The papers of George Smith Patton (1885-1945) span the years 1807-1979, with the bulk of the papers concentrated from 1904 to 1945. The collection documents Patton's military career, including his attendance at the United States Military Academy at West Point, 1904-1909; his service on the Mexican border as a member of John J. Pershing's Mexican Punitive Expedition, 1916-1917 ; his service as an aide-de-camp to Pershing and later as a tank commander in World War I, 1917-1919; and his military career from 1938 to 1945. The majority of the papers chronicle Patton's World War II service and his success as one of America's most skillful combat commanders of armored troops. The papers consist of eleven series: Diaries, Chronological File, Family Papers, Correspondence, Military Papers, Military Library, Maps, Photographs, Speeches and Writings File, Miscellany, and Oversize. Most of the series relate to Patton's personal and military activities and his leadership in the development and tactical use of the tank as a combat weapon. Additional papers concerning Patton's service in World War I are in the Chester Fritz Library of the University of North Dakota located near Grand Forks, North Dakota.

The Diaries, 1910-1945, illustrate Patton's activities during the Mexican Punitive Expedition, World War I, and World War II. The volumes, particularly from 1942 to 1945, document Patton's daily activities and observations and reveal his candor about himself, personally and professionally. They include information about American ground combat operations in the campaign for North Africa, the invasion of Sicily, the liberation of France, and the final assault on Germany. Annotated volumes covering World War II often contain additional detail expanding on the original volume entries. The original diaries are dated through 24 March 1945, while annotated transcripts continue to 3 December 1945. The Library did not receive the latter portion of the original diaries. Additional topics include Patton's honeymoon trip to Europe in 1910 and his fox hunting activities, 1932-1935.

The Chronological File, 1901-1977, provides an overview of Patton's life, serving as a combination diary-scrapbook consisting mainly of diary entries, correspondence, memoranda, and reports. Approximately one half of the series is in transcript form. The originals of these transcripts are located in other series. This series also contains original items, primarily correspondence, that do not appear in any other series.

The Family Papers, 1857-1979, consist mainly of Patton's letters to his wife, Beatrice Banning Ayer Patton, and his father, George S. Patton (1856-1927). Early letters chronicle Patton's struggle as a student at West Point. His letters to his wife are detailed and, like the diaries, contain frank assessments of commanders, subordinates, and military operations. Patton shared not only his achievements with his wife but also some of the negative incidents that affected his career, such as the reaction in November 1943 when the press reported that he had slapped two soldiers suffering battle fatigue in Sicily and his remarks in a speech in Knutsford, England, in April 1944 omitting inclusions of Russia as one of the countries likely to rule the postwar world with the United States and Great Britain. Both incidents threatened his career and almost resulted in his removal from the war. Also in the Family Papers are correspondence of Beatrice Patton and an autobiographical account of Patton's memories of his father. There is a significant amount of printed matter of George H. Smith, Patton's step-grandfather, concerning the Civil War battle of New Market, Virginia.

Papers in the Correspondence series, 1903-1945, include incoming and outgoing correspondence between Patton and his staff, commanders, government officials, friends, and the general public. Because many of Patton's friends and colleagues were in the military, there is a significant amount of material in the chronological correspondence that relates to military matters. The official correspondence documents the planning of various combat operations, particularly for the Allied invasion of Sicily and D-Day planning for France and reflects Patton's varied duties as a commander. The topical correspondence includes fan mail, inquiries on casualties, furloughs and discharges, the slapping incidents in Sicily, and Christmas and get-well letters sent to Patton after his automobile accident in December 1945.

The Military Papers, 1903-1976, consist of administrative files, Patton's personnel file, and a subject file. The bulk of the series illustrates Patton's duties while a combat commander from 1942 to 1945. The files include orders, citations, memoranda, speeches, training instructions, policy and procedural material, and reports concerning units Patton commanded. Speeches made by Patton to his troops during World War II were originally filed in the Military Papers, and this order has been retained. Duplicates of some of these speeches are filed in the Speeches and Writings File. Documents relating to Patton's personnel file include both personal and official papers. The official papers are included in a microfilm copy of Patton's file in the records of the Department of the Army. Prominent topics featured in the subject file are the cavalry, casualty information, denazification of Germany, displaced persons, and tanks. Much of the material relating to tanks concerns the development of that vehicle and the tactics of armored warfare. The series also contains material relating to Patton's death and funeral.

