The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) was established on July 1, 1949 when President Harry Truman signed the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act into law.

The Hoover Commission, chaired by President Herbert Hoover, studied ways to improve the administrative services of the federal government. The commission concluded that it would be more effective and economical for the government to consolidate four small agencies into one to avoid "senseless duplication, excess cost, and confusion in handling supplies, and providing space." The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act became law and GSA was created from the consolidation of these small agencies. 

GSA’s original mission was to dispose of war surplus goods, manage and store government records, handle emergency preparedness, and stockpile strategic supplies for wartime. GSA also regulated the sale of various office supplies to federal agencies and managed some unusual operations, like hemp plantations in South America. 

GSA has evolved through the years, gaining and losing functions as the role of the federal government has changed and technology has improved. 

• 1954: Established the first federal motor pool. 
• 1957: Used the term "telecommunications system" for the first time to describe telephone service.
• 1959: Played a significant role in establishing the Federal Procurement Regulation System.
• 1960’s: Instituted GSA’s Federal Technology Service’s inter-city telephone system.
• 1962: Created GSA’s Public Building Services. An Ad Hoc Committee on Federal Office Space recommended to President Kennedy that a major public buildings program be undertaken to address obsolete office buildings in Washington, D.C. This resulted in the construction of many of the federal office buildings that now line Independence Avenue in the nation's capital.
• 1970: Implemented the Consumer Information Center (now the Federal Citizen Information center) created by an Executive Order. Famous for its Pueblo, CO distribution center, the FCIC distributes millions of consumer information brochures, and answers millions of telephone calls and e-mails from citizens each year.
• 1972: Started the Federal Buildings Fund (FBF) as a revolving fund to construct, maintain, operate, and renovate federal buildings. Revenues deposited into the fund come from the rental income paid to GSA by other federal tenants.
• 1972: Established the Automated Data and Telecommunications Service. This operation evolved into the Federal Technology Service.
• 1973: Created the Office of Federal Management Policy when GSA was asked to take a greater policy-making role.
• 1978: Centralized the federal government’s procurement policy in the Office of Acquisition Policy.
• 1979: Transferred emergency management functions to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 
• 1984: Introduced the federal government to charge cards.
• 1985: Began to provide governmentwide policy oversight and guidance for federal real property management as a result of an Executive Order signed by President Reagan.
• 1985: The National Archives and Records Administration, a part of GSA became a separate independent agency.
• 1987: Opened its first childcare center in 1987 and today operates 111 across the country.
• 1988: GSA transferred the strategic stockpile of war supplies to the Department of Defense.
• 1995: Merged all of GSA's policy functions into the Office of Governmentwide Policy.
• 1996: Introduced its associates to the Internet and intranet and spurred the development of electronic commerce through GSA Advantage!™
• 2002: Consolidated all of GSA’s citizen-centered activities into a single organization, the Office of Citizen Services and Communications. The office provides access to information in whatever medium citizens prefer – the Internet, email, telephone, fax or print. OCSC manages FirstGov.gov USA Services.