The Records of the Association on American Indian Affairs document the corporate life of an influential and resilient player in the history of twentieth-century Native American advocacy. From its formation by non-Indians in New York in 1922 to its re-establishment in South Dakota in 1995 under a wholly Indian administration, the AAIA has defended the rights and promoted the welfare of Native Americans and, in this process, has shaped the views of their fellow citizens. The AAIA has waged innumerable battles over the years, touching on the material and spiritual well-being of Indians in every state of the Union: from the right of Native Americans to control their resources to their right to worship freely; from their right to federal trusteeship to their right to self-determination. The evolving nature of this struggle, in terms of conception and execution; the environment in which it was waged, both within and without the AAIA; the parade of men and women who figured in it; and the relationships among them can all be found in the abundant and insightful records which constitute these Records. The correspondence, minutes, reports, articles, clippings, and other documents in the collection, augmented by photographic and audiovisual material, represent a window not only on the AAIA but on the entities and personalities with which it interacted. While its vision has co-existed with others, and while it has been far from alone in its contribution to Indian life, no consideration of twentieth-century Native American affairs can disregard its arduous and, for the most part, fruitful work.

The Allen W. Dulles Papers contains correspondence, speeches, writings, and photographs documenting the life of this lawyer, diplomat, businessman, and spy. One of the longest-serving directors of the Central Intelligence Agency (1953-1961), he also served in a key intelligence post in Bern, Switzerland during World War II, as well as on the Warren Commission.

Frank W. Notestein contributed significantly to the science of demography and to a better understanding of population problems in world affairs. The Frank W. Notestein Papers contain correspondence, speeches, and writings documenting the research, ideas, career and leadership roles of this former Princeton professor, director of the Office of Population Research, and president of the Population Council.

This collection consists of the papers received and generated by the staff of the Washington, D.C. Office of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) during the 1950s and 1960s. The ACLU is a leading defender of civil liberties in the United States. Founded in 1920, it has been the recipient of sharp criticism for its willingness to defend unpopular causes and has participated in a majority of the landmark cases to come before the Supreme Court in the twentieth century. The Washington Office's primary responsibility is to monitor legislative issues. In the 1950s the office worked against abuses caused by McCarthyism, including loyalty oath requirements, powers of legislative investigating committees, and censorship of free speech and expression. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the office focused on civil rights issues and the defense of alternative means of self expression. The Washington Office was also deeply involved with defending the civil liberties of those associated with the federal government and its agencies.

Charles W. Yost (1907-1981) led a varied career as a diplomat, United Nations representative, writer, and scholar. He was a member of the foreign service intermittently between 1930 and 1971, after which time he devoted himself full-time to writing and teaching. Yost's papers document his professional life in the Foreign Service, as well as his time in academia, and include his correspondence, writings, and photographs.

The Robert F. Goheen Papers contain records that Robert F. Goheen kept mainly before and after he was president of Princeton University (1957-1972). They include files Goheen kept as a graduate student, instructor and professor in Princeton University's Department of Classics for the period 1939-1957. The collection also contains U.S. army records for 1942-1945, when Goheen had interrupted his studies for service in the Second World War, and for 1945-1956, when he served in the Officers Reserve Corps. The majority of the files concern Goheen's post-presidential years, when he was Chair of the Council on Foundations (1972-1977), Ambassador to India (1977-1980), and Director of the Mellon Fellowships in the Humanities (1981-1998), as well as Senior Fellow Public and International Affairs at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School. In addition, the collection contains some speech notes Goheen kept and some photographs of Goheen from his tenure as President of Princeton University.

Howard C. Petersen (1910-1995) was an expert in international economics and foreign trade. He served in the War Department under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as Assistant Secretary of War for President Harry S. Truman, as National Finance Chairman and fundraiser for the Dwight D. Eisenhower campaigns, and as Special Assistant on International Trade for President John F. Kennedy. Petersen was also a principal drafter of the Selective Service Act, a lawyer, and president of Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company. Petersen's papers document his entire career, especially his work with the new Security and Exchange Commission regulations as a lawyer in the 1930s and with the United States War Department during World War II, and include correspondence, articles, and publications.

Anne Martindell was one of the first three women to serve in the New Jersey State Senate. After her four-year term ended in 1977, she served as director of the Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance, and was ambassador to New Zealand and Western Samoa for a two-year term. The papers document her career in politics and civil service, and also contain her unpublished memoirs and personal papers.

William Byler was Executive Director of the Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA) from 1962 to 1980. After leaving AAIA, Byler continued advocating for the Native American community, first at Gerard, Byler and Associates and later at William Byler Associates. Byler's papers document his work on behalf of the Native American community after leaving AAIA. The papers include legal memoranda, draft and final agreements between Native American communities and companies or government agencies, and court documents, as well as topical files of related legislation and reports on the issues.

During World War I, Gilbert Fairchild Close held several positions in the government of President Woodrow Wilson, culminating with that of Stenographer and Private Secretary to the President. The papers document Close's work with Wilson, including the trip Close took to Europe with Wilson for the Paris Peace Conference at the conclusion of World War I.