The Military Library series, 1907-1947, includes class publications from West Point, intelligence and campaign reports, and other material relating to military tactics. The majority of the series consists of campaign reports pertaining to France and Germany.

Items in the Maps series, 1906-1945, reflect Patton's interest in cartography. Most of the items are situation maps of the European theater and commemorative maps of the United States Third Army's operations in Europe. A map of Western Europe, marked by Patton in March 1944 prior to the development of campaign plans, illustrates with remarkable accuracy the projected route that the Third Army would take in its advance across France and Germany.

The Photographs series, 1864-1958, consist primarily of items relating to Patton's military career, although there are a few family photographs in the "Miscellaneous" folders. Locations featured in the World War II pictures include North Africa, Sicily, England, France, and Germany. Also well represented are Patton's years at the military academy at West Point, his tenure at Fort Meade, Maryland, and his service with the Mexican Punitive Expedition. World War II "Miscellaneous" folders include photographs, some autographed, of Patton's superiors and fellow officers.

Papers in the Speeches and Writings File, 1900-1947, consist chiefly of articles, speeches, reports, lectures, book reviews, memoranda, poetry, and memoirs. A few writings of others interfiled in this series with Patton's texts are listed in a partial index compiled by Patton. Prominent topics featured in Patton's writings include the saber, the cavalry, mechanization, tanks, and tank tactics. Patton's writings illustrate his early interest in armored warfare and indicate his belief in the tank as an important combat weapon long before its success in World War II. A 1937 paper entitled "Surprise" includes Patton's prediction of an attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor.

The Miscellany series, 1911-1966, includes biographical information, certificates and citations, reports, and printed matter relating chiefly to Patton's participation in the pentathlon in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, his interests in fencing and swordsmanship, and his attendance at the Mounted Service School, Fort Riley, Kansas. Also documented in the series are the various medals and honors awarded Patton during his lifetime and posthumously. The Oversize series, 1807-1951, consists principally of maps, overlays, photograph albums, and scrapbooks of newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs, and other printed matter.

Prominent among Patton's correspondents are Harold Alexander (Earl Alexander of Tunis), Terry de la Mesa Allen, Henry Harley Arnold, Charles Fanning Ayer, Frederick Ayer, Omar Nelson Bradley, Arvin H. Brown, Mark W. Clark, Lucius D. Clay, Charles R. Codman, Willis Dale Crittenberger, Jacob L. Devers, Walter Francis Dillingham, James Harold Doolittle, Manton S. Eddy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Riley Finlay Ennis, Harry Albert Flint, Hobart R. Gay, Charles P. George, Alvan Cullom Gillem, Jr., Robert W. Grow, Wade H. Haislip, Thomas T. Handy, James G. Harbord, Ernest Nason Harmon, Guy Vernor Henry, Courtney H. Hodges, Kenyon Ashe Joyce, Alphonse Juin, Geoffrey Keyes, John Clifford Hodges Lee, Henry Cabot Lodge, John Porter Lucas, Lesley James McNair, George C. Marshall, Keith Merrill, Troy H. Middleton, Sherman Miles, Charles (August Paul) Noguès, Elmer Q. Oliphant, Floyd Lavinius Parks, Willard Stewart Paul, John J. Pershing, Charles L. Scott, William H. Simpson, Walter Bedell Smith, Brehon Burke Somervell, Carl Spaatz, Henry Lewis Stimson, Charles Pelot Summerall, Alexander D. Surles, Lucian King Truscott, James Alexander Ulio, Walton Harris Walker, Frederick C. Wallace, J. J. Bethurun Williams, and John Shirley Wood.

Throughout his papers, Patton used nicknames, abbreviations, and code words to denote certain persons and operations. The following names and words are found primarily in his World War II diaries and correspondence and the chronological file for those years: