The papers of Harvey Brooks chiefly document his professional activities related to the numerous university, scientific, and government committees and associations on which he served, including the National Science Foundation, the President's Science Advisory Committee, the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences. They contain correspondence, memoranda, reports, meeting minutes, and notes. Also includes personal papers from the early 1930s, such as general and family correspondence, student records, lectures, manuscripts, material related to war work and employment in the private sector. In addition, the papers consist of material relating to nuclear issues from the 1940s and 1950s, to his role as editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Physics and Chemistry of Solids, Engineering and Applied Physics, to his work in the development of the Harmon Program on Science, Technology, and the Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government.

Additional materials received in 2004 (Accession #15081) include subject and correspondence files, 1987-2001 (2 boxes) and course materials, 1990s (2 boxes). These materials are unprocessed and may not be available.