The collection illustrates the literary career of Van Doren in typescripts, some with author's corrections, and research notes for his biography of Benjamin Franklin (New York: The Viking Press, 1938) (for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in American biography), The Devil's Lane, The Great Rehearsal (New York: The Viking Press, 1948), Jane Mecom, the Favorite Sister of Benjamin Franklin (New York: The Viking Press, 1950), Mutiny in January, Secret History of the American Revolution (New York: The Viking Press, 1941), Sinclair Lewis (Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday Doran & Company, Inc., 1933), Swift (New York: The Viking Press, 1930), and the Letters and Papers of Benjmain Franklin and Richard Jackson, 1753-1785 (Philadelphia: The American Philosophical Society, 1947) (which he edited), and in typescripts for some of his short stories, articles, lectures, poetry, and radio programs ("Words at War") based on his material. In addition, there are 35 volumes of notebooks and diaries (1901-1950) and 17 boxes of correspondence (1905-1950), 4.5 boxes of which are letters (1909-1950) to his brother, Mark Van Doren. Correspondents include Fred Allen, John Erskine, Robert Frost, Zona Gale, Jean Jersholt, Sinclair Lewis, H. L. Mencken, and William P. Trent.

The collection also contains various documents, including Van Doren's will, souvenirs, memorabilia, photographs, clippings, and printed material, as well as legal papers and correspondence dealing with his participation in several lawsuits involving copyright infringement. Included in papers of other persons are a self-portrait in pencil by Sinclair Lewis, William P. Trent's "Sexagenarian Verses" in holograph, and other poetry and plays by lesser known contemporaries. Photographs of Carl Van Doren, Bennett Cerf, Lillian Hellman, Mrs. Roosevelt, John Foster Dulles, Maude Howe Elliott, and others are also included.