The collection consists of diverse materials, photographs, correspondence and legal papers documenting the history of Harper family. The collection also includes books owned by members of the Harper family and books published by Harper & Brothers.

John Leonard (1939 -2008) was an American literary and cultural critic best known for his extensive writing on literature, television, media, politics and American culture and his work as head editor of The New York Times Book Review in the 1970s. The John Leonard papers include drafts of Leonard's reviews, essays, essay collections, and works of fiction and nonfiction. The collection also includes his correspondence with prominent literary and cultural figures, his research and business files, personal memorabilia, photographs, signed artwork, printed matter, posthumous tributes to Leonard, and audio-visual material.

Correspondence, manuscripts, documents, notes, notecards, journals, diaries, photographs, slides, memorabilia and printed materials documenting Goodrich's career in the field of Chinese language and history, as well as materials on the cultural affairs of twentieth century China. Among the cataloged correspondence are Joseph Alsop, Pearl S. Buck, Norman Cousins, Philip C. Jessup, H.H. Kung, Owen Lattimore, and Nathan Pusey. Part of the collection is arranged in Goodrich's alphabetical subject/name file and the remainder is arranged alphabetically. The correspondence is from colleagues, students, business associates, friends, etc. The subject files are on a variety of topics concerning China, the Far East, printing, medicine, the arts, and technology; material on the Chinese Civil Service Examination; associations, schools, foundations, missions and their work in the Far East.

Personal and Professional papers of writer and magazine editor Leo Lerman. The papers include correspondence, professional papers, topical files, research files, and photographs.

The Liu-Chiang family papers document the multigenerational immigration stories of the Liu and Chiang families from China to Cuba, Thailand, Taiwan, and then to the United States, dating from 1938 to 1967. The materials primarily consist of school, military, and travel documents, photographs, and memorabilia.

The Li Zongren papers consist of materials on the life and political career of Li Zongren dating from 1944-1951. The materials were given to the Chinese oral history project during the oral history interview with Li Zongren. The papers primarily documented the period when Li was the Acting President of the Republic of China from 1949 to 1951 in the U.S. urging for assistance to stabilize the internal conflicts in China.

Louis Henkin (1917-2010) was a prominent figure in international human rights law and taught at Columbia Law School for over sixty years. Henkin published more than twenty books on constitutionalism, foreign policy, human rights, and international law, and served as an expert member of the United Nations' Human Rights Committee. The collection consists of 22 linear feet of Henkin's professional record, primarily from the last twenty-five years of his career, and focuses on his teaching activity, writings, and work for the United Nations.

Controversial publisher Lyle Stuart (1922-2006) was a self-described "First Amendment fanatic." He founded two publishing companies, Lyle Stuart, Inc. and Barricade Books, and published newsmaking and bestselling books, including The Sensuous Woman and The Anarchist Cookbook. The collection consists of 35 linear feet documenting Lyle Stuart's personal and professional activities, including his prolific correspondence and journalism, and his many lively (and often litigated) personal feuds.

Marable was a leading figure in African-American studies as well as a historian, social theorist, and political activist. The collection includes appointment books, biographical information, budgets, clippings, correspondence, drafts, lecture notes, manuscripts, photographs, proposals, reports, speeches, syllabi, and teaching materials.

This collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts, notes, notebooks, illustrations, photographs, audio cassettes, and printed materials related to Meade's research on Dorothy Parker.