Materials include newspapers and scrapbooks pertaining to Ray Thornton's childhood, college education, and career as a politician. Newspapers consist of state and local Arkansas newspapers, with large concentrations of the Pine Bluff Commercial, dating from 1974 to 1989; and the Sheridan Headlight, dating 1934 to 1987. Scrapbooks span the period from 1945 to 2004. They include one scrapbook dating from 1945 to 1973. The majority of the scrapbooks pertain to Thornton's political career and date from 1971 to 1978; these include one scrapbook dedicated to Watergate. Also included is a scrapbook dedicated to Thornton's campaign for Congress covering 1989 to 1990.