Papers of Carl Quimby Christol, including manuscripts, notes and correspondence from his time as a student and author at the University of Chicago. The letters are both personal and professional, are mostly addressed to Professor Christol, and reference the 1930s into the 1940s with talk of war. Other correspondence touches on school activities. Most handwritten notes and notebooks relate to school and dissertation work. Also included are some ephemeral items from Mt. Holyoke College and Harvard University, a German passport, and other items collected by Christol during his time in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Materials dating from Christol's time as a USC faculty member include typescripts, presentations and memorabilia from several international conferences, where topics extended to the law of the sea and to roles for developing nations. Also included are correspondence addressed to Christol from politicians and colleagues, press coverage and book reviews, and materials related to Christol's awards for his early contributions to the development of international space law.