This collection documents the history and the operations of the Upjohn Company. The collection consists of manufacturing records produced from the tablets, pills and special formulas departments as well as individual researchers; full financial statements from 1901-1933 as well as a full run of annual reports from 1945-1986; real estate files; advertising and publicity as well as marketing and sales files; complete runs of Upjohn News, Scope, and The Overflow; company appraisals; and a medical group with technical publications and exhibit information.

Even though there is material ranging from the start of the company in 1886 until 2001, only the financial material is consistent throughout this period in its availability. Most other sections, such as the publications, real estate, advertising, and marketing, have sparse material starting from the early part of the company, but the bulk of the material is from 1930 to 1965. Material after the 1960's is especially sparse, with some published material.

Maintaining and reinstating the original order of the files was attempted at every possible turn. Most of the original folder names were kept, such as those in the advertising, real estate, marketing, and exhibit series. In some cases where folder names were absent such as manufacturing records and financial records, order was given by subject and established into series.