The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) Records (1968-2015) consists primarily of administrative files, case files, research material, and inter-office memoranda in defense of individuals and small groups against unfair corporate practices and inefficient government oversight. Covering many aspects of twentieth-century consumer movement history, these records shed light on the role of a non-profit organization in advocating fairness on behalf of low-income individuals against corporate practices, the development of the protective consumer-oriented state and federal legislation, and their assistance in providing research, analysis, and experience to other non-profit entities working across the nation.
The Original Files Series, spanning ten boxes in the original collection and an additional one in the addition making eleven in total, gathers into an assortment of NCLC internal memoranda, staff reports, manuals, organizational policy statements, testimonies before state and federal congressional houses and consumer print matter bibliographies. The series also contains material from outside sources, including class action suits, banking, housing, lending and layaway plans of various institutions, debt collection credit rates, laws and individual practices, proposed federal trade regulations, and scams involving vocational schools, and various Universal Consumer Credit Code reports.
Likewise, some individual files contain published articles on subjects of on-going interest to the organization, including Gary Klein’s “Consumer Bankruptcy in the balance: The National Bankruptcy Review Commission’s Recommendations Tilt Toward Creditors” and William Willier’s “If Credit Reporting Agencies are Doing Their Jobs, Is There Really Any need for Collecting Agencies.” Where possible, the original organizational file structure of numerical case files has been retained as a contiguous unit.
The Standing and Advisory Committee Files Series is comprised of two boxes of material arranged in chronological order, which contain internal reports on regularly scheduled committee meetings (beginning in December 1998 and running into the twenty-first century) to address issues affecting the staff of NCLC, including budgetary allocations as well as office and personnel issues. The documents also cover issues relating to the Social and Unity Committees, changes to the internal database, and the role of a staff ombudsperson.
The General Files (Washington, D.C. Office) Series consists of one box, collecting in chronological order documentation on consumer affairs lobbying efforts at the organization’s Washington office, including correspondence, public statements, and newsletters. Some of the issues covered in the files include state oil overcharge allocation decisions involving Exxon, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Coalition on Human Needs, and the proposed re-regulation of interest rates.
The Advocacy and Conference Files (Massachusetts Office) Series spans seven boxes (five are from the original collection while two are from the addition) of material arranged in chronological order and by subject pertaining to material used in NCLC’s annual consumer affairs conferences, including reports on consumer fraud laws, advocacy highlight reports, market failures and predatory lenders, specialist training in consumer affairs as well as consumer manuals and several issues of the Legal Service Corporation Quarterly Report.
The Research Materials Series covers nine boxes of primary source and reference material amassed by NCLC as background for several on-going projects. Some items include different versions of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, correspondence with the Federal Trade Commission, VHS tapes of news segments on family loan programs and predatory mortgage lending, bank creditor surveys, savings and loan, and insurance packing cases, reports on changes to credit rates and regulations in the 1970s and 1980s, analyses of different Truth-in-Lending Act iterations, court files relating to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and comments on different drafts of the Uniform Consumer Credit Code. Where possible, the original organizational file structure of numerical case files has been retained as a contiguous unit. Those segments of the series which do not possess case numbers have been arranged chronologically by subject.
The NCLC Reports series, added for the purposes of the 2015 addition, consists of one box containing numerous reports officially published by the NCLC on a variety of topics (such as consumer credit, usury, bankruptcy, debt collection, foreclosure, and others of NCLC interest). The dates of these reports range from 1982 to 2013. These reports cover cases that fall in the realm of consumer law and provide teaching tips for consumer rights advocates.
The Media Series, added for the purposes of the 2015 addition, spans one box and covers the chronological span of 1983 to 2016. This series consists of press releases and articles from various media sources (such as journals, newspapers, magazines, and online sources) that make mention of the NCLC and its work, often commenting on cases undertaken by the organization or its publications. These clippings include sources such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and local news sources. They cover a large variety of topics such as student debt, foreclosure, credit card debt, credit unions, and others.
The Printed Materials Series is in one box and contains materials that are published and bound, consisting of publications that span numerous topics and include law journals, Congressional hearings, and bound publications by the NCLC and staff.
The Digital Files Series, added to the collection in 2017, contains 10 digital folders of information pertaining to NCLC. The first two folders include HTML data files from the NCLC website from 2002 and 2016 including many records, and published material for consumers. The third folder contains PDF and Word documents of amicus briefings and the sixth folder contains information from the fair debt collection practices act. Several folders, 4, 5, 8, and 9, contain information in regards to NCLC conferences, press releases, reports, and brochures. Folder seven pertains to mortgage conferences held in 2012, 2014, and 2015 and folder ten includes documentation from webinars given by NCLC staff and personnel from 2009-2015.

