The highlights of Miles' life up to about 1945 are contained in a typewritten manuscript of 138 pages. This item, meant for his children and grandchildren, is divided into eleven chapters and titled True Tales From Tin Lizzy Times and Other Sketches. Biographical information can be found on Boyd Fisher (chap. VI), the force behind the Ohio Relief Production Units (1934-1935) and the Rural Electrification Administration; Sally Rand (chap. IX), the exotic dancer; Franklin Roosevelt's Aunt Bessie (chap. X) and John Pratt Whitman (chap.XI), mystic, teacher, social worker, actor, journalist and author who is Miles' "most unforgettable character". This series also includes a five page statement, written in 1986, concerning his undergraduate experience at Antioch College as well as materials related to his first published article in 1932.

This series is divided into five subseries all arranged chronologically.

The major items in this series are an unpublished essay by Miles on his years at HEW, published articles and other materials that resulted from his receiving the Rockefeller Public Service Award (1956), other published articles, speeches, materials concerning Miles' deputy James F. Kelly, items related to the polio vaccination campaign in the 1950s and a official trip to India in 1961, copies of correspondence and memoranda, photographs. This series also contains Miles' proposal for a reorganization of HEW (1965) as well as personal notes, and other letters, signed by Secretaries Hobby, Folsom, Fleming, Richardson and Under Secretary Nelson A. Rockefeller.

This series includes a copy of the "Report of the President's Task Force on Government Reorganization" (Nov.1964) which recommended a cabinet level Department of Education; documents by former Secretary of HEW, Marion Folsom, opposing a separate Department; materials dealing with Miles' association with the American Council on Education and lobbying efforts on Jimmy Carter regarding this issue; Miles' testimony before Congress; correspondence with Shirley Hufstedler, the first Secretary of the Department of Education; Miles' articles, speeches etc. on this subject. Copies of and materials related to his studies The Department of Health Education and Welfare (1974) and A Cabinet Department of Education (1976) are contained here.

This series largely contains Miles' scholarly and teaching efforts in the area of management and public policy. It encompasses both published and unpublished materials. The former includes articles in Public Administration Review and the Journal of Higher Education. A subseries is made up of his continued part-time role in government service: his participation in a self-study of the Bureau of the Budget's organization (1967), testimony before Senator Abraham's Ribicoff's Committee on Government Organization (1968) and membership on President Nixon's transition team (1968).

This series encompasses lectures, published articles, materials related to conference participation on various public policy issues. In particular it contains items related to the Presidency of Jimmy Carter namely Carter's Welfare and Civil Service Reform Programs. It also holds a copy of Miles' testimony before Congress regarding Social Security Organization (Jan.1984) and materials related to the Rockefeller Public Service Awards Program.