Most of the papers in this series were arranged by George W. Perkins, Jr.; several folders contain letters received by his family after his death. The labels chosen by Perkins were retained, excepting those in brackets within the finding aid. The series consists mostly of correspondence from the 1940s and 1950s, when Perkins was a US diplomat. Also included are his documents pertaining to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission: correspondence, data for developing projects, and speeches. Of particular interests are folders with papers from World War I, when Perkins served as Lieutenant, and World War II, when he worked for the Chemical Warfare Service as a Colonel. Contained here are handbooks and maps from training sessions held during World War I, as well as maps, folders with memos on chemical warfare, and reports on travels to several countries, especially India, during World War II.