The Howard H. Baker, Jr. Papers contain approximately 326 linear feet of material and cover the period from 1964-1987. The papers are almost entirely from Baker's senatorial career (1967-85) and from his political campaigns; exceptions include some speech files from his first couple of years after leaving the senate and some files belonging to his first wife, Joy Dirksen Baker. Papers created by Baker during his time as President Reagan's chief of staff of the White House (1987-88) are not part of this collection nor are photographs and negatives that Baker took himself (most of the photos in the collection are from the senate photographer).

The materials in the collection document many of the activities, plans, responsibilities, and accomplishments of Baker and his senatorial and campaign staffs. In addition to the typical congressional collection types of files, this collection contains many unique types of records because of the important positions Baker held. It is these less common materials, such as records pertaining to his role as senate minority and majority leader, to his position of vice chairman of the Watergate Committee, to his involvement in key issues of the time such as the Panama Canal and SALT II Treaties, and to his campaign for president that make this congressional collection particularly unique and significant.

The general types of documents found in the collection include: correspondence, reports, memos, schedules, invitations, newspaper clippings, case files, legislation files, public opinion mail, project files, financial records, speeches, manuals, and reference materials. The collection is primarily made up of paper records though it also includes photographs and negatives, film, video and audio recordings, computer disks, microfilm, scrapbooks and books.

Within the entire group of Baker Papers are seven subgroups each made up of numerous series and subseries. The seven subgroups are as follows: legislative; political; administrative; press and public relations; campaign; personal; and non-print materials. An outline of this organization showing the hierarchical arrangement of the subgroups and series follows.

A few of the types of material dominate the collection by their sheer quantity. Almost half of the collection (about 150 linear feet) is composed of campaign files. There are some from each of Baker's three successful senatorial campaigns, but the bulk of the campaign materials are contribution and financial records from his 1980 presidential bid. Watergate related materials account for another large portion of the collection. There are almost 44 linear feet of Public Opinion mail (Administrative Subgroup, Correspondence Files) about the hearings. The correspondence provides a large sampling of the great variety and changing attitudes of the writers over the course of the hearings. The Watergate materials also include about nine cubic feet of materials in the Committee Files (Legislative Subgroup) including newspaper clippings, congressional reports, miscellaneous Watergate documents, and witness files.