Records of the disbursement clerk consist entirely of outgoing letterpress financial statements most of which were signed by William W. Karr. Karr was appointed to the position of "factotum" in 1879. His assignment included time-keeping, keeping accounts of expenditures and making out bills for payment for the contractors during the construction of the Arts and Industries Building. As a result of his efficiency, Karr was appointed to the USNM force as a clerk, November 1880, although he was also called bookkeeper, assistant, and cashier. In 1884 he became the accountant for the Smithsonian. Karr became disbursement clerk in 1888, and from 1888 to 1905 he held the joint position of accountant and disbursement clerk with his salary coming from both Smithsonian private funds and museum federal funds. In 1905 Karr was discharged from his duties on charges of embezzlement.

Prior to 1873 all accounts for the National Museum were paid by the Smithsonian and audited by the Executive Committee. From 1873 until 1888, bills for the USNM were approved by the Secretary and disbursed by the disbursing agent at the Department of Interior. In a similar fashion beginning in 1874, the Secretary of the Treasury disbursed Smithsonian funds and made payment on checks signed by the Secretary. In 1888 funds for the Museum and International Exchange Service as well as those from the Treasury Department were turned over to the disbursement clerk for the Smithsonian. Funds appropriated for North American Ethnology were transferred to the Smithsonian disbursement clerk in 1892.

Records include copies of disbursement vouchers, statements, abstracts of disbursements, monthly disbursement statements, cash vouchers, and summary balance and debit statements; also correspondence regarding the history of the disbursement clerk position. Disbursement of funds included both the private and federal side of the Smithsonian, in particular, the operations of the USNM, National Zoological Park, and International Exchange Service. Form vouchers are also signed by Secretaries Spencer F. Baird and Samuel P. Langley. Most volumes are individually indexed. A volume list follows.

Box 1 of 12

Volume	1.		November 30, 1882-May 31, 1883
Volume	2.		June 1, 1883-December 14, 1883
Volume	3.		December 14, 1883-May 15, 1884
Volume	4.		May 15, 1884-November 11, 1884

Box 2 of 12

Volume	5.		November 12, 1884-April 15, 1885
Volume	6.		April 16, 1885-August 24, 1885
Volume	7.		August 24, 1885-January 14, 1886
Volume	8.		January 14, 1886-May 17, 1886

Box 3 of 12

Volume	9.		Monthly Disbursement Statements, January 1886-June 1888
Volume	10.		May 17, 1886-November 20, 1886
Volume	11.		November 20, 1886-April 4, 1887
Volume	12.		April 6, 1887-September 19, 1887

Box 4 of 12

Volume	13.		September 20, 1887-March 22, 1888
Volume	14.		January 12, 1888-June 4, 1889
Volume	15.		March 22, 1888-January 26, 1889
Volume	16.		Monthly Disbursement Statements, July 1888-March 1890

Box 5 of 12

Volume	17.		September 11, 1888-June 20, 1890
Volume	18.		January 26, 1889-November 9, 1889
Volume	19.		August 7, 1889-October 25, 1890
Volume	20.		October 9, 1889-April 15, 1890

Box 6 of 12

Volume	21.		Monthly Disbursement Statements, April 1890-July 1891
Volume	22.		July 17, 1890-November 25, 1890
Volume	23.		November 25, 1890-February 20, 1891
Volume	24.		February 20, 1891-May 2, 1891

Box 7 of 12

Volume	25.		May 2, 1891-July 20, 1891
Volume	26.		July 21, 1891-October 15, 1891
Volume	27.		Monthly Disbursement Statements, July 1891-July 1892
Volume	28.		October 17, 1891-January 8, 1892

Box 8 of 12

Volume	29.		January 9, 1892-April 29, 1892
Volume	30.		April 29, 1892-July 18, 1892
Volume	31.		July 18, 1892-January 7, 1893
Volume	32.		Monthly Disbursement Statements, August 1892-November 1893

Box 9 of 12

Volume	33.		January 9, 1893-September 30, 1893
Volume	34.		September 30, 1893-January 4, 1895
Volume	35.		Monthly Disbursement Statements, November 1893-August 1894
Volume	36.		January 4, 1895-November 28, 1896

Box 10 of 12

Volume	37.		October 7, 1896-February 9, 1898
Volume	38.		February 10, 1898-January 24, 1900
Volume	39.		March 3, 1899-June 24, 1902
Volume	40.		June 25, 1902-October 19, 1904

Box 11 of 12

Volume	41.		October 24, 1904-July 21, 1905
Volume	42.		April 11, 1900-May 26, 1905

Box 12 of 12

Volume	43.		June 13, 1905-April 24, 1907
Folders	1-3		Incoming correspondence, 1898-1905