From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Transcript for: GAO's History

Description: The evolution of GAO’s work, from checking vouchers to 
providing multidisciplinary audit and evaluation services.

Released: September 2018


[ First Screen: ]
GAO Logo

GAO got its start in 1921 with about 1,700 employees. During the 1930s 
and 1940s, GAO's audit clerks were responsible for examining government 
expenditure vouchers, and the workforce grew to nearly 5,000 employees.

As men left civilian life for military service, large numbers of women 
entered the work force, taking jobs on industrial assembly lines and in 
offices. By 1945, women made up nearly 63 percent of GAO's employees.

By 1946, GAO reached its highest employee levels with nearly 14,000 
employees, to keep up with the millions of government vouchers 
requiring audits.

The additional audit clerks and freight examiners hired included 
African Americans who worked in GAO’s Claims Division.

The move to comprehensive auditing heading into the 1950s represented a 
major turning point for GAO. The agency reduced the number of voucher 
clerks and began hiring accountants.

During the 1960’s, GAO’s geographic locations expanded to include 
offices in Saigon, Panama, and other regional locations, some of which 
remain open today.

In the 1970s, GAO started recruiting physical scientists, social 
scientists, computer professionals, and experts in such fields as 
health care, public policy, and information management.

In the 1970s and beyond, GAO staff began conducting more performance 
audits at agencies such as NASA, DOD and FAA.

Today’s GAO employees travel the country and the world, reviewing the 
finances or the effectiveness of almost every federal agency…while also 
ensuring the quality and reliability of GAO’s products, and updating 
the systems that keep us running.

[ Last Screen: ]
GAO Logo