The collection contains several narratives relating to the boyhood days of Mr. Teegarden and the pioneer type move to Iowa. Several are written by Mr. Teegarden and one by Alice May Teegarden. Only brief mention is made of his admission to the Iowa School for the Deaf at Iowa City.

The only papers relating to his position for 48 years as a teacher in the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf are a Class Register, 1879 -1880; a class book, not dated and a speech to a teacher’s meeting. Several other speeches exist in the collection, but the occasion and date on which they were delivered is not specified.

The greatest strength of the collection lies in his published works of poems and children’s stories of which many original manuscripts were saved, which date from 1874-1936. Some were published under his pen name of T. G. Arden.

The correspondence in the collection date from 1887-1936. Included are letters from The Rev. John G. Brown, Frederick H. Hughes, Harley D. Drake, A.C. Manning, A.D. Bryant, Enoch Currier, Edward Allen Fay, Edward M. Gallaudet, Dudley W. George, Frank C. Holloway, John B. Hotchkiss, James H. Logan, J.A. McIlvaine, A.W. Mann, Andrew Mellon, Roy J. Stewart and Oliver J. Whildin. These letters are arranged alphabetically.

He was a reporter for “The Pittsburgh News” and “The Deaf Mute’s Journal” for many years, of which documentation in the Papers are lacking.

He was a member of the Pennsylvania Society for the Advancement of the Deaf, the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf, the National Association of the Deaf, the Duquesne Bicycle Club and was an active participant in the Edward Miner Gallaudet Memorial Fund. Only a few items of scattered dates are represented: P.S.A.D., 1890-1908; Duquesne Bicycle Club, 1893-1899: Edward Miner Gallaudet Memorial Fund, 1924-1931.

Nineteen address-memo-diary books dating from 1898-1932 are in the collection. The entries for the diary portions of the books are not consistent. Days, months and even years have been missed. A large portion of the diaries dwell on the problems of the household.

The collection contains 14 items relating to the Rev. John G. Brown, founder and President of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, Turtle Creek.

Letters from Mr. and Mrs. Teegarden to their only child, a daughter, Alice May, date from 1893-1936 and are arranged chronologically. The letters do not document significant milestones in his life, but describe ordinary day to day events.

Mr. Teegarden saved memorabilia relating to birthdays, trips and events which were important in his life. There are ten items relating to the George M. Teegarden Award for Poetry at Gallaudet College, of which the information is sketchy.

Alice May Teegarden initially arranged and labeled the collection in 1959, prior to giving it to the Edward Miner Gallaudet Memorial Library.