The papers deal primarily with Hyman's professional research interests and projects, and include material on both published and unpublished projects. In general, Hyman grouped materials together by topic or project. The files also include some course, lecture and teaching materials; budgets, code books, correspondence, course materials, drafts, grant files, proposals, research, surveys, and typescripts. The papers reflect Hyman's interest in education, socialization, and attitude change. They include files on research projects related to blind individuals, civil liberties, comparative survey research, desegregation in schools, public opinion, race and race relations, and widowhood. At the time of his death, Hyman was researching the history of survey research; there are several files related to the project. Hyman often kept files on similar subjects or projects together in small groups. For example, the files on research projects include large sets of files on two topics. The first set of files relates to Hyman's research study on the blind, referred to in reports as "Communication, Perception and Social Behavior: Explorations in These Fundamental Processes through the Study of the Inter-group Relations and Attitudes of the Blind." This project was started in the early 1960s at Columbia University. The files include code books, correspondence, proposals, and reports. Although Hyman produced several articles from the research, the unrest at Columbia University in 1968 caused the disruption and abandonment of the project. The second set of files relates to the Office of War Information (OWI). These files include code books, correspondence, memoranda, reports, and background material. Although Hyman did work for the Surveys Division of OWI during World War II, it is clear from his correspondence that he also conducted research on this topic in the early 1980s. It is not clear if these materials document Hyman's research activity, his work at OWI, or both. There are two items which appear to date from Hyman's time as a student: a course paper (1942) and a resource list of materials relating to Social Psychology written with Gardner Murphy. Both are in Box 2. Otherwise, the collection contains no material from Hyman's pre-professional activities. A few files that contain biographical information and reviews of Hyman's work are filed in Boxes 5, 7, and 10. There are a few publicity photographs of Hyman in the "Personal Data" file in Box 7; otherwise, there are no photographs in the collection. The collection does not contain any material related to Hyman's personal life or interests.
