A geographer from Ohio State University, Eugene Van Cleef was a specialist on Finns and Finnish immigrants to the United States, on the applications of geography to foreign trade and international commerce, and a pioneer in urban geography. The Van Cleef Papers contain 5 linear feet of personal and professional correspondence and other materials reflecting Van Cleef's varied interests in applied geography, foreign trade, and Finns. Of particular note is an autobiographical manuscript, discussing the intellectual origins of his interests in geography and giving a concise perspective on his views of the discipline.