The Pete Smith papers span the years 1931-1974 (bulk 1931-1955) and encompass 4 linear feet. The collection consists primarily of scripts and/or narrations for some 260 short subject films produced by Pete Smith between 1931 and 1955. Titles range from ACRO-BATTY (1942) to YOU CAN'T WIN (1948). Topics covered include athletics: BADMINTON (1945), BASKETBALL TECHNIQUE (1935), BOWLING TRICKS (1948), FOOTBALL THRILLS series (1938-1952), GYMNASTICS (1935), and TENNIS TACTICS (1937); quizzes: ATHLETIQUIZ (1947), EARLY SPORTS QUIZ (1947), and EQUESTRIAN QUIZ (1946); music: CUBAN RHYTHM (1941) and PLAYING BY EAR (1946); food: CULINARY CARVING (1939) and MEALTIME MAGIC (1952); animals: DOGS 'N DUCKS (1953); HOLLYWOOD: FLICKER MEMORIES (1941), HOLLYWOOD SCOUT (1945), STUDIO VISIT (1946); science: MICROSCOPIC MYSTERIES (1932) and THE ROMANCE OF RADIUM (1937); and such oddities as INFLATION (1933), MOTORCYCLE MANIA (1933), PEDESTRIAN SAFETY (1952), and TAKING CARE OF BABY (1934). Also of interest is material collected by Smith for a proposed book on his early years as a publicist. Five scrapbooks contain newspaper and magazine clippings, correspondence, and still photographs from 1931 to 1974.

Pete Smith (1892-1979) was born Peter Schmidt in New York City, where he graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School and attended business college. Stints at "The Player" and "Billboard" magazines led to a career in the film industry in the 1910s as a publicist at Famous Players-Lasky and Artcraft (both were units of what is now the Paramount organization), where he later became publicity director. When Paramount producer-director Marshal Neilan formed his own short-lived company in Hollywood, he hired Smith as publicist (Smith concurrently handled advertising and publicity for Marion Fairfax Productions). Smith then worked as an independent publicist before joining MGM in 1924, heading MGM's Publicity Department from 1925 to 1930.

He is best known for producing, writing, and narrating numerous short films for MGM from 1931 through 1954 (the films were released through 1955). Smith produced more than 280 one-reelers on topics ranging from sports to animals to science. Smith's 16 Academy Award nominations in the short subject categories between 1932 and 1950 resulted in Oscars for PENNY WISDOM (1937) and QUICKER 'N A WINK (1940). He received a 1953 Honorary Academy Award "for his witty and pungent observations on the American scene in his series of 'Pete Smith Specialties.'" Smith served on the Academy Board of Governors from October 1941 to October 1944 (assistant treasurer, 1941-1942; secretary, 1942-1943).