The Nicaragua collection documents the Nicaraguan diaspora living in Miami during the 1980s and the political and social conditions in Nicaragua from the 1979 Sandinista revolution onward until their loss of power in 1990.

Many of the materials falling into the latter category are from the United States in origin, such as anti-Soviet propaganda endorsing the anti-Sandinista "Contra" Freedom Fighters, pamphlets that describe the Sandinista government and Central America in general from an American perspective, and periodicals and reports about Nicaragua written to an American audience. The materials that document the Nicaraguan diaspora are mostly fliers, menus, calendars, brochures, and other genres that were from local Nicaraguan businesses, restaurants, clubs, and other organizations. Some of the materials transcend these two categories, as many that concern the political conditions are addressed to or produced by Nicaraguan exiles.

A large part of the collection consists of photocopies of news articles.

Writers that are especially represented by the collection include Ruben Dario, Esteban Duque-Estrada, and Luis Mejia Gonzalez. Associations and organizations that are especially represented include Alanzia Revolucionaria Democrática (ARDE), American Defense Foundation, American Defense Lobby. Asociación Nicaragüenses en el Exilio, Asociación Nicaragüense pro Derechos Humanos, Bloque Opositor del Sur (B.O.S.), Council for Interamerican Security, Fundación Ruben Dario, Nicaraguan American Solidarity (NICAS), Nicaraguan Freedom Fighters, Partido Conservador de Nicaragua, Partido Socialcristiano de Nicaragua en el Exilio, Resistencia Nicaragüense, and Unidad Nicaragüense Opositora (UNO). Materials from some of these were grouped together in a series titled "Associations."

Also of notice are brochures advertising tourism to Nicaragua during the Sandinista regime, and memorabilia such as a handmade Nicaraguan crest, Nicaraguan paper money from the Sandinista era, and a pin that says "If you like Cuba you'll love Nicaragua."

The John W. Bennett collection contains two audiocassettes titled "Alistair Cook speaks of H. L. Mencken from the tape of Mrs. R. R. Bennett, 6/15/80" and "Conversation - H. L. Mencken and Dr. Donald Kirkley. June 30, 1948," two newspaper clippings on H. L. Mencken, and a photocopy of a book titled "Roosevelt and the Republic" by John W. Bennett.

The Kenneth Close Collection contains a number of prints from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and elsewhere, sheet music for "The Death of Minnehaha" by Longfellow and Ch. C. Converse, and several insurance policies from the 19th century (some which are photocopied).

Simón Daro Dawidowicz was a businessman and art collector who resided in Miami, Florida. A long-time resident of Colombia, Dawidowicz had a strong interest in Latin American liberator Simón Bolívar and his lasting influence on Latin America. Dawidowicz was a member of several Bolivarian societies, president of the Bolavarian Review, and founded the non-profit organization Darien Action Committee, which sought to promote the completion of the Panamerican Highway from Panama to Colombia. Dawidowicz had strong connections with several prominent Latin American artists including Leopoldo Richter and David Manzur. He was a curator as well as a collector of their and others' work, and donated a number of their pieces to museums and institutions including the University of Miami. A mural titled "Bolívar and Humboldt" by Leopoldo Richter was donated by Dawidowicz to the University, and currently stands in front of the Otto G. Richter Library.

The Simón Daro Dawidowicz Bolivarian collection contains items pertaining to all of the above pursuits and interests. Much of it is correspondence and official records, or newspapers clippings and photographs that document his activities. There are a number of audiocassettes and film reels, and a single videocassette as well.

Of particular interest are a bust of Simón Bolívar that Dawidowicz had commissioned as a gift for former President Lyndon Johnson, as well as a box containing photographs, photographic prints, brochures, periodicals, and other forms of material depicting the works of a number of Latin American artists. These include David Manzur, Leopoldo Richter, German Tessarolo, Marlene Hoffman, Enrique Grau, Edgar Silva, Armando Villegas, Patricia Tavera, Ràmon Carulla, and Miguel Rojas Niño. Some of these items are signed by the artists.

Two family members of Dawidowicz, Miriam and Sylvia, were curators and donors of Latin American art as well, and several documents detailing their efforts are held within the collection.

Finally, the collection contains assorted personal photographs and several short stories written by Dawidowicz.

Hervey Allen was a literature professor, poet, World War I veteran, and Trustee of the University of Miami from 1936 until 1949, the year that he died. Allen had a formative influence on the "Friends of the University" organization, as well as on Latin American studies at the University.

The collection consists of letters both by Allen and about Allen after his passing away, clippings about Allen and his writings, photographs, photocopies and typescripts of Allen's writings, and obituaries including an official University of Miami memorial.

Charles E. Feinberg was an editor Emeritus of the Walt Whitman Quarterly Review. The collection consists of Walt Whitman related materials; predominantly framed and unframed prints, but also leaves from periodicals and leaves advertising Whitman reissues, a Whitman poetry broadside, a Romanian Institute of Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries catalog for a Walt Whitman Exhibit, and other Whitman memorabilia.

The Hurford Janes papers contain about 200 pages letters to and from Hurford Janes for his proposed biography of James A. M. Whistler, the American painter. The collection also contains several newspapers, photocopies of old letters, postcards, pages of poetry, and two manuscripts: one of the biography and one titled "The Whistler Mystery."

