The collection documents the activities of the American Turners on a national level, the interactions between the national leadership and the districts and local societies, and the American Turners= relationship with American society in general. The materials offer insights into the topics of ethnicity, assimilation, and physical education and fitness. Many of the pre-World War I records are in German; the handwritten records from this period are often in old German script, and the printed records are in a Gothic typeface. The collection is of limited use for genealogical research.

The collection has been divided into the following series: National Council Records, Conventions, Financial, Membership, Turner Groups, Women's Auxiliary, History, Sporting Events, Publications, Districts, German Turners, Related Organizations, Photographs, and Audio-Visual Materials. Photographs and audiovisual materials are listed both in the appropriate series and in photograph and audiovisual inventories at the end of the series list.

National Council Records, 1853-1998, contain the records of the National Council, the chief executive body of the American Turners, and of the national office, which under the direction of the national secretary oversees the day-to-day operations of the national organization.

Annual reports, 1871-1917, 1919-1966, summarize the activities and status of the American Turners. The reports typically include a report by the national president, a financial statement from the national treasurer, reports from the national committees, membership statistics for all societies belonging to the American Turners, and information from the Normal College. The reports are in German through 1919. The years 1872-1879 and 1881-1883 have only the treasurer's statement from the annual report. The last annual report was published in 1966.

The National Council minutes, 1858-1993, document the discussions and decisions of the leadership group in its meetings. The minutes are handwritten in German through 1937, although contemporary script was often used instead of the old German script. The minutes are typed or printed in English after 1937. The minutes are complete for the years 1858-1993 except for 1938, 1940, and 1957-1962.

Council correspondence provides an understanding of the activities of the administrative body and the national office and of the issues, both internal and external, that concerned the American Turners. Among the external issues are German-American support for the Boers in their war against the British in South Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century (including an offer by the American Turners to Clara Barton of the American Red Cross to sponsor an ambulance unit to assist Boer civilians), efforts to send food to Germany after World War I, and whether local Turner societies were subject to the provisions of the Social Security Act, especially in regards to the societies' instructors. Internal issues include the continuing efforts by the national office to collect the per capita membership payments from local societies and decisions by local societies to disband or to withdraw from the American Turners. The correspondence is divided into three sections: chronological, subject, and societies. The chronological correspondence is filed by date. Much of the correspondence from the years before World War I is handwritten in German. The subject correspondence is filed alphabetically by topic. Much of this correspondence is with members of the National Council or of the national committees. Most of the letters are in English. The correspondence with individual societies is filed alphabetically by state and then city. Most of these letters are in English.

National secretary Emil L. Pletz and his successor, Dr. E. A. Eklund, published a newsletter, 1939-1956, that was sent to officers of local Turner societies. The items in the newsletter kept local societies informed about the activities of the national office and other Turner societies and reminded local officers of duties they needed to fulfill, such as submitting annual statistical reports to the national office.

The photographs of individuals are mostly head and shoulder portraits of people who have served on the National Council or on national committees. These photographs are arranged alphabetically by last name. Most of the photographs of groups show several members of the National Council or of national committees together. A few of the group photographs are of events or activities. The two photographs of the Vorort (the original name of the National Council) are oversized and show the members of the Vorort when the national office was in Indianapolis.

Records from various national committees are included in the series. These files include correspondence, minutes, and other materials relating to the activities of the National Bowling Committee, the National Committee for Complaints and Appeals, the National Cultural Education Committee, the National Health and Physical Education Committee, the National Legal Committee, the National Publicity and Membership Committee, the Round Table Conference, and the Youth Committee. Some of the committee records are for only a few years while others cover several decades. The committees help shape the Turners' national policy, direct national activities, and serve as a link between the national leadership and the districts and local societies. The Health and Physical Education Committee and the Cultural Education Committee have played especially prominent roles in this area. The Health and Physical Education Committee establishes regulations and guidelines for Turnfests and other national sporting events and has conducted meetings and classes for instructors from Turner societies. The Cultural Education Committee supervises cultural competitions held in conjunction with Turnfests and encourages local societies to conduct cultural education activities, such as lectures, to make Turner societies places for intellectual as well as physical development.

