The McCown Family papers date from the 1881 to 2012 and measure 5.5 linear feet. The collection is arranged into 6 series: McCown Family, Robert A. McCown, Photographs, Oversize, Artifacts, and Audiovisual.

The McCown Family series (1909-1950) documents the life of Alfred Brown (A.B.) McCown, Don McCown, and Francis McCown. The series contains "Down on the Ridge: Reminiscences of the Old Days in Coal-port and Down on the Ridge", published in 1909, and a poem "The Rural Life" written by A.B. McCown about his life on the prairie of Iowa, which he calls "the new west."  Also included are photographs, a collection of five-year diaries written by Francis McCown, legal documents concerning her estate, and correspondence from her son Robert McCown, as well as a scrapbook documenting the professional life of Don McCown.

The Robert A. McCown series (1939-) begins with the Biographical subseries, which includes papers from Robert McCown's early life, such as his baby book, transcripts, and master's thesis "Irish-Catholic Opinion and the Oriental Problem in San Francisco, 1902-1924." Much of the series is comprised of McCown's correspondence, including legal correspondence, and letters and cards from friends and family, particularly his daughter Anne. The subseries concludes with a transcript of McCown's oral history, conducted in 2000, personal essays, and reflections on numerous topics, including his contemplations on reading, life, and living with Parkinson's disease. The Running subseries (1979-1991) includes McCown's running journals. The Professional subseries (1973-2010) documents the history and development of the University of Iowa Special Collections Department, including correspondence, memos, speeches and publications. The Professional - Conferences and Boards subseries (1975-2000) includes professional journals and meeting minutes from professional archival and library organizations McCown participated in.

The Photographs series (1881-2001) includes photographs from the lives of A.B. McCown, Don and Frances McCown, and other members of their extended family and community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Also included are the family photo albums of Robert McCown, including many photographs of his children Anne and John.

The Oversize series (1949-2001) includes Robert McCown's retirement album, professional certificates, and the records of the Spike Club.

The Artifacts series (1934-1963) consists of pins, ribbons, and medals awarded to A.B., Don, and Robert McCown.

The Audiovisual series includes audiotapes of Robert McCown's oral history interview and a speech on Iowa history. The DVD "Bob at 70" is a slideshow of photographs documenting Robert McCown's life set to music.