Mark Van Doren (1894-1972) was an English professor at Columbia University from 1920 to 1959. He was also chairman of the Book and Author War Bond Committee from 1943 to 1946.

The collection contains an original typescript printer's copy with holographic corrections. This work is a treatise on liberal arts education, specifically its role in colleges and universities. The historical definitions of education, the idea of a college, the art of teaching, and the philosophy of learningare subjects which are addressed in the material. Van Doren donated one of six manuscripts to the Book and Author War Bond Committee, which helped the War Finance Campaign of the U.S. Treasury Department. This manuscript was given as a prize at a University of Arizona rally to Gamma Phi Beta sorority for buying the most war bonds.