The first six subseries, from Fairmont Junior College through National Public Radio, follow Frederick's career from 1931 to 1980. There are some examinations and printed material from her year teaching at Fairmont Junior College in 1933-34. Her work as assistant to H.R. Baukhage is represented by notes from her coverage of the second Quebec Conference in 1944; programs, notes, and memorabilia from the national political conventions in 1944; one script from 1941; and miscellaneous correspondence, 1938-40. The War Correspondent subseries dates from 1945 to 1946, when she was working free-lance for the North American Newspaper Alliance, the Western Newspaper Union, and H.R. Baukhage. It contains correspondence, articles, reports, memorabilia, and clippings from Frederick's China/Burma trip, her work in Europe, and the Nuremberg trials. The ABC, NBC, and National Public Radio subseries contain correspondence, broadcast scripts and transcripts, interviews, notes, UN documents, and memorabilia related to her work for these networks between 1946 and 1980. These subseries concern programs and special events, press conferences, official tours, contract and inter-office business, publicity, and specific subjects. Among the many events covered during these years were the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, China and the UN, Dag Hammarskjold, the Congo war, the Cuban missile crisis, Adlai Stevenson's trip to Latin America, and the Vietnam War. Of special interest in these sections, are Frederick's original broadcasts and interviews, the subject sections, and NBC correspondence and reports to William McAndrew (her boss.)

The Other Activities subseries consists of correspondence, scripts, printed material, publicity, meeting agendas, and notes related to various organizations in which Frederick was involved from 1942 to 1984. There is substantial material from her term as president of the United Nations Correspondents Association in 1959.

The Speeches and Events subseries contains the texts, related correspondence, publicity, and itineraries for her busy lecture schedule, 1931-85.

The Writings subseries reflects Frederick's career as a writer and columnist. It contains typescripts, clippings, printed articles, notes, and correspondence. These materials relate to her newspaper columns "Women in Official Life" (1932) and "Women of Diplomacy" (1932), various articles she wrote from the 1930s to the 1980s (particularly for the North American Newspaper Alliance and U.S. News in the 1930s), portions of a book to which she contributed (published in 1941 as America Prepares for Tomorrow), and Ten First Ladies of the World, which she wrote and published in 1967. The texts of reports Frederick wrote as a war correspondent are located in this subseries.

Frederick's professional correspondence consists of letters from fans and listeners, invitations, correspondence with notable persons, and letters related to specific subjects. Those from fans and listeners are of particular interest because they contain comments (both of praise and criticism) on specific interviews and programs as well as general letters from her wide and appreciative audience. The personal correspondence is with friends and family. Of particular interest are the letters from Frederick to her long-time friend Ann Cordell (1950-1963) and the early letters to her sister, Catharine Crowding (1941-1946), which contain detailed descriptions of her experience overseas. The business correspondence contains her sister's letters concerning Frederick's business affairs during the period 1945 to 1946 and a group of miscellaneous business-related papers.

The Articles and Clippings date from 1948 to 1984 and are a miscellaneous group of materials about Frederick. The early diaries (1940s, 1950s) are incomplete, but are detailed for the short time spans that they cover. The diaries dating from 1968 to 1984 are appointment calendars used as diaries. The School and College material dates from 1917 and consists of school compositions, clippings, memorabilia, grade reports, and writings from grammar school, junior high school, high school, and college. Her master's thesis from American University is included in this subseries. The Awards and Honorary Degrees subseries consists of correspondence, publicity, and printed material related to the many awards Frederick received between 1950 and 1985.

This series contains approximately 4200 photographs, the majority of which relate to Pauline Frederick's professional activities, and include many of her colleagues, and the officials and celebrities with whom she came into contact during her long career. The bulk of these are from World War II on--there are few from her earliest professional years. There is also a smaller number of photographs of her personal activities, including childhood, school, family, and vacation pictures.

There are approximately 90 sound recordings (divided into three subseries, Phonograph Records, Cassette Tapes, and Reel-to-reel Tapes) which for the most part selectively document Frederick's radio and television broadcasting career, primarily during the ABC through NPR years. Others are of speeches, award programs, and other professional events. There are also tapes of interviews of Frederick by others and of her 1969 wedding. Most of the cassettes are duplicates of the reel-to-reel tapes, copied for research use but there are a few unique tapes in both categories. The Films subseries contains 8 reels of film (16, 8, and 35 mm.) of miscellaneous broadcasts, interviews, and events.

This series consists of a small number of posters, awards, honorary degrees, and photographs that have been separated from like materials because of their size.