The majority of the collection pertains to Swift's work for the Development and Resources Corporation (D and R). Swift's supervision of the Dez Dam project in the Khuzestan region of Iran is especially well-documented, though the collection also contains records of D and R's domestic projects and projects involving the nations of Vietnam, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Uruguay and others. The collection consists of Swift's journals, working drafts and published reports, D and R informational brochures, news clippings and magazines (mostly in Farsi), internal D and R correspondence, and external correspondence with the engineering company Impregilo and with various government officials, particularly in Iran. The published reports in the collection were mostly authored or co-authored by D and R, though a small number of reports by other groups related to D and R consulting or development projects are present. Also included are slides depicting the construction of the Dez Dam and the daily life of Swift and his family in the Khuzestan province, along with slides from Swift's travels for D and R postdating the Dez Dam project. In addition to records of D and R's projects, the collection consists of D and R's administrative records from the late 1960s and early 1970s, particularly internal correspondence and notes regarding the general policies and restructuring of D and R.

To a much lesser extent, the collection contains information on Swift's career after his tenure with the Development and Resources Corporation, mainly with the firm GEOMET, and some biographical materials.