Operations in the Candler Building 1936-1960

Social Security began its operations in 1936 in a converted Coca-Cola bottling factory on the harbor in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. This building, known as the Candler Building, was the site of Social Security's operational headquarters until 1960, when a new headquarters facility was opened in the Baltimore suburbs. During the nearly 25 years in the Candler Building, the core administrative machinery of the Social Security program was created put in operation. In November 1961, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Candler Building, SSA issued a special issue of the Bulletin of the Division of Accounting Operations. This special issue compared how Social Security operated in the earliest days of the program with how it operated in 1961. It is a snapshot of two points in time: 1936 and 1960. It is one of the best visual records of the early operational history of the Social Security Administration, and it is being reproduced here in its entirety.

Pages 2-4: Introductory Material