Robert K. Richardson served as a history professor for Beloit College in the early to mid-20th century, using a significant portion of his time to establish and manage the Beloit College archives. Additionally, with much help from his wife, he spent his retirement writing a revised and updated History of Beloit College. This collection represents the extensive work he did for that publication, as well as Richardson's personal life and career in higher education.

Rollin D. Salisbury earned world-wide fame for his work in the field of Geology. A Beloit graduate of the class of 1881, he worked as a professor at the University of Chicago for 30 years. This collection holds a significant number of Salisbury's publications, as well as print and photocopied articles pertaining to his work and death. There are also a number of photographs and a limited amount of genealogical information.