The collection appears to be processed in primarily the order it was received (and in Gee's original order). Therefore, similar materials may appear throughout the collection and in different series. The collection was originally processed item-level (Gee included item-level inventories with the donation). Item-level has been maintained in this finding aid for improved searchability.

The bulk of the collection consists of Gee's correspondence and notes, articles and other published materials including flyers and brochures. The collection contains some Brown manuscript material, such as Brown correspondence and other records (some copies). A bulk of the orginal Brown documents can be found in the first box. Any original material has been designated with an * in the finding aid.

Gee primarily organized his files by either type of material (plays, visual materials, tear sheets, etc.) or by subject (Harpers Ferry, John Brown Associates, Owen Brown, etc.).

The collection also includes decades-long correspondence betweeen Clarence Gee and Boyd Stutler. The letters contain extensive information on John Brown's life and family, as well as discussions of the two Brown scholars' own research and interests. Gee later called this correspodnence "the heart of my collection" and it was the last installment that Gee donated to the library in 1974.