The collection includes correspondence, March 29, 1826 to October 22, 1940. The very early letters are from relatives in the East to members of the Smith family who had moved to Wisconsin. They are followed by a group of letters from Howard Smith's father, John Y. Smith, to Haydn Smith, Howard's older brother. Correspondence in the early 1880's is largely from Howard Smith's mother to him while he was in Europe studying. After the turn of the century, there are a few letters dealing with Smith's position as professor of law at the University of Wisconsin and elsewhere, but most of the correspondence is of a personal or family nature, much of it dealing with financial matters. Many of the later letters are from his brother(?), Alfred, and various nieces and nephews.
There are also copies of many addresses given by Professor Smith, most of them given before gatherings of lawyers or at different universities. In addition, there are miscellaneous articles on varied subjects by Professor Smith and articles about him, mostly concerning his views on the teaching of law. There is also a copy of John Y. Smith's will. In addition, there are six diaries, primarily concerning trips Mr. Smith took.
