The collection contains: 1) McNutt's files from his entrance to Martinsville (Indiana) High School in 1905 to the time when he became governor of Indiana in 1933, including his World War I papers; papers as professor and dean of the Indiana University School of law, including manuscripts of his law lectures; papers relative to his other Indiana University activities, 1913-1932, to the 326 Field artillery, 1924-1933, and the 5th corps area advisory board, 1927-1933 (mostly mimeographed); to the American Legion; to the Cantol wax company of Bloomington, Indiana, of which he was an officer; and to his campaign for governor of Indiana in 1932; 2) Selected papers from his post-gubernatorial career. These relate particularly to his service in the Philippine Islands; his activities as Federal security administrator; his work as Chairman of the War manpower commission; and to the 1940 democratic nomination for president of the U.S; 3) An extensive collection of McNutt's speeches. Included are speeches made during his term as governor of Indiana, 1933-1937, these being almost the only papers in the collection for this period.

In addition to manuscripts, the collection contains printed and mimeographed material relating particularly to the American Legion, 1926-1933, the reserve artillery units with which McNutt was connected, and politics, 1909-1953. There are newspaper clippings for 1921-1947 inclusive.

Pictures in the collection include an oil painting of McNutt; numerous photographs, and other pictures of McNutt, his family, and others, including a photograph of Harry S Truman, autographed to McNutt; and original and printed cartoons of McNutt by R. O. Bera, James Thomas Berryman, Clifford Kennedy Berryman, Gene Elderman, Reginald West Manning, John Tinney McCutcheon, Eric Peters, Arthur Best Poinier, S. T. Ray, and others.

The first box in the collection contains biographical and genealogical material on the McNutt family.

Accompanying the collection is a dissertation of 199 pages based in part on the papers of Paul Vories McNutt entitled Paul V. McNutt: His role in the birth of Philippine independence by Patricio R. Mamot, submitted for his degree work at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, in April, 1974.

Note on Indexing Term - "Art": Of interest is an oil painting of McNutt, and original and printed political cartoons of McNutt by a number of cartoonists.

Note on Indexing Term - "Motion picture film": Of particular interest is the Sept. 15, 1947 item entitled House Un- American Activities Committee Investigation of Communistic Activities of Movie Interests.

Note on Indexing Term - "International relations": Includes selected papers from his service in the Philippine Islands as U.S. high commissioner to the Philippines, 1937-1939 and 1945-1946, and as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Philippines, 1946- 1947.

Note on Indexing Term - "Law": Among the papers are those as professor and dean of the Indiana University School of law, 1917-1933, including manuscripts of his law lectures.