The Alan C. Rankin Papers consists of books kept by the president. Included with the books are master's theses by President Rankin himself as well as from other students from various departments within the graduate school. There are awards and certificates that were awarded to President Rankin from an array of scholastic and social organizations which include honorary doctoral degrees from Oakland City College and Rose Polytechnic Institute, now known as Rose Hulman Institute of Technology. There are also acknowledgements of service and dedication from many social and academic organizations such as fraternities, branches of government within the City of Terre Haute, and educational boards. A good portion of this collection is made up of personal items kept by President Rankin. Items that would fall into this catagory include but are not limited to: coffee mugs, stationary, index cards with names and phone numbers, insulated drink covers, paper weights, Centennial coins, recordings, and buttons/pins. There is also a collection of personal papers kept by the President as well. These personal papers include: correspondence letters to friends, family, and co-workers, papers written by President Rankin (both academic and personal), pieces of published works, medical papers, receipts, business cards, holiday memorabilia, and military papers from President Rankin's time spent in the military. Finally, there are collections of photographs and scrap books kept by the President that hightlight his time spent as the President of Indiana State University as well as aspects of his personal life such as newspaper clippings, Christmas cards, and pictures of friends.