The bulk of the papers span the years 1946 to 1960 and include, for the most part, the various materials collected by Smith while a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Such material includes correspondence and subject files (RH MS 201 boxes 4-6, 8, 10-11); speeches and the congressional report series Wint Smith Reports on Congress and News and Comments from Congress written by Smith for his Kansas constituents (RH MS 201 box 9); and congressional election returns (RH MS 201 box 7).

Smith's varied interests and concerns while a member of Congress are well reflected by the correspondence and subject files he maintained. The congressional subject files, for example, contain manuscript items dealing with communism, biographical sketches of prominent individuals of the times, the United Nations, labor and labor hearings in the United States, and other materials related to major events of the day. Similarly, the congressional correspondence files reveal a variety of material concerned not only with political issues, but also with such domestic interests as veterans claims and legislation, social security, taxes, and other subjects. The so-called "General Files" of congressional correspondence, and also the speeches of Representative Smith, cover a wide range of topics and are arranged in a chronological sequence. Generally speaking, there exists no apparent gap in any of the collection's designated congressional files.

Also included in the collection are genealogical records and family correspondence (RH MS 201 box 1; 1877-1970); personal correspondence (RH MS 201 box 2; 1916-1974); University of Kansas material (RH MS 201 box 2; 1916-1920); Kansas Highway Patrol clippings (RH MS 201 box 2; 1933-1937); and military records (RH MS 201 box 3; 1917-1959; oversize materials located at RH MS R30 and RH MS R440). Diaries from Smith's time in the military are located at RH MS C55 and RH MS B61, and photographs from the collection are located at RH MS-P 201 (oversize photographs at RH MS-P 201(f).) Additional materials related to Smith's serving in the military during both World War I and II are available at RH MS 1062.

Researchers should bear in mind that, where feasible, Representative Smith's own file headings have been left intact since, oftentimes, they adequately described the contents of a given file. This holds particularly true for congressional correspondence and subject files.