Types of records include: correspondence.

The Ford Foundation established the Overseas Development Program in 1951 to increase agricultural production, improve health and living conditions, and advance education in developing countries through overseas grants. During a Foundation reorganization in 1966, the Overseas Development Program merged with the International Training and Research and the Population programs to form a unified International Division. In July 1954, Francis X. Sutton joined the Ford Foundation as an Executive Associate in the Behavioral Sciences program. He become Assistant to the Vice President of the newly created International Division in February 1967 and in October of the following year, was promoted to Deputy Vice President of the division, a position he retained until his retirement in 1983. The Office Files of Francis X. Sutton span from 1949-2002 and document his tenure as a Program Associate, a Representative for East and Central Africa, and later as Deputy Vice President of the International Division. The files include correspondence, interoffice memoranda, grant proposals, papers and reports related to the Foundation's international grant-making. There are also budget files regarding the financial planning and operations of the International Division, records of Dr. Sutton's travels, and copies of speeches and articles written by Dr. Sutton. Also documented is Dr. Sutton's post-retirement work as a consultant on the History Project, an effort he spearheaded for several years.

The Francis X. (Frank) Sutton papers primarily consist of material related to Sutton's time at the Ford Foundation, spanning his tenure as Assistant to the Vice President, Deputy Vice President, and his work writing the history of the Ford Foundation as a consultant. This collection documents Sutton's involvement beyond the Ford Foundation as well; it contains a substantial amount of information on the Aga Khan University in Pakistan, the Rockefeller Foundation and Bellagio Conference, and the Social Science Research Council (SSRC). Additionally, there is a small amount of material on the American Foundation for Intellectual Cooperation with Europe (AFICE) which documents its foundation and eventually, its termination. Personal files can be found at the end of the collection (Series 6) which consist of family correspondence, awards, publications, datebooks, and notebooks – most of which document Sutton's cross-organization involvement, travels, and projects.