Series I: Personal

The Richard F. Harless Papers consist of 11 boxes of correspondence, newspaper articles, photographs, and documents showing Harless' political career and family life. The collection has been divided into two series: Series I: Personal and Series II: Scrapbook Contents and Political Materials.

Series I: Personal is divided into three sub-series. Sub-Series A: Correspondence houses 3.5 boxes of Harless' personal and political correspondence, speeches, and telegrams arranged by date from 1941 to 1954. Sub-Series B: Harless Family Memorabilia consists of 0.5 boxes of genealogical publications documenting the Harless family. Sub-Series C: Photographs and Personal Papers is composed of 1.5 boxes of personal photographs, photographs taken during Congressional tours of Europe and the U.S., personal papers, and business documents arranged by date from 1946 to 1956.

Series II: Scrapbook Contents and Political Materials is divided into three sub-series. Sub-Series A: Scrapbook Contents consists of 3.5 boxes of newspaper articles, correspondence, photographs, and other materials taken primarily from scrapbooks documenting Harless' political career. The majority of this sub-series is composed of newspaper articles concerning some of the major issues related Harless' activities in Congress, including water rights, labor issues, Navajo Indian issues, and German POW escapes at Papago Park. Also included are articles showing Harless' 1948 campaign for Governor of Arizona, his re-election campaigns for Congress, and his unsuccessful Congressional campaigns in 1954 and 1960. Sub-Series B: Political Documents and Materials consists of 2 boxes of memorabilia showing Harless' campaign for Governor of Arizona, Congressional campaign reports and documents, and miscellaneous political reports. Sub-Series C: Miscellaneous Documents and Records is composed of 0.5 boxes of publications, reports, and personal effects.