Help linking 3 tables

Question

I have two different tables with the same field in it.
Table 1 (current) contains DEPT #
Table 2 (historic) contains DEPT #
Table 3  contains DEPT NAME
When I try to add all 3 fields to a one report. It either names the current DEPT or the historic DEPT depending on how I link the tables.  Is there a way to link the tables to name each DEPT# even if they are different?
Here is what I am getting when I run my report:
DEPT # (current)    DEPARTMENT NAME            DEPT#(historic)        DEPARTMENT NAME
1111B                     Human Resources                  2222B                    Human Resources
I want it to show like this:
DEPT # (current)    DEPARTMENT NAME            DEPT#(historic)        DEPARTMENT NAME
1111B                     Human Resources                  2222B                    Payroll Department
Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you.

Answer 1

Well if that's the case you should also have an Employee table as well... Or there should at least be employee numbers in each of the current / historical tables.
So IF there's an Employee Table:
EmployeeTable
LEFT OUTER JOIN Current Linked on EmployeeTable.EmployeeID = Current.EmployeeID (with EmployeeTable on the left)
LEFT OUTER JOIN Historical Linked on EmployeeTable.EmployeeID = Historical.EmployeeID (with EmployeeTable on the left)
LEFT OUTER JOIN DeptNameTable ON Current.Dept# = DeptNameTable.Dept# (with Current on the left)
LEFT OUTER JOIN DeptNameTable_2 ON Historical.Dept# = DeptNameTable_2.Dept# (with Historical on the left)
Yes... you'll be adding DeptNameTable twice.
If there is no EmployeeTable  then just start with Current and link Historical directly to it using the EmployeeID (the thought being that there won't be any historical if there isn't a current...).
HTH,
Jason