Papers of Robinson, covering his secondary and college education (1884-1895), his early positions as a high school principal (1895-1907), his academic post at University of Minnesota, and his first three months at Columbia University. Robinson's incoming correspondence includes some originals and carbon copies of his own letters, related papers, clippings, and memorabilia. The papers deal with a wide range of public affairs issues on the local, state, national, and international levels. Letters with federal officials and legislators, 1898-1907, include those of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, concerning U.S. foreign policy in the Pacific Ocean, particularly the possible acquisition of the Caroline Islands. For the period 1907-1915, topics include charities, civic associations, U.S. tariff reform, and U.S. bank reform. Other letters relate to family, personal, and social matters; to academic posts, including letters of recommendation; to European trips as a delegate at the 1909 Darwin Centennial and the 1914 University of Leipzig's 500th anniversary; to membership in professional associations; to writings; to secondary education including offical reports while he was principal at St. Paul Central High School; and correspondence with other economists.

The manuscripts include holograph and typescript versions of TEXTBOOK OF COMMERCIAL GEOGRAPHY (published, 1909) and EARLY ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN MINNESOTA (published, 1915); typescripts of RAILROAD TAXATION IN MINNESOTA and COST OF GOVERNMENT, NATIONAL STATE LOCAL (both published, 1912); typescripts of speeches, essays, and abstracts, 1890-1907, relating to education, government, and economics; class notebooks from high school, the University of Michigan, 1887-1891, and the University of Leipzig, 1892-1895; his master's thesis; and two personal account books.