Cuba conference, 1902

The papers focus on Atwater's research and printed works, most of which was done on the state level as Director of the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station, or on the national level as a leader or participant in many US government programs, including the Office of Experiment Stations in the United States Department of Agriculture. A small amount of Atwater's personal materials are found within this collection, including a journal recording his travels to Europe in 1869.

The bulk of the collection is Atwater's incoming and outgoing research related correspondence, some of which is written in German or French. Most of the outgoing correspondence is recorded in letterpress books. The correspondence is largely between Atwater and magazine publishers, government officials regarding agricultural matters, administrators and staff from experiment station programs across the nation and world, museum curators, and general queries from farmers and citizens interested in Atwater's works or opinions on agricultural or nutritional matters. Found scattered throughout the incoming and outgoing correspondence are letters to and from family and friends or letters related to family matters.

Atwater's research and printed works focus on the chemical compositions of soils and fertilizers, chemical compositions and nutritive values of plants, fish, meats, grains, breads, dairy products, alcohol and the effects of each on the human body. These materials are found in the form of notes, reports, articles, books, data tables, newspaper clippings and correspondence. A small amount of scientific material printed by others is also included.

Of note is the sub-series Temperance found under Series III: Research & Related Materials. This sub-series includes Atwater's research, notes, correspondence and printed material related to the temperance movement. Also included is material printed by others (single authors or groups) related to the temperance movement including the National Temperance Society, the Women's Christian Temperance Union and the Connecticut Temperance Union.

The papers were found in the attic of the Scott Laboratory of Physics in the 1950s and in the 1960s, Professor Karl Van Dyke began separating out some of the papers. In 1962, select papers were transferred to Cornell University, were arranged chronologically and microfilmed. Those that were microfilmed can be identified with a number 2 that was stamped on the back. The papers were returned to Van Dyke and were received by the Wesleyan Archives after Van Dyke’s death in October 1966. In an attempt to highlight incoming correspondence by key figures, an inventory of such correspondence was created by staff of the Special Collections & Archives which can be found in the Scope Note of Series I.