93 monthly issues of the Normalia were published between 1892 and 1904. Totaling between 20-28 pages for each issue, 8-10 issues were published a year. Faculty, and later, students, were responsible for the content.

The Normalia was a mix of a traditional newspaper and journal. Much of each issue was devoted to journal articles that were written by students and faculty of St. Cloud State. Topics for these articles widely ranged, though much focused on education. Articles varied from studies of children who were attending the model school to biographies of historical figures to original fiction. Especially fascinating were letters written by students and alum fighting in the Spanish-American War in 1899 and 1900. Overall, Normalia gives a sense of what those on campus were studying and interested in.

There is some information about the happenings of campus in the Normalia . It mostly deals with students, faculty, and alums, including visits of alums to campus, travels of current students and faculty, as well as listing positions held by of alum. Many final issues of the academic year were devoted to the presentations of graduates at commencement. Other topics include meetings of the Literary Club, athletics, including football, hockey, and basketball, and scattered images of campus and campus personalities.

The Chronicle is a student published newspaper at St. Cloud State University. A wide variety of topics are covered including campus events, athletics, and people, as well as the St. Cloud community itself.

Times published per year varied over time, from twice a month to twice a week to once a month. The last printed issue dates was in April 2017, but printing of a physical issue began again in March 2019 and ended in March 2020. Issues were then born digital until April 2021. As of the spring of 2024, the Chronicle is entirely online.

Series four contains negatives, contact sheets, and photographs that appeared in each issue of the Chronicle from 1970 to 1990. Only a very small number of images appeared in each issue, yet there are images from a story that were not used or for images that did not make the final copy of the Chronicle.

The Free Statesman was an alternative independent newspaper published by students of St. Cloud State College, St. John's University, and College of St. Benedict from February 1967 through February 1968 and consisted of 24 editions. The newspaper was created by Leftist students who felt the official student newspapers at their respective schools did not represent their views. Topics include the termination of St. Cloud State professor Ed Richer, the Vietnam War and its protests, campus, local, and national political issues of the day, and area arts, theatre, and culture.

10 monthly issues of the Normal School Recorder were published by students between 1916 and 1918.

The Normal School Recorder was a mix of a traditional newspaper and journal. Most of each issue was devoted to journal articles that were written by St. Cloud State students. Articles focused a great deal on campus; students wrote about family members, travel, athletics, student literary clubs, arrival and departure of faculty, and experience with others or events on campus. The publication often reported on the whereabouts and happenings of recent graduates. Especially fascinating were the stories about World War I, many documenting what was happening on campus, as well as the experiences of students and alums who were serving as soldiers.

All issues are available online. To see online, click on each issue in the finding aid and go to link in the Scope and Content Note. The issues can be found at https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/noscre.

The Weekly Bulletin was published at St. Cloud State University from February 1939 to June 1942. Targeted to students, the Weekly Bulletin was used for general announcements and included a list of meetings, events and activities both on and off campus for them to attend throughout the week. Announcements were primarily related to registration for classes, tuition, results of athletic events, and other general news pertaining to students.

Issues of the Weekly Bulletin published after December 1941 contain some references to World War II and the activities of students to support the war effort.

The 262 letters and 1 poem included in this collection were written by Sinclair Lewis to Marcella Powers between 1939 and 1947. Lewis met Powers in August 1939 when they were both acting in Eugene O’Neill’s play Ah Wilderness! at the Provincetown Theater in Cape Cod. Lewis and Powers began a relationship despite the 36 year age difference between them.

In these letters, Lewis discusses a wide variety of topics - his career, his writing, and his feelings for Powers. During the time of their relationship, Lewis traveled quite a bit throughout the United States giving lectures. He also spent time working in Los Angeles in the motion picture industry and lived in Excelsior and Duluth in Minnesota where he spent much time writing. Lewis also wrote about his social life, including the people that he met, the games of chess that he played, and the books that he read. Many of the letters are very long while others are quite short, with some including cartoons drawn by Lewis.

The letters end in September 1947, shortly after Powers marriage to Michael Amrine. Lewis tells Powers that she will no longer receive an allowance from him, but that if she were ever in need of help that he would be there for her. When Lewis passed away in 1951, Powers was listed in his will.