Other records in this series include files relating to projects sponsored by the National Council and copies of the American Turners' bylaws and statutes.

Convention Records, 1854-2000, contain minutes, reports, publications, correspondence, and photographs from the meetings of the American Turners' principal legislative body. The conventions elect the national president and two vice presidents, select the location of the next National Festival, approve changes in the principles and statutes, and establish the general policies that are implemented by the National Council. The conventions met annually from 1850 to 1860, then biennially beginning in 1866. No convention was held during World War I. There are minutes for all of the conventions. The minutes are in German through 1921, but English translations prepared by Henry W. Kumpf in the 1940s are included for the conventions from 1854 to 1872. Reports from convention committees, correspondence (much of it dealing with resolutions to be voted on by the conventions), and programs and other souvenir publications are available for several of the conventions. These records, like the minutes, are generally in German prior to 1921. Financial Records, 1866-1998, contain financial records, correspondence and reports relating to the general finances of the American Turners and to special funds administered by the organization. The materials in this series are especially strong for the years after World War II. The data from this series and from the treasurer's reports included in the annual reports provide a good financial history of the organization from the 1860s to the 1990s.

Membership Records, 1883-1999, contain society charters, statistical reports from individual societies, directories of Turner societies and their leaders, membership lists from some societies submitted to the national headquarters, information about withdrawn or dissolved societies, lists of expelled members and individuals honored for 40- or 50-year membership in the Turners, and information on membership drives and inductions. The records in this series are useful in tracking the growth and decline of the American Turners through changes in the number of active societies and dues-paying members.

Turner Groups Records, 1930-1943, contain a copy of the principles and statutes of the American Boy Turners and correspondence, membership applications, and dues records from the Turner Pioneers . The American Boy Turners, established by the national convention in 1933, was an organization for boys ages 10-18. The group offered athletic, educational, and social activities to its members. The Turner Pioneers, organized in 1930, was for Turners age 40 and over. The group's objectives were to work within their Turner societies to strengthen the educational and athletic programs, recruit new members for Turner societies, and defend Turner principles and ideals to the general public.

Women's Auxiliary Records, 1931-1990, contain convention minutes, reports, resolutions, copies of the constitution and bylaws, newsletters, rosters of Auxiliary leaders on the national and society level, newsletters, and correspondence. The Women's Auxiliary of the American Turners, organized at the American Turners' convention in Louisville, Kentucky in 1919, ties together auxiliaries affiliated with local Turner societies. The Women's Auxiliary has engaged in several fund raising and philanthropic activities. Auxiliary efforts have included a Student Loan Fund for students attending the Normal College of the American Gymnastic Union, financial support of the National Health and Physical Education Committee's leaders' course, monetary donations to other Turner causes, and work with groups like the American Red Cross. The president of the Women's Auxiliary of the American Turners has served on the National Council since 1961.

History Records, 1893-2002, contain articles, theses, correspondence, and other materials relating to the history of the American Turners. The decision to change the organization's name to the American Turners in 1938 sparked sharp debate among members. The series contains correspondence about the name change and referendum vote tallies from several societies. The articles and theses cover primarily the influence of the Turners in specific geographic regions (such as Missouri) and in the field of physical education. The materials about the president of the American Turners are writings of and articles about the two men who had the longest terms in the office, George Seibel (1923-1937) and Carl Weideman (1937-1952). Correspondence about Turner Day at the New York World's Fair in 1939 illustrates the Turners' efforts at promoting both the organization and physical fitness. Correspondence and newspaper clippings document the impact of World War II on the Turners. Many of these files concern the involvement of a few Turner societies, primarily in the New York City area, with pro-Nazi German-American groups. Turner anniversaries are the subject of files relating to a Turner postage stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 1948 to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the founding of the first Turnverein in the United States, a commemorative seal issued by the American Turners in 1958, and a resolution passed by the Illinois State Senate in 1993.

