This collection includes Papers of the Committee for the Education of Russian Youth in Exile, and its predecessors, Refugees in Russia and the Committee for the Rescue and Education of Russian Children, and Papers of the Committee' Director, Thomas Whittemore. The collection, which consists of correspondence, files on students supported by the Committee, financial records, photographs, manuscripts, documents, and printed materials, with the bulk dates 1914-1936.

Correspondence with contributors reflects a deep involvement of Massachusetts aristocracy in the relief work in Russia during World War I, Revolution of 1917, Civil War and exodus. Correspondence with organizations presents the Committee's close collaboration with various Relief organizations such as Red Cross, Zemgor in its relief efforts. Series of correspondence also includes letters of the Committee's representatives in Europe and schools where supported by the Committee students were studied. Cataloged materials include correspondence with prominent persons such as Bernard Baruch, T.A. Edison, Osip Gabrilovich, Herbert Hoover, Sergei Kusevitskii, Henry Cabot Lodge, Aylmer Maude, Sergei Rakhmaninov, and others. Manuscripts of famous Russian writer Evgenii Chirikov is listed under the Cataloged Manuscripts subseries. There are extensive files on students, chiefly college and technical students supported by the Committee in European and Middle Eastern institutions in the 1920s. Financial records are chiefly from the United States, France, and Bulgaria, and photographs from France and Bulgaria.

There are also extensive research materials on situations in Russia, Bulgaria, and Balkans in the period of 1919-1920s.

Thomas Whittemore Papers consist of materials related to the Committee's activity as well as to his professional archeological interests and activities, including materials on the Byzantine Institute, purchase of the Danilov's Monastery Bells and their transfer to the Harvard University, and financial aid to Mount Athos Monasteries.