The South Carolina Politics material includes correspondence (1935-1971), clippings (1935-1942, 1952-1973), radio schedules of John Cauthen's radio broadcasts of state government activities (1938-1942), reports on South Carolina government, Governors McNair and West (1969-1971) and rough drafts of essays about Edgar A. Brown, Sol Blatt and South Carolina politics, (circa 1930's to 1970).

The Textile Industry (1943-1973) records include correspondence with fellow members of the South Carolina Textile Manufacturer's Association, material about meetings of the SCMTA, clippings concerning the textile industry (1943-1973) and reports of the South Carolina Textile Manufacturers Association (1945, 1955, 1968-1971).

The Boards and Commissions material includes appointments (1941-1971), committee reports (1968-1972), correspondence with fellow board members and others (1961-1972) and clippings (1950-1972).

The Personal papers (1933-1973) include articles about John Cauthen, awards received by John Cauthen from various organizations, ETV material, honorary degrees, miscellaneous articles and publications, clippings, biographical material, resolutions from South Carolina State Government, tributes and obituaries.

The largest part of the papers concern the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (1965-1973). These include committee reports, committee statements and press releases, commission goals, annual reports, correspondence, meetings, clippings, program proposals for individual schools and reports on medical education in South Carolina.

There are twenty one VHS tapes from John Cauthen's Journal, an ETV production taped in 1972. They use the numbering sequence that SC ETV assigned when the tapes were created beginning at 0271-0001 and through 0271-0021. Transcripts for tapes # 2, 3, 5-8, 10, 20-21, and 22 are in the Personal series of the papers. There is no tape for the #22 transcript.

Photographs are inventoried at the end of the container list. They include family photos, photos from commissions and boards, photos of political figures in South Carolina government, photos used in Cauthen's book on Sol Blatt and photos used in newspaper articles.