The Alan Shapley Oral History, dated 1997 and 2001, contains audio recordings and transcripts of the interview between Shapley and Brian Shoemaker of the American Polar Society conducted on January 31, 1997, as well as correspondence from 2001. Major topics discussed include Shapley's involvement in the planning and execution of the International Geophysical Year of 1957-1958, his research trips to the various polar regions around the globe, his career as a geophysicist, and how his work led to the development of the World Data Centers to allow for the sharing of scientific data between countries on topics relating to the Earth.

The Edward Goodale Papers date from 1956 to 1988, and contains materials collected by Goodale that relate to his multiple trips to Antarctica, as well as general interest materials on Antarctica. These materials include a memory book created for those who served on the U.S.S. Glacier in 1955-1956, four portraits of United States Navy admirals, group photographs of Goodale and unknown others, several issues of a newsletter for participants of Byrd Antarctic Expedition I, Ike's Travels (which discusses notable historic trips to Antarctica), and newspaper clippings about both Goodale's trips to Antarctica and trips made by other scientists.

The James Van Allen Oral History, dated 1983, 1997-2001, contains audio recordings, administrative information, and transcripts of the interview between Dr. Van Allen and Brian Shoemaker of the American Polar Society conducted on November 18, 1997. Major topics discussed include Van Allen's career in polar regions and inter-planetary astrophysics, the planning and implementation of the International Geophysical Year (IGY), development of rockoons, and how his work led to the discovery of Earth's radiation belt, later named the Van Allen Belt.

The Joseph O. Fletcher Oral History, dated 1997 and 2001, contains audio recordings and transcripts of the interview between Fletcher and Brian Shoemaker of the American Polar Society conducted on January 23, 1997, as well as correspondence from 2001. Major topics discussed include Fletcher's time in the United States Air Force (USAF) as part of the 58th Weather Squadron, the T-3 field station on an iceberg that he helped establish (this iceberg was later renamed Fletcher's Ice Island, though it is thought to have melted sometime after 1983), and his meteorological research and studies involving the Arctic. Also discussed are numerous organizations and projects that Fletcher was involved in over the course of his career, including the U.S. National Committee for the International Geophysical Year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, his time as the Director of the Office of Polar Programs of National Science Foundation, and his involvement in the creation of the Arctic Ice Dynamics Joint Experiment (AIDJEX.) Arlis II (Drifting ice station)

The Morton Rubin Papers contain a biography of Morton Rubin written by his brother Harry Rubin in 2004, as well as an appendix to that biography of a photocopy of Morton's diary from during the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958), and a copy of that appendix on compact disc. They also contain an audio recording and transcript of an oral history interview of Morton from a series of polar oral histories sponsored by the American Polar Society and Ohio State University's Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program. In this oral history interview from July 21, 2000, Morton discusses his time in Antarctica as a meteorologist during the International Geophysical year, as well as his relations with Russian scientists also in Antarctica at the time.

The Nathaniel C. Gerson Oral History, dated 1998 and 2001-2002, contains notes, correspondence, and transcripts of the interview between Gerson and Brian Shoemaker of the American Polar Society conducted on October 24, 2001. This interview was a part of a series of polar oral histories sponsored by the American Polar Society and Ohio State University’s Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program, with funding from the National Science Foundation. Major topics of the interview include the development of radiosonde balloons, Gershon’s time in the Arctic Circle with Operation MUSCALF, Gerson’s thesis about particle ionization on ice caps, and proceedings of the meetings for the first two Antarctic committees for the International Geophysical Year.