Elmer A. Sperry (1860-1930) was an electrical engineer who established the Electric Light, Motor, and Car Brake Company in 1883 and then founded the Sperry Electric Mining Machine Company in 1886. After selling his patents to General Electric, he went to work for the company as a consultant. This collection includes original materials, as well as copy work from other sources and images which show Sperry's inventions; there is some ephemera, family photos, employees, and views of the Sperry Company's Brooklyn drafting rooms.

This series contains genealogical and biographical information on Sperry and his family. Included is a diary of Stephen Decatur Sperry (Elmer's father), genealogical charts tracing the family roots to England and the reign of Charles I, and letters from Elmer Sperry describing his early life in Cortland and experiences at Cornell University. This series also includes correspondence of Zula Goodman Sperry (Elmer's wife) and her brother. Herbert Goodman. describing the role the Goodman family played in Elmer Sperry's various enterprises.

This series includes Sperry's correspondence with Thomas Edison (a colleague on the Naval Advisory Board) and with Helen Keller. There is also information on Sperry's personal finances and condolences which were written to him after the death of his son, Lawrence.

Public Information Department series are photographic prints intended for publicity purposes. Many photographs appear to be for press releases, newsletters, and reports. There are many images related to Lawrence Sperry and his various achievements in aviation. There are aerials, views of plants and buildings, and images of various instruments. These images date from the 1910s through to the 1950s. There are several informational and promotional films intended for an outside audience; three about space flight (All Systems Go!, The Flight of Apollo 11: Eagle Has Landed, and Where Am I?); two about the Univac computer (At the Forefront and The Catalyst); one about the relationship between man and machine (Army-Navy Instrumentation Program) and a film Honoring the 100th Anniversary of Elmer A. Sperry's birth celebrating achievements in navigation and aviation (Guideposts to Tomorrow). There are a few films intended for internal personnel purposes: Gateway to Careers: Tour Through Univac; The Time is Now; The Veteran Returns to Work (film strips); and Tips for Teachers. A few films contain raw footage: An American Passenger - to Heligoland, Wilhelmshaven and Bremen!; Around the Northern Irish Coast and into Belfast Harbor; Growth of Crystals; and Information Handling System patented by William L. Poland. One film reel contains personal footage of the Sperry family and one reel is a Pathe News reel about the Sperry Messenger Airplane. There is also an audio recording of the Dedication of H.H. Arnold/Thunderbirds Field.