Correspondence and literary manuscripts - mostly orations, disputations and essays - written by Amherst College alumni. The collection includes materials of such individuals as Henry Ward Beecher, John Quincy Adams, William Austin Dickinson, and Edward Hitchcock.

The manuscripts are listed alphabetically by the author's or creator's name (but not necessarily arranged alphabetically). Following the description of the items, where appropriate, are numbered added entries that refer to a subject index that comprises an appendix to this finding aid (see p. 63). Name entries were also created to facilitate sorting and research.