The Frank N. Meyer collection consists of a typescript, certificate and photographs of Meyer. The typescript contains excerpts from letters between Frank N. Meyer and his supervisor, David Fairchild in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Bureau of Plant Industry, relating to Meyer's plant exploration trip to South China in 1916-1918. Photographs of various botanical specimens are included. The last segment of typescripts concerns Meyer's drowning on June 2, 1918, in the Yangtze River en route to Shanghai. The 1905 certificate identifies USDA plant explorer Frank N. Meyer as an agricultural explorer of the United States Department of Agriculture, who is visiting Manchuria and other part of China for "the purpose of aiding in agricultural development, especially along the line of pomology." A black and white photograph of Meyer has a label which reads "Frank N. Meyer, Agricultural Explorer born November 29, 1875, died June 1, 1918. Returning from a successful raid in the high mountains. Tired but satisfied. Wu Tai Shan, Shansi, China. February 25, 1908. A photograph of Meyer and Fairchild has a label which reads "Frank Meyer (right) converses with renowned plant explorer Dr. David Fairchild. At the young age of 22, Fairchild helped to create the USDA's Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction where he served as chairman from 1904-28. Throughout Meyer's travels, Fairchild was a guiding force, providing insight and support through his letters."

The Lowell Dean Hill Collection consists of unpublished papers, correspondence, publications, and documents related to Hill's research on grain quality. Included are materials related to his involvement in the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service COMEX project. There are also minutes from Grain Quality Workshops of the North American Export Grain Association, and materials related to Hill's leadership on the international study on grain quality conducted by the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment. Personal and biographical materials include documents on Hill's research work, along with selected complementary published resources from his personal library. Hill collected many resources while researching and writing his 1990 book, Grain Grades and Standards: Historical Issues Shaping the Future, including many reports that address USDA-related issues concerning grain grades.

The John Herbert Davis Papers consist of an autobiography, correspondence, speeches, broadcast text, reports, congressional testimony, photographs, periodical publications, term papers, school notes, master's degree thesis, Ph.D. thesis draft, programs, newspaper clippings, certificates signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, oral history tapes, Middle East material, and books authored by Davis.