The Schuyler F. Otteson papers are organized into six series: Organizations and committees; Indiana University; Research and writing; Papers and talks; Conferences, Workshops, and Seminars; and Subject files. Because the papers had no discernable original order, they have been arranged to best highlight Otteson's activities.

The first series, Organizations and committees, which spans the period from 1954-1971, encompasses all those organizations in which Otteson was involved that were not associated with Indiana University. This series is then divided into five subseries: American Marketing Association, Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), Council for Professional Education for Business (CPEB), the U.S. Department of Commerce National Marketing Advisory Committee, and General. The first sub-series, American Marketing Association, spans the years 1954 to 1971 and pertains to Otteson's participation in this organization, both as a member and as national president (1965-1966). Document types include correspondence, minutes, conference proceedings, and trip plans. Traveling and speaking at various AMA chapters constituted much of Otteson's activity during this period. The second sub-series, Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), spans the years 1963-1969, and contains general information on the CIC, correspondence from other schools, and bulletins and class lists, also from other institutions. The CIC, at the time, was comprised of many of the Big Ten universities and was dedicated to sharing educational information and resources for the common good of all members. The third sub-series, Council for Professional Education for Business (CPEB), spans the years 1966-1970, and covers Otteson's involvement in this group, especially on the executive committee and long-range planning committee. The bulk of this material pertains to CPEB's effort to define its identity in relation to its fellow group, the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business. The fourth sub-series, the U.S. Department of Commerce National Marketing Advisory Committee, spans the years 1966-1969, and includes conference proceedings, general files, and meeting minutes. Otteson served on the executive committee of this group during this time. This group met yearly to discuss ways for the Department of Commerce to best market itself to consumers, as well as how the Department should understand consumer trends.

The second series in this collection contains all those materials relating to Indiana University and Schuyler Otteseon's tenure as a member of the faculty. Spanning the period from 1962-1970, this series consists of three subseries. The first, International Business Research Institute (IBRI) (.2 cubic feet), spans the years 1966-1970. Otteson was one of the founding members of this organization, which sought to provide support, both academic and monetary, for international business projects. The second sub-series, Marketing chair records (.1 cubic feet), spans the years 1964-1965. Otteson served as chair of the Marketing Department from 1960 to 1965. These files encompass everything the Archives have received from Otteson's tenure as chair of the department, and they include correspondence and administrative files. The third sub-series, Service, covers the period from 1962-1970, and includes materials pertaining to all the other various committees and programs with which Otteson was involved related to Indiana University. Teaching files, the fourth sub-series, covers the dates 1966-1969 and includes records relating to Otteson's teaching career at Indiana University including lecture notes, transparencies, syllabi, and related clippings. The fifth sub-series, General, covers the period 1964-1970 and contains various other files pertaining to Otteson's period at Indiana University. Prominent materials found in this sub-series include a report of Business Library Acquisitions from 1965-1970 and Business student job placement data from 1965-1966.

Research and writings, the third series, covers the period 1945-1970, and includes publications and research projects on which Otteson worked. Including in this series are records on Otteson's books, Marketing: The Firm's Viewpoint and New Dimensions in Marketing Technology; a report from an investigation for the Civil Aeronautics Board in 1962, a preliminary draft of a paper titled "Doctoral study in Business - Problems and Contrasting Solutions," a report for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and materials relating to a survey which Otteson conducted of the Pace College library to determine the ability of the program to support a doctoral program in business.

The fourth series, Talks and papers, covering the dates 1962-1971, includes materials pertaining to presentations which Otteson gave both nationally and internationally, Prominent talks or papers in the series include a talk for the Istituto Post-Universitario per Lo Studio dell'Organizzazione Aziendale in Torino, Italy, in 1962, one for the Institute of Marketing Communications in 1966, and talks and papers from the Thomas N. Beckman Symposium on Marketing Productivity at the Ohio State University in 1965.

Conferences, workshops, and seminars, the fifth series, covers 1966-1970 and contains materials relating to several events which Otteson attended. Prominent materials found in this series include materials from a Faculty Development Seminar in Educational Media at Indiana University in 1967, and a seminar through the Marketing Science Institute in 1966 titled "Crisis in Marketing Manpower."

Finally, the sixth series, Subject files, covers the period 1938-1971. Some materials of interest in this series include curriculum vitae, correspondence, and class notes from three classes he took at the University of Wisconsin from 1943-45.