Covering the years 1936-1946 and, chiefly, the European Theater, this World War II collection contains a variety of maps, photographs, press clippings, newspapers, correspondence, and realia from the personal collection of John Anders Hansen, WWII veteran and former professor of English at the University of Tennessee.

The material is arranged into four series:

Series I: Personal contains service manuals, military training manuals, service memorabilia, photographs, postcards, and various art prints (some military and some non-military). Within the personal papers (Sub-series A) are Hansen's notebooks from unspecified years while in command of his unit, as well as training manuals related to anti-aircraft weaponry and aircraft recognition. Hansen's photographs of the war, his collection of German and American postcards, and art prints (Sub-series B) are also not annotated.

Series II: Publications consists of press clippings, military publications, and national/international publications. The press clippings (Sub-series A) are grouped by subject (e.g. The Arts). The military publications (Sub-series B) include newsletters, newspapers, and military journals that Hansen accumulated both before and during his deployment. The non-military publications (Sub-series C) include full issues of the New York Times, the New York Times Book Review, and the New York Times Magazines, as well as a few newspapers near Hansen's hometown of Frederick, MD. The latter part of Sub-series C includes several German magazines and two French newspapers. Note: No annotations have been identified that can serve to illuminate Hansen's rationale for collecting these press clippings and publications.

Series III: Maps contains maps of the United States and various regions of Germany and France.

Series IV: Realia consists of a collection of compasses, French and German currency, postage stamps, a service knife from the first World War, and Hansen's camera and tripod.