The papers consist of photographs, correspondence, awards and certificates, newspaper clippings, files, and other literature almost exclusively from Vaughan's tour of duty (1941-44) in Iceland and Europe during World War II, and his involvement in the U.S. Army Reserve in the late 1940s and 1950s.

Of special interest are copies of correspondence between Vaughan and George Washington Carver, which run from 1928 to 1942. Carver's letters are affectionate and thank Vaughan for his friendship. He often refers to Tuskegee as "God's Little Work Shop."