Series 1: Articles and Books, 1967-2015
This series consists of Professor Harrington's CV, his early articles published mostly in local newspapers and magazines from 1967 to 1980, and books published between 1985 and 2015. The early writing spans work from his time as the editor of his high school newspaper in Crete, Illinois, work at the Columbia Missourian, his tenure as managing editor of The Illinois Observer in Springfield, Illinois, and his writing in The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. His books include e.g. Crossings: A White Man's Journey into Black America (1992), The Everlasting Stream: A True Story of Rabbits, Guns, Friendship, and Family (2002), and a DVD of a PBS documentary of The Everlasting Stream (2006). This series is arranged chronologically.
Series 2: Interview Files- George H.W. and George W. Bush, 1972-2011
This series contains notes, tape recordings, and transcripts of interviews conducted with Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, and of interviews with their family, friends, and associates. These interviews formed the basis of articles in The Washington Post Magazine and The American Scholar. This series also contains photocopied correspondence between Harrington and Presidents George H.W. and George W. Bush as well as original correspondence by Jeb Bush, Jonathan Bush, and Dorothy Bush. Also of interest are interview records of Roger Ailes and David Keene. This series is arranged alphabetically.
Series 3: Interview Files- Jerry Falwell and Jesse Jackson, 1986-1988
This series contains notes, recordings, and transcripts of interviews conducted with Jerry Falwell and Jesse Jackson, and of interviews with their family, friends, and associates. These interviews formed the basis of articles in The Washington Post Magazine and of chapters in Harrington's book American Profiles. This series also contains original and photocopied correspondence between Harrington and Jesse Jackson. This series is arranged alphabetically by interview subject.
Series 4: Magazine Interview Files, 1984-1995
This series consists of notes, recordings, and transcripts of interviews with Jack Anderson, Rita Dove, Joe Kennedy, Spike Lee, and Rosa Parks, and of interviews with these figures' family, friends, and associates. Of special note are photocopied drafts of Rita Dove's poems. This series is arranged alphabetically by interview subject.
Series 5: Interview Files- Crossings: A White Man's Journey into Black America, 1989-1998
This series contains notes of interviews conducted with a variety of black Americans across the United States, as well as photos of many of those interviewed. Those interviewed include famous figures such as Ice-T and Spike Lee, as well as 'ordinary' people including musicians in Detroit, artists in California, and fishermen in the state of Georgia. The series also contains, letters from readers, fact check material, and reviews of Crossings. This series is organized alphabetically.
Series 6: Interview Files- The Everlasting Stream: A True Story of Rabbits, Guns, Friendship, and Family, 1999
This series consists of transcripts of interviews with friends and relatives of Harrington for the book, The Everlasting Stream, as well as photos of these people. It also contains transcripts of a recorded field hunt and a pig party. This series is organized alphabetically.