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Paper records including programs from Delegate Assemblies, contract booklets, pocket calendars, universitas [scholarly journal type of publication], and various brochures, advertisements, bumper stickers, and publications. Non-paper records include lapel pins, delegate name badges, legislative giveaways, buttons, t-shirts, canvas bags, and other three-dimensional artifacts. Some of the paper records in this series, such as the Delegate Assembly programs and contract booklets, duplicate the materials found in the respective series within Subgroup IV, Office of the Secretary, and Subgroup VI, Labor Relations--Negotiations. There is also some overlap between the materials in this series and those in Series 3 of this Subgroup, "Publications". This series also includes oversized versions of some of the legislative ad campaigns in Subseries 3.1.

The periodicals range from single issues to longer runs and will eventually be catalogued.

In 1964 The Institute on Man and Science in Rensselaerville, New York invited Vincent Schaefer to serve on the faculty of scientists and humanists for its July summer program. Established in 1962 as an educational center to encourage life-long learning and explore ideas about human problems, the Institute changed its name in the 1980s to The Rensselaerville Institute to reflect its broader focus on local self–help programs, small town revitalization efforts, innovation in government, and cultural and educational programs. The Institute remains in existence today. In addition to Schaefer, participants and faculty of the Institute on Man and Science included a Supreme Court Justice, Nobel Prize recipients, award-winning authors, scientists, economists, and a former Secretary-General of the United Nations.

One area of Vincent Schaefer's life that truly blended his personal interests and professional pursuits is environmental activism. Schaefer had a devotion to the outdoors from a very young age, both in terms of participating in recreational activities and regarding conservation efforts. His choice of atmospheric science and chemistry as his profession gave him the opportunity not only to spend extra time out in the elements, but also offered the chance to become an expert in environmental issues that he could then pursue in his spare time. The materials in this subseries highlight some of the activities and issues that most captured Schaefer's interest.

The location of correspondence in this collection is based on how the archivist found the materials as donated by Schaefer. Although he filed a considerable amount of correspondence within materials from specific affiliations (ex. General Electric, Munitalp, consulting work), the archivist found still more correspondence boxed separately. Roughly half of these items were not subdivided or specially categorized in any way while others were foldered by topic. This arrangement has been retained by the archivist. Please note that this series contains letters, cards, and postcards that span the majority of Schaefer's life, from young adulthood to the weeks before he died in July 1993. Some are professional in nature while others are from friends and family.

Vincent Schaefer planned to write a book on the atmosphere for decades. Correspondence shows that he brought the idea to Houghton Mifflin Editor-in-Chief Paul Brooks in the mid-1950s (Box 1, Folder 40) but the book was not finished at that point. Later, Schaefer collaborated with Professor John A. Day of Linfield College, Oregon and Christy Day for the final version of the book. Much of their correspondence regarding drafts is preserved in this series. The finished product, , was published in 1981 in the Roger Tory Peterson Field Guide series, an inclusion that generated media attention and notoriety. Included in this series are both handwritten and typed drafts, proofread copies, correspondence regarding drafts and the finished product, individual chapter files along with many photographs, slides and negatives. The collection also includes three folders containing files from a collaborative project Schaefer worked on titled "Glories of the Sky."

Schaefer donated many films to the archives that are related to his work at General Electric, Munitalp, and the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center/University at Albany, SUNY. There are also some reels that document his consulting work as well as a few that cover personal interests such as hiking. Films vary between 16 millimeter and 35 millimeter, with an emphasis on the latter. Some footage is black and white while other footage is in color. There were some film containers that arrived at the archives with two ID numbers on them; using Schaefer's own list, the archivist made every attempt to follow the creator's original numbering system. Due to time constraints on processing as well as the delicate nature of the film reels, most of the footage has not yet been viewed by the archivist. Please also note that the film titles are taken directly from Schaefer's own labels, which is why many are abbreviated.

This series contains a variety of materials from Vincent Schaefer's personal life, some of it autobiographical. Subseries one features his unpublished memoir, Twenty Years at Langmuir University, but also family photographs, an extensive personal log, and awards. The series also documents his passions for hiking, Scouting, skiing, geology, artwork, Dutch Barns, local history and archeology.