The Dottie Wellington Papers consists of two boxes of original copies and reprints of the syndicated “Let’s Cook” cooking column by Dottie (Dorothy Anne Wellington, 1924-2015) that appeared in the Ottawa Herald of Ottawa, Kansas, and many other newspapers, as well as correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, and receipts that pertain to the publishing of “Let’s Cook” articles. Some of the correspondence and receipts relate to Dottie’s successful efforts to have the “Let’s Cook” articles published in two “Let’s Cook” cookbooks and the advertisement of the cookbooks. Dottie was a well-known member of the Ottawa community throughout her life as a volunteer and teacher of cooking classes. Her papers were donated to Kansas State University by her son, Thomas, upon her death.

The Academic Affairs Committee Series contains 8 boxes ranging from 1969 –1972. The Academic Affairs Committee is a sub-committee of Faculty Senate, this series contains meeting minutes, agendas, and assortment of notes pertaining to academics within Kansas State University. These boxes also contain course and curriculum changes worksheets. Course proposal worksheets and expedited and non-expedited course and curriculum worksheets, and academic policies.

There are two papers in this folder titled "Consumers' Co-Operative Association," given to the Outlook Club with no date. The second paper is titled "The Nixon Administration," given to the Outlook Club in 1969.

The Roy A. Kiesling papers (1970-1990) consist primarily of correspondence, reports, conference material, and publications related to Kiesling's 1970s and 1980s participation as a lawyer and engineer in the California and national Consumer movements. The papers have been arranged to reflect his administrative involvement in several non-profit organizations, state-level government committees, for-profit businesses, and his personal interest in various ongoing consumer-related issues.
The Consumer Organizations Series (1970-1990) consists of five boxes of memoranda, reports, speeches, correspondence, press releases, clippings, by-laws, receipts, and chronological files, which span Roy Kiesling's administrative involvement in several consumer movement organizations. Arranged in chronological order by organization, this series stands as one of the two greatest strengths of the Kiesling papers. Two of the boxes offer researchers a detailed view of the formative years of the Consumer Alliance, which was co-founded by Kiesling with Donald Kennedy and Paul Ehrlich in the aftermath of the ten-day 1970 "Summer Alumni College on the Environment" symposium at Stanford University. Similarly, many files cover Kiesling's activities as a board member and president of the Consumer Federation of California and the Consumer Cooperative Society of Palo Alto, including board minutes, resolutions, and reports of the organization's actions.
Researchers will also find the documentation relating to the Consumer Cooperative's files of particular interest in complementing the activities of other regional organizations. For example, where the Consumer Alliance was interested in broad issues, the Consumer Cooperative placed a greater focus on local issues, such as their affiliation with five California-based supermarkets in collaboration with the Berkeley Cooperative. This partnership outlined in the files accrued an annual collective gross of nineteen million dollars a year. Other files in this series include correspondence and reports relating to Paul Ehrlich's theories on population growth, the history of the California consumer movement, and the problems caused by the 1973 government protection of agricultural business and the teamsters over the United Farm Workers and the California shopper. Finally, still other materials center on the creation and maintenance of local cooperatives throughout California's urban landscape to the benefit of individual neighborhoods neglected by national store chains.
The Conferences Series (1970-1995) consists of three boxes of meeting minutes, programs, rosters, clippings, notes, testimonies, and audio tapes arranged in chronological order. Collected by Kiesling during the 1970s as a conference attendee, many of the early files in this series cover important events in the history of the Consumer Movement. These include the 1970 Summer Alumni College on the Environment, the 1971 Food Labeling Conference, the 1971 Consumer Union/American Council on Consumer Interests (whose records are retained by K-State Special Collections), the "Milwaukee Massacre" of 1973, and several Tucson symposia. Other files include "Tape-to-Tape" recordings of conference speeches and lectures given by Consumer Movement leader Colston Warne. Researchers will also find the documents relating to the creation of the national conference creating the Conference of Consumer Organizations (COCO), which was founded by Currin Shields, Louis Meyer, and Fr. Robert McEwen and aided by Roy Kiesling, to be of particular interest. The papers of Shields and Meyer are also housed in the Consumer Movement Archives at Kansas State University. These files include several issues of the organization's newsletter, Intercom, as well as documentation relating to Food Grading, Earth Day, consumer medicine, boycotts, and their relationship with the Consumer Federation of America.
