This accession includes manuscripts of a book and articles, laboratory notebooks, laboratory notebooks, composition books, open reel audiotape recordings, and correspondence. The laboratory notebooks and composition books document work undertaken at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution from 1929-1939. The audiotapes include: a brief history of marine chemistry in the United States; chemical oceanography; memories of papers delivered at a Gordon Conference on Marine Chemistry; and conference lectures from July 26, 1954 including lectures by George Gamow, Hildebrand, Elving, Glenn Seaborg, Stanfield, Ball, and Libby. The correspondence documents Rakestraw's work on the carbon dioxide program established for the International Geophysical Year, his retirement from University of California, San Diego, and his work as editor of the Journal of Chemical Education. The collection also includes a travel diary and negatives and photographic prints of images taken by Rakestraw during his extensive travels in Europe in the 1930's.