The John Bartlow Martin papers on Adlai Stevenson contain transcripts of interviews and Martin's notes used in the preparation of the two volume biography, Adlai Stevenson of Illinois (1976) and Adlai Stevenson and the World (1977). The interviews illuminate Stevenson's personal, professional and political career spanning over six decades.

The collection provides insights into Stevenson's family, law career, early involvement in the Roosevelt administration, participation in the Preparatory Commission of the U.N., role as Illinois governor, his 1952 and 1956 presidential campaigns, and his role as Ambassador to the U.N. during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations (including his involvement in the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and his discussions with U Thant).