The Government Consultancies Series (1976-1985) collects two boxes of documents arranged in alphabetical order and relating to Roy Kiesling's involvement as an advisor to the California Bureau of Automotive Repair. Spanning his eight years on the board of review in the California Department of Consumer Affairs, these documents include meeting minutes, chronological files, agendas, appointments, and reports, which largely focus on public grievances and service industry concerns with state and local regulations. One particularly noteworthy set of documentation involves the creation of a set of standards to deter the potentially fraudulent conduct and floating prices of individuals in California considered "Transmission Specialists." Other files contain complete runs of the government printed newsletter, Automobiliana (later renamed Car Clips), which Kiesling used for reference. The series also includes annual reports for the years 1975-1981. Researchers will also find of interest a set of correspondence between Kiesling and economist Milton Freidman on the role of government and regulation in consumer protection and their potential long-term effects on the American economy.
The Research Series (1970-1982) consists of nine boxes of documents arranged in alphabetical order, which served as reference material for Roy Kiesling. These files include reports, briefing books, correspondence, legal documents, industry advertising samples, and newspaper clippings, concerning the ongoing activities of Consumer Alliance, Kiesling's personal interest in energy awareness, tort law, and toys. The files also contain correspondence and clippings featuring the author's relationship with members of the Federal Trade Commission, Colston Warne, and Richard L.D. Morse. Other sections of this series also include accumulated research on such topics as Food branding, labeling ingredients and measuring, the viability of Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans, "Intermittent Ignition Devices," utility rate normalization plans in California, and drafts of consumer protection agency legislation brought before the United States Congress. Kiesling considered the Intermittent Ignition Devices issue before the California Department of Energy, a subject covering the state government's regulation of pilot lights in water heaters an ideal example of well-intentioned consumer "regulation gone wrong." Finally, researchers will also find special interest in Kiesling's collection of memos, reports, and manuals relating to his time on the Consumer Advisory Council and Consumer Advisory Panel for Pacific Bell. The files cover issues relating to the deregulation of the telecommunications industry in the 1980s, subsequent court proceedings, customer guides, and the availability of telephone access for the physically challenged.
The Publications Series (1970-1988) consists of three boxes of periodicals, reports, and studies arranged in alphabetical order by title. Several of the files collect guides and directories for an assortment of businesses, including California cooperatives, consumer associations, and complaint guides. Other files contain consumer-related information pamphlets and bound public testimonies before congress as well as journal issues, newsletters, and a complete 1974-1978 run of The Workbook. Other folders collect a number of photographs, depicting period leaders in the Consumer Movement. The last box in the series contains sample outlines, topical chapters, and different manuscript versions of Kiesling’s unpublished memoir. The majority of the documentation relates to the lessons he learned as a consumer advocate and his time in the Consumer Movement, including sections on Ester Peterson, automobile safety, the 1970s fight for the Federal Consumer Protection Agency Bill, Ralph Nader, the Tucson Consumer Symposium, Peter McCloskey, the production and marketing of Pringles, and Paul Ehrlich’s Zero Population Growth organization. A Consumer Alliance embossing seal has been transferred to the artifacts collection in the University Archives.
As a lawyer in the 1970s and 1980s, Kiesling was instrumental in the growth of several California-based outlets of the growing Consumer Movement. A co-founder of the Consumer Alliance with Paul Ehrlich and Richard Harriman, Kiesling helped craft a declaration of consumer rights, which included stipulations for the inclusion of name and complete mailing address of product manufacturers, the name of the product, model number, warnings usage, and the list of ingredients with accurate percentages stated on the product label. During this time, he also took part in the national meetings of the Consumer Federation of America and, in the aftermath of the "Milwaukee Massacre," helped shape the Conference of Consumer Organizations. Later, he represented the Consumers United of Palo Alto, the Consumers Cooperative Society of Palo Alto, and became president of the Consumer Federation of California. Unlike many consumer advocates, Kiesling also served as an advisor to government and business, including the Bureau of Automotive Repair in the Department of Consumer Affairs and Pacific Bell/AT&T.

