The John R. Neal papers consist of more than 10,000 separate items including family correspondence, books, memorabilia from Neal's political campaigns, and other related materials. The papers cover approximately 100 years, from around the 1850s to 1959. The dual nature of Neal's personality is reflected in this collection. Neal saved everything he could over the years, both important and trivial. His involvement in important affairs is reflected in correspondence with important figures of the day, papers related to matters like the Scopes Trial, and items pertaining to the 1924 gubernatorial campaign. His love of history and respect for his relatives is shown in the correspondence he kept between members of the family. His eccentric personality is represented by the trivia he accumulated along with the many collection notices and canceled checks.