The collection is made up primarily of correspondence from fellow journalists, novelists, historians, and poets such as Ben Hecht and Hendrik Willem Van Loon. Correspondents also include journalists Charles Dennis, Paul Scott Mowrer, Henry Justin Smith, John Gunther, Walter Allen White, and Vincent Starrett, as well as Van Wyck Brooks, Burton Rascoe, Alfred A. Knopf, Bennett Cerf, Jack Conroy, Floyd Dell, Sherwood Anderson, Eunice Tietjens, and many others. These letters date mostly from Hansen's time in New York. Author subject files contain clippings, memorabilia and biographical sketches written by Hansen. Collection also contains a few clippings of Hansen's literary criticism, artworks and photographs (mostly publicity shots).