The collection is arranged in four series:

Series I. Writings, 1945-1992. Contained in this series are drafts and proofs of Johnston's books (including Alabama Historical Sketches, which he edited), as well as various book reviews, essays, poetry, and speeches. Included among the poems and essays are some of the works he published as White Rhinoceros Press. Major titles arranged alphabetically, followed by smaller works, arranged by genre.

Series II. Military, 1925-1967. Johnston's association with the U.S. Army is documented in this series. Included are personnel and retirement records, orders, certificates, and printed materials, as well as both official and personal correspondence. The photographs in the series relate not only to Johnston's military service but his later attendance as a college administrator visiting ROTC Summer Camp at Fort Meade, Maryland and Fort Knox, Kentucky. Arranged by document type.

Series III. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1930-1989. This series contains materials relating to Johnston's activities at Virginia Tech. Included are files on Founders Day and the Visiting Scholars Program. A folder of correspondence covers a wide variety of university-related subjects but particularly focuses on Johnston's personal milestones, particularly his 1950 hire as dean of applied science and business administration. The series also contains a folder of materials relating to various Virginia Tech events, including programs for a 1963 football banquet, banquets honoring Harry W. Sanders and Martha G. Creighton, and the inauguration of Virginia Tech President Thomas Marshall Hahn Jr.; dedications of Williams and Randolph halls and Newman Library; texts of speeches delivered by Edward LeRoy Long, Jr. ("Piety, Moralism, and Vocation") and Jan Karski ("The Nature of the Communist Threat"); and a history of the Division of Arts and Sciences. A small collection of photographs completes the series.

Series III. Theater and Fine Arts, 1900-1983. This series contains materials relating to Johnston's interest in the arts. Included are promotional materials for theatrical production companies that Johnston was likely instrumental in securing for performances at Virginia Tech. The series also contains events and memorabilia from theatrical and musical productions at Virginia Tech. A folder relating to local and regional fine arts and theater events includes materials about the Barter Theatre, "The Long Way Home" outdoor historical drama, the Blacksburg Art Association Festival, and the Blacksburg Music Club. The majority of the series, however, consists of programs from non-local productions. The series also contains a small collection of sheet music.

Series IV. Subject / Correspondence Files, 1904-1993. This series relates mostly to Johnston's literary scholarship, published works, personal relationships, interest in printing and art, and his duties as a faculty member and university administrator. Included are letters, printed materials, and photographs from friends, colleagues, editors, and publishers. Johnston's literary interests included, but were not limited to, Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, William Camden, and J. R. R. Tolkien. (The letters housed in the collection from Tolkien and his daughter Priscilla to Johnston are photocopies only. Special Collections does not hold the original letters.) A single folder bearing Johnston's name contains a few pieces of biographical material, photographs, and a number of sketches and small watercolors executed by him. The series is arranged alphabetically by correspondent / subject, though materials relating to a single topic may appear in several different folders. Arranged alphabetically by correspondent or subject.

Series V. Microfilm, 1952-1972. This series is comprised of microfilm copies of rare literary works made for Johnston during the course of his research. The series contains selected pages from a number of works from Elizabethan and Stuart England, with a particular focus on poems by Ben Jonson.