William S. Cohen was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1972-1979, and a member of the U.S. Senate from 1979-1997. Upon his retirement from the Senate, Cohen donated his personal papers to the University of Maine. These papers, created by Cohen and the members of his large staff, document Cohen's twenty-four years of service as a member of Congress, as well as his work as an author of fiction, poetry, and accounts of his own experiences during his Congressional career.

The collection arrived at the Raymond H. Fogler Library in December, 1996. Packed in record storage boxes and accompanied by a paper index created by archivist Jane Odom, the papers totaled approximately 1300 cubic feet.

Most of the records were from Cohen's congressional offices in Washington D.C., but approximately thirty boxes were from his state offices in Maine. The bulk of the collection consists of paper documents, but photographs, videocassette tapes, audiocassette tapes, and memorabilia are also included. Most of the personnel files, routine administrative records, and case files, which include correspondence with federal agencies on behalf of individual constituents, were removed from the collection before it was transferred to the University of Maine.