The David Oppenheim Papers span from 1910 to 2004, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1920 to 1998. The collection chiefly contains correspondence, photographs, programs, music, and other documents related to Oppenheim's professional career as the director of the Masterworks Division of Columbia Records and as the Dean of the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. The collection also contains a significant amount of family materials, including correspondence, photographs, and genealogical research materials.

The Correspondence series contains professional and personal letters and includes notable names in music as well as prominent political figures of the mid-twentieth century. The professional correspondence focuses solely on Oppenheim's work at Columbia Records, CBS, and Tisch School of the Arts. Extensive correspondence between Oppenheim and his extended family can also be found in this series, the majority of which dates from his military service during World War Two, 1943-1945.

The Photographs series consists primarily of images of Oppenheim alone and with others. Included are photographs of performances and recording sessions at CBS and Columbia Records and photographs from Tisch School of the Arts events. Family photographs include Oppenheim's immediate and extended family.

The Programs series includes programs for concerts and events from 1944 to 1999 in which Oppenheim was a performer.

The Music series contains printed musical scores from Oppenheim's time at Columbia Records and one handwritten excerpt in the hand of Serge Koussevitzky. The Columbia Records scores contain recording session annotations.

The Miscellany series contains materials from both Oppenheim's professional career and personal life. Items include newspaper clippings, Oppenheim family genealogical research, speeches, and other assorted documents.