KSU College of Veterinary Medicine handbooks (1989-1992), KSU College of Veterinary Medicine Student Handbook (1994-1995), KSU College of Veterinary Medicine Student/Faculty Handbook (1998-1999), A Long Range Development Plan for Veterinary Medical Campus (1970), A Report on Academic Success for the College of Veterinary Medicine at KSU (1989), KSU Foundation Annual Report and Audit Report (1991-1992), A Report of Research and Sponsored Programs for Fiscal Year 1998, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Report of Progress (published sometime between 1975 and 1993), schedules, programs, transcripts, publications, and other information on the following conferences: Annual Conference for Veterinarians (1990-1999), North Central Conference of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (1994), Emergency Medicine Conference on Imagining of the Traumatized or Critical Veterinary Patient: Imagining is Everything (1999), Small Animal Internal Medicine Lecture Series (1999), Veterinary Technicians Conference (1999), Frank W. Jordan Seminar on Immunology (1999).

This collection is comprised of files from Mr. Dartland's career in various capacities as a consumer advocate.  The bulk of the materials cover the mid-1970s to mid-1990s. The vast majority pertain to Florida though there are examples of consumer advocacy from other states. Folder titles indicate the subjects included in the collection.  Folders contain a wide variety of publications: business correspondence, brochures, pamphlets, speeches, flyers, newspaper clippings, reprints of trade articles, magazine clippings, ordinances, news releases, trade publications, agendas, reports, surveys, public hearing notices, legal documents, legislative documents, advertisements, business cards, conference proceedings, conference programs, printed email messages, registration forms and several other forms of ephemera and publications.  Most items pertain to activities and issues that Mr. Dartland was directly involved in though some items seem to be just areas of interest. In addition to the publications, there are 34 VHS tapes, 3 DVDs, 1 flash drive, and 134 cassette tapes.

The collection contains materials related to the Commission on the Status of Women (COSW) at Kansas State University from 1974 to 1989. The commission was appointed in 1972 by President James McCain and was charged with studying the status of women at K-State, searching out opportunities for women to achieve complete equality with men, creating an understanding of the needs of women within the academic community, and developing recommendations for change. This collection contains reports, correspondence, and committee notes primarily from the time the donor, Linda Morse, was an active member of the Commission. Also included are interview materials from a 2016 interview between a student and Morse, such as the student’s questions, handwritten notes, and a draft of the paper resulting from the interview.

Material from the Administrative Series is from between 1982-2007. The Administrative Series partially contains files from David Stewarts office on non-Traditional studies and Western Kansas Community Services Consortium (WKCSC). It also contains documentation from the National University Degree Consortium (NUDC) along with files from the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) and National University Continuing Education Association (NUCEA). This series also contains biographical files from employees that have worked within the Division of Continuing Education. Files pertaining to non-traditional ways of continuing education along with files from academic outreach programs across Kansas state and surrounding high schools. Reports on Division finances and budgets. Lastly, this series contains files from the Kansas Board of Regents, from reading files to meeting minutes and notes. The Administrative series contains 46 boxes.

Various files from the Department of Electrical and computer Engineering. Photos from various events from the department and construction of Rathbone Hall. Along with various administrative papers as well.