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Interviews document the lives of seventeen prominent figures in the Republic of China (1911-1949). Narrators discuss military affairs, politics, national and regional governance, education, economics, culture, transportation, and other topics. Military campaigns are a major topic of the collection. Narrators discuss the operations and impacts of the Northern Expedition (1928-2928), Second Sino-Japanese War/War of Resistance (1937-1945), and Chinese Civil War (1945-1949). Narrators discuss the practical matters of governing during a period of upheaval. They also discuss the politics of the era and entities such as the Kuomintang and Chinese Communist Party. Many narrators studied abroad in the United States and Europe. The collection gives insights into Chinese education and the experiences of Chinese nationals abroad, including observations from their travels. Several narrators worked as diplomats for the Republican government and offer insights into international affairs and world leaders of the mid-20th century.

Correspondence, manuscripts, documents, notes, notecards, journals, diaries, photographs, slides, memorabilia and printed materials documenting Goodrich's career in the field of Chinese language and history, as well as materials on the cultural affairs of twentieth century China. Among the cataloged correspondence are Joseph Alsop, Pearl S. Buck, Norman Cousins, Philip C. Jessup, H.H. Kung, Owen Lattimore, and Nathan Pusey. Part of the collection is arranged in Goodrich's alphabetical subject/name file and the remainder is arranged alphabetically. The correspondence is from colleagues, students, business associates, friends, etc. The subject files are on a variety of topics concerning China, the Far East, printing, medicine, the arts, and technology; material on the Chinese Civil Service Examination; associations, schools, foundations, missions and their work in the Far East.