The V. K. Wellington Koo papers document the diplomatic legacy of Wellington Koo as a Chinese statesman and diplomat of the 20th Century. The papers primarily consist of materials collected during Koo's diplomatic career, relating to the Lytton Commission, 1932-1933; the League of Nations, 1931-1940; the United Nations, 1944-1946; his ambassadorships to France, 1932-1941; to Britain, 1941-1946; to the United States, 1946-1956; as the Senior Advisor to the Republic of China from 1956; and as the Judge on the International Court of Justice, 1957-1966. The materials include correspondence, diaries, memoranda, manuscripts, documents, notes, speeches, maps, photographs, printed material, and audio visual material. The bulk of the materials emphasizes China's domestic and foreign affairs, such as the Sino-Japanese conflict, World War II and the Cold War in the Far East region, as well as the League of Nations and the United Nations.

The Willard L. Severinghaus Papers include the personal and professional papers of Columbia University Physics professor Willard Lesly Severinghaus, as well as a small amount of material related to the extended Severinghaus family. There are also record books from the Terre Haute, Indiana German Methodist Episcopal Church where Severinghaus's father, John F. Severinghaus, was pastor.

Correspondence, manuscripts, documents, photographs and printed materials. The correspondence is with American and English literary figures and Columbia faculty members. Included are 38 letters from Brander Matthews and 4 from Edmund Gosse. There are 5 letters from Trent to George Whicher, 3 to John Hart, and 180 postcards and letters to John Bell Henneman, as well as a group of miscellaneous letters to and from Trent. Also included are a holograph fair copy of Trent's poem "Germany, 1915" with his covering a.l.s. and several miscellaneous poems; and his contract with J.B. Lippincott Co. for the publication of GEORGE SAND. There are also two documents signed by George W. Maynard. Among the photographs is a photograph album, prepared by Hudson Stuck in 1899, of people and scenes from Dallas, Texas. Among the printed materials are Trent's examinations and outlines for English courses, and THE UNPOPULAR REVIEW with numerous pages of Trent's notes