The James Baxter collection contains Florida related materials. Included are a deed of sale and title of a house in Flagler; theater publications from the Coconut Grove Playhouse, the Miami Summer Star Theater, and the Dade County Auditorium Playgoer; postcards from Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Fort Myers, Palm Beach, and Miami Beach; a series of photographs of historic sites in Florida, largely lighthouses; a 1903 periodical titled "Liberty Boys of '76: The Liberty Boys in Florida, 1903"; an 1883 Vol XIX issue of Dime Beadle's New York Library, subtitled "Alligator Ike; or The Secret of the Everglade. A Tale of the Outlaws of the Okeechobee"; and a photocopy of the latter periodical.

The Richard Forbes Papers contains research documents for Richard Forbes's 1984 University of Miami dissertation titled Arya Samaj in Trinidad: An Historical Study of Hindu Organizational Process in Acculturative Conditions. The description of the dissertation is as follows: "Arya Samaj is a democratic Hindu reform movement founded in 1875. Though reflecting Western and Christian methods, it aims to revive ancient Vedic ideals. Brought to Trinidad after 1910 by Indian Missionaries, the Samaj spearheaded a Hindu renaissance and socio-religious reforms while also provoking an orthodox counter-reformation in the 1930s. While retarding assimilation of Hindus into the dominant Trinidad culture, the Samaj promoted inter-communal dialogue and was an effective and unified pressure group. Yet, despite emphasis on constitutional rule, the "Aryas" eventually suffered the same factionalism as other Hindus. Differential acculturation between competing groups within the movement was found to be the immediate source of conflict. Opposing factions differed significantly in their members' average educational level, exposure to Christianity, proximity to urban centers and acceptance of secular values."

Contained in the collection are a number of audio cassettes (and corresponding transcripts) of interviews with members of the Arya-Samaj, articles, typescripts, manuscripts, notebooks, reports, bibliographies, pamphlets, and photocopies.

Willard Hubbell was a South Florida architect and playwright. His collection contains several plays, clippings regarding and programs of the plays, architectural documents and correspondence, a blueprint titled "Cloth House No. 1," four issues of The American Eagle newspaper, a typescript titled "F. W. Munson - (Questionaire about Merritt Island)," a document titled "History of the Koreshan Unity" by A. H. Andrews, and other items.

The Royal Poinciana Festival is a South Floridian festival that celebrates the royal poinciana tree's blooming in May. The Royal Poinciana Festival Records Collection holds materials pertaining to the festival, in the form of clippings, records, letters, notes, photocopies, photographs, and programs.

The Hurricane Andrew collection contains two different series of materials regarding the 1992 hurricane.

Series I consists of photographs, writings, and artwork made by children representing their Hurricane Andrew experience. The majority of the materials are photographs, negatives, prints, photographic slides, writings about those photographs, and administrative documents from a project done at Southwood Middle School titled "The Eye of the Storm through the Eye of the Child." Administered and organized by Colette Stemple, a photography teacher at the school, the photographs depict damage done to their homes and their neighborhoods, and have accompanying text written by the children as well. The project was eventually on display in the Miami Art Museum one year after the landfall of Andrew, under the same name. Also included are drawings, poems, a bound volume titled "Hands On: The Day the Winds Came... Migrant Children Write About the Effects of Hurricane Andrew," reflections written by Caribbean Elementary School students, and a folder scrapbook on Hurricane Andrew's effects titled "In the Wake of Andrew."

Series II contains historic Miami Herald newspapers chronicling the Hurricane's impending landfall in South Florida, the actual landfall, and several weeks of the aftermath.

The papers document activities of J. M. Portuondo in capacity of a professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Havana, a writer and a faculty member of the University of Miami School of Medicine.  The materials include books, pamphlets, periodicals, clippings, circular letters, typescripts of anti-communist writings by Portuondo, reports, a poem by Portuondo, speeches by him, copies of his medical diplomas, a historical map of Havana, and photostats of a photograph and of a letter from José Martí to José Portuondo.

Dr. José Agustín Balseiro (1900-1991) was an award-winning author, poet, and scholar of Latin American Studies and Hispanic literature. He was also a professor of Hispanic Literature at the University of Miami from 1946 to 1967.

Throughout his career, Dr. Balseiro exhibited a strong interest in Latin American and Hispanic-American studies, Latin American and Spanish literature, and Puerto Rican history and literature. His papers, donated to the University of Miami, reflect all of these interests and range in date from his earliest activities as a writer in Spain to his final days working as a consultant to the University of Miami Libraries starting in 1974. Much of the content consists of correspondence, clippings, typescripts, and periodicals in which Balseiro’s writings were featured. Also included is sheet music belonging to his father, Rafael Balseiro, who was a Puerto Rican composer.

Of special note are three bronze medallions: (1) from the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena, commemorating el primer Centenario del Natalicio de Luiz Muñoz Rivera (the centennial of the birth of Luiz Muñoz Rivera); (2) from the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena, commemorating el Centenario de la Abolición de la Esclavidud in Puerto Rico (the centennial of the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico); and (3) from the University of Panama commemorating the first 25 years of the University’s existence.

Edward C. Dougherty was a Government Administrator and United Nations Expert in taxation for Latin America, as well as a private practitioner of law in the Miami area, specializing in Latin American matters. His papers consists predominantly of materials concerning real estate in Brazil, in the form of letters, maps, notes, photocopies, clippings, photographs, pamphlets, and reports.