The bulk of the collection contains correspondence concerning Julian Ashby Burruss' tenure as president of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, as well as lecture notes, reports to the Board of Trustees of the State Normal School, and Experiment Station reports.

The Faculty/Staff Photograph Collection at Special Collections consists of the photographs, portrait reproductions, and negatives of Virginia Tech employees, dating back to the 1890s.

In general, vertical files at Special Collections include newspaper clippings, photocopies, ephemera, unpublished and/or informal publications, and other papers relating to a specific subject area. Files in this collection relate to Virginia Tech and its history. Topics may include, but are not limited to, colleges and departments, student organizations, administrative offices, centers and other campus units, and athletics.