This collection contains the papers of Chapman J. French, a civil engineer employed by the Norfolk & Western Railway during the first half of the twentieth century. The collection is divided into two series:

Series I. Professional Papers, 1900-1957. This series contains such items as correspondence, memoranda, working notes, and specifications for engineering projects, as well as administrative memoranda and rules governing the company's engineering department and other aspects of the company's operation. The collection includes documentation on topics relating to construction of railways and associated structures but also includes many papers relating to legal agreements, property acquisition, rights of way, and court cases. Included among the papers are a number of property plat maps and track diagrams, as well as a collection of blank forms used in various aspects of the company's operation--particularly contracts and agreements. Geographical areas substantially represented within the papers include Columbus, Ohio; Narrows, Virginia; Norfolk, Virginia; and Portsmouth, Ohio.

Series II. Personal Papers, 1911-1945. French's personal papers are largely devoted to various purchases of household and farm goods and include such items as receipts, invoices and correspondence with various merchants and manufacturers. Also included are materials relating to French's car (a 1914 Hupmobile), the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the brewing of alcoholic beverages, the Matthew French monument, the Giles County Game & Fish Protective Association, numerous fraternal lodges, personal health (including correspondence relating to French's use of a hair restorative), and a number of letters regarding a contract between the Virginian Railway and French's parents for some buildings near Narrows.

Series III. Oversize Materials, 1881-1957, n.d. This series contains materials removed from Series I due to size.