This collection contains the papers of author and professor Durwood Dunn of Tennessee Wesleyan College. The collection includes copies of Dunn's scholarly work, historical research on the American Civil War, abolitionism, and the Appalachian region, and correspondence with coworkers, researchers, and friends. Items in the collection include copies of historical documents used for research, drafts of publications, and correspondence from the publishing process.

This collection consists of five series housed in fourteen boxes.

Series I: Publications, 1792 August 11-2013, includes material related to Dunn’s own publications and projects. This material is largely research material for each project and in most cases these items are not originals but are scans, photocopies, and transcriptions. These items have been listed under their original date of creation (when applicable), but unless noted, these items are not originals. This series is divided into five sub-series based on project:

Sub-series A: Cades Cove: The Life and Death of a Southern Appalachian Community, 1818-1937 (circa 1922-1999 August 26, undated) includes material related to Dunn’s seminal work on the history and settlement of Cades Cove.

Sub-series B: An Abolitionist in the Appalachian South: Ezekiel Birdseye on Slavery, Capitalism, and Separate Statehood in East Tennessee, 1841-1846 (1820 December 3-2000 January 18, undated) contains material related to the publication of Dunn’s work on abolitionist businessman Ezekiel Birdseye.

Sub-series C: The Civil War in Southern Appalachian Methodism (1824-2013, undated) contains publication and research material for Dunn’s work on Methodism during the Civil War.

Sub-series D: Caldwell Project (circa 1827-2000, undated) includes research material related to an unfinished project.

Sub-series E: Other Published Writings (1792 August 11-2003 June 25, undated) is comprised of smaller published writings by Dunn and their related research such as articles, introductions, forewords, encyclopedic entries, and reviews.

Sub-series F: General Research (1821-2004, undated) contains research material of Dunn’s not associated with a single project.

Series II: Teaching Career, 1970 June 2-2006 July 10, contains items relating to employment, faculty communications, conferences, and other material relevant to Dunn's career as a professor at Tennessee Wesleyan College. It contains two topical sub-series:

Sub-series A: Employment (1970 June 2-1995 January 30) contains material related to Dunn’s employment at Tennessee Wesleyan College as well as other institutions.

Sub-series B: Tennessee Wesleyan College (1974 June 28-2006 July 10, undated) is comprised of material documenting Dunn’s time with TWC including correspondence, course and lecture material, teaching evaluations, and professional organization activity.

Series III: Correspondence, 1973 January 10-2003 February 4, contains all correspondence material that Dunn organized as "Emails," "Replies," and "Correspondence,” an arrangement which has largely been maintained. Correspondence unsorted by Dunn is in the final sub-series, “General Correspondence.”

Sub-series A: Individual Correspondence (1973 January 10-2003 February 4) is correspondence arranged by Dunn by individual correspondents.

Sub-series B: Replies (1979 February 3-2011 December 19), arranged by Dunn, are largely his replies to correspondence and is organized chronologically.

Sub-series C: Emails (1997 January 17-2004 January 1), arranged by Dunn, includes emails with Dunn and is organized chronologically.

Sub-series D: General Correspondence (1998 September 17-2011 December 22) includes any correspondence of a professional nature that was not arranged by Dunn into the previous three categories. This material is organized chronologically.

Series IV: Personal Material, 1849 May 7-2011 January 5, contains Dunn’s personal records such as insurance and retirement paperwork, photographs of Durwood, letters to and from family members, and medical bills.

Sub-series A: Correspondence (1974 June 6-2000 November 27, undated) is comprised of correspondence of a personal nature, largely among Dunn and family members.

Sub-series B: Records (1961-2003 December 3, undated) includes material from Dunn’s youth as well as items like journals and photographs.

Sub-series C: Family History (1849 May 7-1857 June 8, 1926 January 15-2010 December 4, undated) includes material related to Dunn’s family members including copies of correspondence and items related to the Sons of the American Revolution.

Sub-series D: Finance and Medical (1966 February 25-2011 January 5, undated) is made up of records related to Dunn’s finance, medical, and insurance expenses.