Much of the material contained within this series is concerned with the history of McGill's Chemistry Department. Because the majority of material is research related the contents of this series are dominated by xeroxed research materials, holograph research notes, and photographs.

Series consists of material generated or collected by Dale Thomson in pursuit of his academic and related interests, including correspondence with other academics, institutions, granting agencies and publishers, and annotated press clippings, articles and papers. There are also notes and transcripts from interviews with Canadian federal and Quebec provincial political figures, and many of his articles, papers and speeches on Canadian and foreign politics. There is also some background information on Dale Thomson, such as curriculum vitae and school transcripts and diplomas. Dale Thomson also collected an assortment of original material as part of his research on Prime Ministers Alexander Mackenzie and Louis st. Laurent and Quebec Premier Jean Lesage. This includes correspondence, memoranda, speeches, pamphlets, a film and an audio recording of a radio broadcast. Series arrangement is primarily by subject, but there are some format-specific files consisting largely of correspondence and published articles.

Anna Dawson Harrington's papers consist chiefly of incoming correspondence, including: 1.5 cm of letters from J. W. Dawson, 1868-1896; 3 cm from Margaret Mercer Dawson, 1870-1902; 10 cm from George Mercer Dawson, 1865-1901; 7 items from William Bell Dawson, 1868-1876; 5 items from Rankine Dawson, 1871-1899; 15 items from Eva Dawson Atkin, 1880-1896; 13 cm from her husband B. J. Harrington, 1876-1906; 2 cm from her children, 1892-1913; 1 cm of congratulatory letters at the time of her marriage, 1875-1876; 13 letters from friends and associates, 1867-1911; 4 cm of letters of sympathy on the death of her husband, 1907; 2 cm of letters concerning subscriptions for his portrait, a girlhood diary, 1866-1871 and some notes for biographies of J. W. Dawson and George Mercer Dawson. Earlier years contain substantial correspondence from her brother George during his education in London and early travels with the International Border Survey and then the Geological Survey of Canada. Substantial family correspondence with her children during their youth and her husband Bernard relates to domestic matters, such as the household, new house, the children's health and activities, with frequent passing mention of finances.

The series consists of correspondence to William Bell Dawson from George Mercer Dawson, between 1865 and 1899; John William Dawson, 1865; Margaret Mercer Dawson, 1868, 1871; Department of Interior Canada, 1923; Rankine Dawson, undated; one receipt of a 14-month subscription to Leisure House; Psalm of the Honest Investor; three photographs of Florence Jane Elliott Dawson and William Bell Dawson; seven photocopies of printed lectures on evolution; two of his daily journals, 1907 and 1909; and his letters written to the Redpath Museum, 1921.

This series contains ephemera created by McGill University, McGill-affiliated student groups, and local organizations between 1855 and 2018. Also includes commercially-produced material whose subject is McGill.

This series is described at the file level. Includes flyers, programmes, brochures and pamphlets, postcards, invitations, tickets, posters, membership cards, greeting cards, dance cards, and other materials.