The papers are a small, fragmentary collection consisting of correspondence, book reviews, a few miscellaneous writings, and subject files. The correspondence is entirely incoming and consequently not particularly revealing with regard to the Cowans' Peace Corps experiences or their activities in the Committee of Returned Volunteers. A few letters concern negotiations with publishers and others contain comments from readers about his articles. Among the prominent correspondents are William F. Buckley, Jr., Nat Hentoff, David Riesman, and Theodore H. White. Writings include a transcript of comments of returned volunteers at a meeting in Cuba in 1969 and Daniel Berrigan's letter to the Underground which Cowan edited for publication. His three books are available in the Historical Society's library. Also in the collection are numerous reviews of The Making of an Un-American and subject files collected on the Berrigan brothers and the Peace Corps.