The papers of Frank Lee Benns focus largely on his thirty-four years teaching in the History Department at Indiana University. The earliest records date from 1910 in his scrapbook and end with correspondence in 1967. The collection is arranged into five series: Teaching; Publications, lectures, and research; Correspondence; Other research interests; and Scrapbooks. Each series is arranged alphabetically, and most folder labels were created by Dr. Benns.

The first series in the collection is Teaching, 1928-1954. Arranged alphabetically, there are three sub-series within this series: Awards/Honors/Memberships, Course notes and exams, and Indiana University History Department. Files include letters to and from Dr. Benns regarding History departmental matters, especially the selection of a new History Department Chairman to replace Benns. There are several letters to and from Harold J. Grimm who was eventually chosen to fill the position. Included is Dr. Benns' annual summary of his teaching and research activities created for the Teacher's Annual Report. Within the Awards/Honors/Memberships sub-series is a bound set of student essays in tribute to Dr. Benns entitled F. Lee Benns Since 1920. Of special interest are the exams, syllabi, and bibliographies created by Dr. Benns for his European history courses taught between 1928-1954. Some course numbers and course names changed during Dr. Benns' career, so files are grouped according to course content.

The next series, Publications and lectures, 1916-1966, contains 27 folders arranged alphabetically. There are drafts and notes of speeches given, correspondence with publishers, research notes for publications, reviews of Dr. Benns' books, and the galley proofs of Europe Since 1914. The dates range from the 1930s to the 1960s. Also included is the manuscript for Dr. Benns' master's thesis, submitted in 1916 to Syracuse University, entitled A History of the Diplomatic Relations Between the United States and Columbia in Regard to Panama.

The Correspondence series, 1930-1967 is organized alphabetically by surname. Most of the correspondence is incoming, dates from the 1950s to 1967, and is largely from former students relaying news of their families and careers. Many files consist of holiday greeting cards. A few folders contain letters written to other colleagues in the field discussing departmental teaching assignments. Prominent correspondents include IU Presidents Herman B Wells and William Lowe Bryan, as well as colleague Harold J. Grimm. The largest files contain correspondence from Robert H. Ferrell, a colleague of Benns' in the Indiana University History Department, and from former students, Fred K. Schilling and Robert P. Wilkins.

The next series is titled Other research interests, 1931-1967. The bulk of these files date from the period after Benns' retirement from Indiana University. Folders contain information on job seeking for historians and on race relations. The folder entitled Religious material contains handwritten notes and pamphlets from The Fellowship of Reconciliation in New York city that discuss the church's role in the war. There is also a large file on a study tour to Russia and Scandinavia taken by Benns' grandson, "Sky" Robinson.

Within the Scrapbooks series, 1910-1957, there are four scrapbooks, which have been removed from their bindings and transferred to acid-free folders. A folder of loose photographs of Dr. Benns, his friends, colleagues, and family dating from 1918 to the late 1950s was transferred to the Archives Photographs Collection. The earliest scrapbook, entitled Clippings and Letter Book (Containing a Chronology of his Education) begins with a high school play in 1910. The book contains letters, teaching certificates, and clippings up to 1922. Two other scrapbooks contain a mix of letters and clippings on family news, book announcements, and teaching awards covering 1918-1939. The fourth scrapbook contains the itinerary of a European tour taken by Dr. and Mrs. Benns in August during the 1950s. A few explanatory comments have been written by Dr. Benns beside the entry for each day.