Military Records and the Wartime Experience
A guide to government records and manuscript collections relating to service members and the wartime experience.
Dust Tracks
21 tracks from Hurston's time documenting African American culture for the WPA in 1930s Florida.
History Day 2025
Resources for Florida History Day from the State Library and Archives of Florida.