Central Files is composed chiefly of correspondence sent and received between Columbia University administrators and other University officers, faculty, and trustees, as well as correspondence sent and received between University administrators and individuals and organizations from outside the university.
Reid Hall is Columbia University's study abroad center in Paris, France. The university acquired Reid Hall in 1966 from the American University Women's Paris Club's Reid Hall, Inc., which had previously operated the building as a residence for American women studying in France. Columbia's School of General Studies took over the administration of Reid Hall and maintained a variety of semester and yearlong programs for Columbia students in French language, history, and culture. The collection contains the administrative records for Reid Hall and its programming.