The collection consists of the papers of Earlham Geology professor James Thorpe. Arranged in the order it was acquired, the papers are mostly, but not necessarily, bunched into divisions corresponding to specific projects James Thorpe pursued during his career as well as research conferences he attended.  These include articles from academic journals used as research, field notes, maps and travel information, correspondence with collaborators, and drafts of the resulting published findings.  The collection also includes a diverse collection of articles from academic journals of interest to Thorpe, organized by subject matter.  Articles published by Thorpe in general are found in Box two, folder two through seventeen.  Some, but not all, of the articles found in box two include drafts and research notes in other parts of the collection.  Photographs within the collection are filed under the specific subject they pertain to. Thorpe conducted research on soils all across the United States and Canada, though he focused on the Middle West.  He also worked with soils overseas, most notably in Kenya and China.  Though Thorp’s research focuses on the above, his interests were broad, as seen in the various topics explored in articles taken from academic journals he set aside.  Thorpe’s letters and travel information comprise most of the collection that does not deal with the above, with a few scattered documents pertaining to his time teaching.