The collection spans the life of James Earl Rudder. The bulk (1944-1970) of the materials roughly correspond to the chronology of James Earl Rudder's life, with additional materials collected mainly by his wife, Margaret Rudder. The collection includes materials from Rudder’s time in the service during WWII, clippings from newspapers, as well as posters, magazine issues, memorabilia, and Rudder’s awards.

The earliest scholarship in this collection is from 1978 before the A&M Gay Student Services (GSS) received official campus recognition. Students and scholars in the fields of Philosophy, Sociology, and History have produced work included in this collections.