Rockefeller's personal papers chart his personal and public activities through a lifetime of correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other printed materials dating from 1912 to 1975. The bulk of materials discuss his time in Arkansas from 1953-1973, but a number of files document the years 1912-1953 and cover his early childhood and family life, travel, and involvement in such organizations as Air Youth of America, Greater New York Fund, and National Urban Renewal. Also included are files concerning his service as an officer in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
Following Rockefeller's death in California, his staff organized his files into groups of years: 1953-1960, 1961-1965, 1966-1970, and 1970-1973. Correspondence is organized alphabetically and by date, with subject files, such as the Arkansas Arts Center, Arkansas Industrial Development, and Colonial Williamsburg, interspersed throughout the collection.