This collection contains William Firth Wells writings including some of his wife and collaborator, lectures, and photographs related to his research on sanitation, public health, and oystering. There are also papers related to his military service.

This collections is divided into five series: Series 1: Lectures and Course Work; Series 2: Miscellaneous Documents; Series 3: Oystering; Series 4: Personal Papers; Series 5: Public Health and Sanitation.