Federal Works Agency: Difference between revisions

Significant consolidation occurred in the post-war period, which finally led to the dismantling of the FWA. DDPW and DWPS were merged by administrative order into a new Bureau of Community Facilities (BCF) on January 1, 1945.<ref name="HUDRecords" /> In 1947, President Harry S. Truman appointed the [[Hoover Commission|First Hoover Commission]] to study the functions of the federal government and recommend administrative and managerial changes.<ref>Arnold, Peri E. "The First Hoover Commission and the Managerial Presidency." ''Journal of Politics.'' 38:1 (February 1976).</ref> Although the First Hoover Commission recommended merging the FWA into a new Department of Public Works (which would oversee all non-military federal construction), opposition from special interests and several federal agencies (such as the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|Army Corps of Engineers]]) led Truman to recommend abolishing the FWA, transferring some functions to other agencies, and creating a new "housekeeping" agency to manage government construction needs and federally owned buildings.<ref name="Smith" /> On June 30, 1949, Congress passed the [[Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949|Federal Property and Administrative Services Act]] (63 Stat. 377), which abolished the FWA and transferred its few remaining functions to the newly created [[General Services Administration]].<ref name="Smith" />