The Frank Hamilton Hankins Papers span a period from 1922 to 1968, and much of the material is composed of his numerous publications. The collection also covers his involvement in various societies and organizations. The folders are arranged alphabetically, and the hefty folders full of letters and notes regarding Hankins' various organizations point to his involvement in the sociological world. Overall, the Frank Hamilton Hankins Papers are composed of articles, correspondence, written speeches, photographs, minutes from meetings, publications, and information from Hankins' time at different universities, such as Columbia and Clark.

In addition to some chronologies of Hankins' history, the biographical materials also contain some articles and press releases at the time of his death. Much of the information is repetitious, but they are a good source of factual insight.

The correspondence and subject files include the many letters Hankins wrote to his peers over the years, on general subjects as well as specific ones. In addition to general correspondence, there is one box of material devoted specifically to the correspondence between Hankins and his colleague Harry Elmer Barnes. This series also contains several subject files of a variety of topics.

Copies of Hankins' publications comprise the largest part of this collection. There is some information on debates Hankins was involved with and lectures he gave. Also, there are some materials on Hankins' contributions to The New Humanist, a journal that aims to cover unrestricted and liberal viewpoints. Hankins' collaboration with Farrar & Rinehart Publishers is also well documented. This file includes correspondence, notes, monetary agreements, and memorandums. Apparently, Hankins was editing several textbooks on sociology. There also seems to be a paper on Hankins' thoughts on American Development.

This collection is organized into four series:

• I. Biographical Materials
• II. Correspondence
• III. Subject Files/Organizations
• IV. Speeches/Publications