This is a collection of Cope's articles, papers, notes, lectures, notebooks, and some correspondence. There is much on his research pertaining to Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, and other topics in the history of science on which he wrote. The collection includes lecture notes and three bound notebook volumes on mechanics from his study at the University of Berlin under Max Planck from 1912 to 1913. There are 11 additional bound volumes, all relating to physics, including: Minutes of meetings of the Department of Physics, University of Pennsylvania (1910-1919), two volumes on the history of physics, and a volume of data on the radiometer as a measurer of electric current. The collection also contains notes on electric circuit theory lectures (1924-1925) by J.R. Carson, notes on lectures on relativity (1921) by Albert Einstein, lectures by W.F.G. Swann (1928), and information about the Pennsylvania Academy of Science, and on radiation (1909). There is significant correspondence from Lionel G. Dixon and Victor Englehardt.

John Archibald Wheeler (1911-2008) was a leading theoretical physicist of the twentieth century, contributing particularly to the fields of general relativity, gravitation, and quantum mechanics. Wheeler was a pioneer in the study of black holes, celestial phenomena which he named. (He had a penchant for creating new terms in physics, and is credited with naming other phenomena such as geons, wormholes, and quantum foam.) Wheeler is also known for his work in atomic and nuclear physics. In 1939, he and Niels Bohr co-authored a paper that gave the basis for recognizing that Uranium 235 and Plutonium 239 are highly fissile, a milestone in the understanding of atomic energy. Wheeler believed in the importance of public service, assisting in the U.S. war effort to develop the atomic and hydrogen bombs, and served as a scientific advisor to numerous government agencies. During a prolific academic career that spanned seventy years, Wheeler taught physics to thousands of undergraduate students at Princeton University and the University of Texas, and mentored more than fifty Ph.D. students. The Wheeler Papers provide an extensive look into the expansive career of John Archibald Wheeler, the pioneering and award-winning theoretical physicist. Comprised of 150 linear feet, this large collection contains a wide array of materials including correspondence, subject files, manuscripts by Wheeler, papers by colleagues and students, research notes and notebooks, photographs, awards, and audiovisual materials. The collection provides much insight in to Wheeler's lengthy career as a scientist, scholar, and teacher. The bulk of the material is from the 1950s to the 1990s and covers the wide scope of his professional endeavors, from his teaching at Princeton University and the University of Texas, to his many publications, to his consultation work with government agencies, industry, and atomic energy projects, to his numerous public talks and lectures.