This collection of records document the institutional history of the Center for US-China Arts Exchange, established in 1978. Under the directorship of professor and renowned composer Chou Wen-chung, the Center is a not-for-profit organization that connected arts professionals from the US and China through a spectrum of curated programs, conferences, and research trips. Bulk dated between 1977 and 2003, materials in this collection consist of correspondence, reports, photographs, printed materials, as well as audiovisual items. The collection serves as important material evidence that help to tell the recent history of cultural communications among individuals and organizations across the Pacific.

The bulk of the Motley papers document her professional life. The papers include correspondence, manuscripts, memoranda, speeches, interviews, photographs, audio cassettes, and memorabilia.

Gordon Bunshaft (1909-1990) was an American architect who, as a partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, had a significant impact on large-scale corporate architecture. His projects include such significant urban office towers as the Lever House in midtown Manhattan, as well as modern office campuses set in natural landscapes, including such examples as the American Can Company in Greenwich, Connecticut or the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company headquarters in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Additionally, his interest in art caused him to actively integrate work by well-known modern artists into the public plazas and interiors of SOM's projects. The professional aspects of this collection can be found in clippings, project photography, oral history records, and publications, however, the majority of the collection is personal and reflects the life of Gordon and his wife Nina Bunshaft. Through correspondence, snapshots, objects, and personal papers the collection focuses on the Bunshafts' friends, their travels, and their impressive art collection of both modern and ancient sculptures and paintings.

The Graduate School of Journalism Records document the progression of the school from its founding in 1912 through the 1990s. The records consist of audio/visual material, clippings, copies of various publications, administrative correspondence, notes, photographs, and transcriptions of articles and speeches.

This collection contains the papers of lawyer and legal scholar Herbert Wechsler. The various documentation includes Wechsler's work with the United States Department of Justice (including documents from the Nuremberg and International Military Tribunals), The American Law Institute (including the work of the Model Penal Code), Columbia University, and several other organizations to which Wechsler contributed or with which he was affiliated. The collection also contains papers related to Wechsler's legal work, including documents pertaining to his work on New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. Wechsler's scholarly work is also collected here including drafts of articles, books, speeches, and special lectures such as his Oliver Wendell Holmes Lecture, "Toward Neutral Principles of Constitutional Law". The Herbert Wechsler papers also cover various points of interaction Wechsler had with other figures in his field including Francis Biddle, Telford Taylor, and Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter. The genre of documentation is primarily correspondence, reports, and writings with annotations. The collection also contains some ephemera and photographic materials and one audiocassette.

The Lawrence A. Cremin Papers document the career and personal life of Lawrence Arthur Cremin, educational historian and seventh president of Teachers College, Columbia University (1974-1984). Cremin was an acclaimed historian of American education whose work framed the formal school as one of many institutions responsible for educating children. The collection includes records of his teaching and administrative work at Teachers College, manuscripts and published works by Cremin, and personal and professional correspondence.

New York City Opera (NYCO) was famously dubbed "The People's Opera" by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia at its founding in 1943. The Opera company's mission is to inspire audiences with innovative and theatrically compelling opera at an affordable price. This collection documents the artistic productions and the daily administrative functions and operations attest to the mission of the company. The materials in this collection consist of administrative and financial records, production files, stage guides, scores, correspondence, programs, photographs, posters, scenery plans, memorabilia, printed materials, and audio and video recordings, dating from 1924 to 2019, with its bulk dating from 1965 to 1991.

This collection contains the papers of Peter G. Davis (1936-2021), who worked as a classical music critic at various national and specialist publications from 1962-2018. It includes the vast majority of Davis's writings on music (published or draft), along with print material relating to these writings, Davis's compositions (1957-1964), material relating to Davis's early education (1948-1959), and correspondence and interviews with a number of major classical musicians.

Peter Maas (1929-2001) was an author and journalist, best-known for his non-fiction books on organized crime, particularly The Valachi Papers and Serpico, which were later made into films. The collection includes business files, clippings, correspondence, drafts, interviews (both tapes and transcripts), manuscripts, and research files.

Peter Schickele (b. 1935) is an American composer, music educator, and satirist. He is best known for his comedy pieces composed by the fictional character P.D.Q. Bach. The collection contains manuscript and engraved scores and parts, sketches, revised and annotated copies of Schickele's work. In addition, the collection contains scripts of dramatic pieces or spoken introductions, correspondence, and memorabilia.