The series consists of A.D. Turnbull's official papers as M.L.A., material relating to his time as Minister of Health and Welfare, in addition to his personal papers that reflect his association with various professional, national and community organizations.

The series contains personal correspondence; letters to editors; essays, articles and lectures; poems and songs, most of which reflect Harris' socialist viewpoint.

For ease of retrieval, since some essays duplicate letters to editors, only those items which are specifically addressed to an editor are considered letters to editors; these are filed in chronological order. Those items not specifically addressed to an editor are considered essays and are arranged alphabetically by title.