Most of the collection consists of drafts of speeches, statements, news releases, and correspondence written by Shideler for President James H. Jensen, 1961-1969. This series also includes a photocopy of a scrapbook compiled to document the recognition dinner given for Jensen at the time of his retirement in 1969.
The remainder of the collection consists of subject files. These include a typescript of a biography of President William Jasper Kerr, by Edwin T. Reed; materials pertaining to the retirement of E. B. Lemon and President A. L. Strand; records of an oral history project documenting the career of Strand; materials pertaining to the University's Centennial in 1968; a student paper written by Shideler in 1940; papers presented at annual meetings of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges in 1962 and 1970; and photographs of James H. Jensen.
An addition to the Shideler Papers (Accession 2010:062) consists of a biographical essay, certificates, correspondence, event programs, greeting cards, newspaper clippings, a photograph album, photographs, postcards, printing blocks, publications, receipts, speeches, student papers, and a thesis. In addition to documenting Shideler's career as a professor of Journalism at OSU, these materials also reflect Shideler's family life, interaction with fellow journalists, correspondence with his parents, presentations given, position with the Office of War Information during World War II, job as administrative assistant to the Oregon governor, graduate student work, and post at the University of Oregon School of Journalism. The files are roughly arranged in chronological order. Among the materials pertaining to OSU include items collected at the 1965 Rose Bowl game and family Christmas cards from other OSU faculty such as Francois Gilfillian, Curtis Mumford, and Kerry Eggers. The photograph album mostly contains images of Shideler's children and students/staff on campus. Numbering about 600 images in total (400 prints and 200 negatives), the photographs primarily depict Shideler and his family on vacation and at holiday gatherings. There are also portrait shots and views of Shideler at various events on campus. Fred M. Shideler worked for the OSU Journalism Department and Information Services from 1929 until 1970. He also received a MA in education from Oregon State in 1941.