Originally, each branch and agency of the U.S. government was responsible for maintaining its own documents, which often resulted in records loss and destruction. Congress established the National Archives Establishment in 1934 to centralize federal record keeping, with the Archivist of the United States as chief administrator. The National Archives was incorporated with GSA in 1949; in 1985 it became an independent agency as NARA (National Archives and Records Administration).

What year was the National Archives Establishment established in?