Sporting Events Records, 1885-1995, contain records from Turnfests and other national sporting events. Turnfest records include results of the competition, correspondence, descriptions of mass exercises, programs and other promotional publications, and photographs. The records from the other national sporting events contain similar materials. The sports involved in these events include badminton, basketball, bowling, golf, gymnastics, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. The records in this series show the variety of athletic activities Turners are involved in on the national level.

Publications, 1870-2015, contain copies of American Turner Topics, the national newsletter published by the American Turners since 1936. American Turner Topics includes items about the activities of Turner districts and societies, reports on conventions, Turnfests, and other national events, and a column by the national president. The series does not have a complete run, having no issues from 1960-1962 and missing issues from other years.

Turner promotional materials printed for the general public and songbooks, yearbooks, guidelines, and educational publications for members are in the series. Some of the publications are in German. The promotional materials offer examples of the Turners' public relations activities through much of the twentieth century and illustrate their efforts to create a positive image in the minds of non-Turners, especially during the 1930s and 1940s.

Districts Records, 1869-1994, contain district convention minutes, publications, photographs, histories, and correspondence between the national office and the districts. Some of the convention minutes are in German. Districts are geographical groupings of Turner societies established by the national leadership to promote cooperation among societies and to enhance the efficiency of the Turner organizational structure. A district may encompass portions of several states or only part of one state. Societies within a district meet to discuss mutual problems and issues and to conduct district athletic and social events. District conventions often issue resolutions for consideration at the national convention, and district presidents have served as members of the National Council since 1992. A total of 48 districts have existed at various times, and the collection has records from 25 of those districts. The most extensive set is from the Central States District, which currently includes the Turner societies in Indiana, Kentucky, and western Ohio. Records for this district include an incomplete run of convention minutes from 1880-1987, minutes and correspondence relating to the meetings of the district officers in the 1970s and 1980s, and records relating to the district=s social and athletic activities from the 1930s-1980s.

German Turners Records, 1844-1991, contain publications published by or relating to Turners in Germany, correspondence from German Turner societies to the American Turners, photographs, and information about and films of Turnfests held in Germany. Many of the publications are in German. While the American Turners and the Deutsche Turnerschaft are separate organizations, the two groups have maintained a relationship. Teams from Germany have come to the United States to compete in the national Turnfests of the American Turners, and many Americans have participated in or observed German Turnfests. Some German Turner societies wrote to the American Turners after World War II, seeking assistance in rebuilding their organizations.

Related Organizations Records, 1886-1978, contain correspondence, meeting minutes, and newsletters from organizations (primarily athletic) with which the American Turners have had connections. The American Athletic Union (AAU) records include the articles of alliance that set out the relationship between the American Turners and AAU and event records that highlight the involvement of Turners both as athletes and as judges, supervisors, and sponsors in AAU athletic events.

The Freidenker Vereine (Freethinker Societies) records contain publications. Many members of the American Turners were actively involved in Freethinker societies; e.g., Max Hempel, who served as national secretary of the American Turners during the 1890s, wrote many of the articles that appear in the publications. The participation of Turners in Freethinker societies reflects the liberal attitudes of the Turners during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The German-American Gymnastic Committee was incorporated on April 23, 1957, and many of the officers were members of the American Turners. The file contains promotional materials and reports relating to a 1958 tour of the West German gymnastics teams sponsored by the committee. Turner societies hosted many of the tour's performances.

The United States Olympic Gymnastic Committee file includes correspondence, meeting minutes, and photographs. The American Turners had a representative on the committee, and Roy E. Moore, chairman of the committee from 1920 to 1957, was a member of the American Turners. Most of the members of the U.S. Olympic men's and women's gymnastic teams for 1948, 1952, and 1956 were either members of the American Turners or trained at Turner societies.

The United States Volleyball Association (USVBA) file contains correspondence and meeting minutes. The American Turners had representatives on the USVBA board during the period covered by the records.

Photographs, 1890-1991, cover primarily individuals who served in national leadership roles, national committees, national sporting events, district activities, activities of the German Turners, and the U.S. Olympic gymnastic teams of the 1940s and 1950s that were composed mainly of Turner members. Many of the photographs originally appeared in the American Turner Topics.