This extensive archive documents four aspects of Laurier LaPierre's career: academic, journalistic, political and entrepreneurial. The academic series comprises 2 m of historical research - notes, information files, and bibliography- on a wide range of topics in Canadian and Québec history (ca 1956-1978). Included are research notes for his doctoral thesis on Joseph Israel Tarte, and for two articles on Church-State Relations in French Canada. Related to these are files raised as a professor at McGill (1968-1978) containing minutes of faculty and departmental meetings, papers pertaining to the McGill Faculty Union and to Lapierre's views on student participation in university government, and of student essays prepared for his courses, as well as correspondence with and about students whose theses he directed. The typescript of his and Ramsay Cook's unpublished Source-Book of Canadian History is also included. LaPierre's role as television and radio journalist is illustrated by 2.5 metres of files. Those concerning This Hour Has Seven Days (1964-1966) contain material on the CBC crisis of 1966 and on arbitration between LaPierre and the network. Letters from viewers and friends air their reactions to the programme. LaPierre's files for the Radio-Québec series En se racontant l'histoire d'ici contain documentation for each broadcast and annotated scripts (ca 1975-1976). Similar files were raised for a historical series (with Patrick Watson) aired in Toronto and Vermont, for Inquiry, and for CBC International programmes. There is also correspondence with CTV and the C.R.T.C. (ca 1970-1971). Illustrating his political involvements are minutes and executive lists of the N.D.P.: materials on their 1971 convention; speeches, expense accounts and photographs on LaPierre's Lachine campaign (1968); political speeches (1966-1967); and reactions to the War Measures Act (1971) and wage control legislation (1976). Closely related to these files are 70 cm of speeches, correspondence related to articles by LaPierre, and book reviews, all on contemporary political and social topics (ca 1966-1970); some speeches were probably written for the 1968 campaign. Material on LaPierre's publishing, business and consulting activity include the files of Immedia, formed with Patrick Watson ca 1971-1974 to produce TV and film documentaries; LaPierre, Thomas and Associates (public relations, consulting, translation and publishing); and Investissements Laurier LaPierre. Considerable documentation survives for "Saberdache Québecoise", a series on French Canada planned by McClelland and Stewart but never realised. Personal papers (50 cm) comprise general correspondence and letters regarding speaking engagements (ca 1972-1974), desk diaries (1968-1969, 1972-1975), travel accounts, insurance and family expenses, and other financial papers.

The Katrin Thompson fonds comprises of class notes from five courses in economics, sociology, statistics, history and industrial relations.

Chamberlain's papers consist of the following: medical certificates, 1827, 1851, 1853, two bound collections of sheet music with annotations, ca 1850; photocopy of a printed letter from Henry Lyman concerning the surgical instruments of Chamberlin, 1880s.

Spencer's file of printed testimonial letters, including some from Sir William Dawson and Thomas Sterry Hunt, curricula vitae, and lists of publications was probably prepared for a job application.

The fonds comprises of records generated by John Herd Thompson during his years as a Professor at McGill University in the History Department. It consists mainly of correspondence with students and other professors, departmental memoranda, notes, committee minutes and reports.

McLaren's papers contain a notebook of lectures for an engineering course, 1901 copies of operating costs for the Union Light, Heat and Power Co., 1904-1905; and a certificate from the Engineering Institute of Canada, 1947.

This student notebook on Roman and International Law, 1875-1876, may have belonged to J.E. Fay of Abercorn, Québec.

The most significant part of the fonds is the daily diary kept by Miss Rogers during her stay with Dr. Williamson in Tanganyika (1957-1958). There also printed programmes of Dr. Williamson’s funeral service including a copy of a eulogy, and newspaper clippings concerning Dr. Williamson (1956-1958). Non textual records comprise of snapshots taken in Tanganyika as well as two photographs of Dr. Williamson taken when he was a patient at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

A letter from principal F.C. James to J.R. Beck (1941) concerning Eugene Forsey's appointment in the Economics Department.

Fonds consists of correspondence and various reports created and accumulated during his activities as a member of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (Commission royale d'enquête sur le bilinguisme et le biculturalisme).