The papers of Albert Payson Terhune (1872-1942) span the years 1890-1957, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1919-1940. The collection consists of literary manuscripts, radio scripts, galley proofs, printed matter (chiefly tear sheets of articles and short stories from magazines), clippings, passports, scrapbooks, and miscellaneous items. Also included is a small amount of correspondence relating mainly to Terhune's career as a writer and radio personality; typescript copies of articles by John T. Scarry; a biographical sketch of Terhune by John F. Trow, Jr.; and a manuscript and typescript of “The Bert Terhune I Knew” by Anice Terhune, his wife. The papers are arranged in General Correspondence , Writings File , and Miscellany series.

Nearly all facets of Terhune's career as a writer, world traveler, and trainer and expert on dogs, particularly the collie are fully documented in these papers. His first book, Syria From the Saddle , was written from notes taken while traveling in the Near East. His interest in sports is also manifested in the papers. He climbed into the boxing ring with such figures as James J. Corbett, Robert Prometheus Fitzsimmons, Kid (Charles) McCoy, and James J. Jeffries.

Terhune, however, devoted most of his time at his home at “Sunnybank,” in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, writing books, short stories, and articles for newspapers and magazines and raising prize-winning collies. Collies are the central theme of most of his published writings as well as his writings for radio. Terhune's dog stories are well represented in the papers. In addition to articles and short stories on dogs, the Writings File includes several series of radio programs such as “Tales of Real Dogs,” “The Jewel Jugglers,” “Calling All Dogs,” and Spratt's program series.

Correspondents include Hester Bird, Jacques Aldebert de Pineton Chambrun, comte de, Bruce Chapman, Nannie Joseph, Sinclair Lewis, Robert Welles Ritchie, and John T. Scarry.