The collection consists of scrapbooks, albums, papers, and ephemera compiled by and relating to Gerald W. "Gerry" Frank, a businessman associated with Portland, Oregon, and Salem, Oregon. The bulk of the collection is scrapbooks and albums that contain newspaper clippings, correspondence, ephemera, and photographs documenting Frank's life and career. Much of the collection concerns the Meier & Frank department store that Frank's family founded and which he worked for in the 1950s and 1960s, including the store's Salem branch, which he managed. Meier & Frank materials include menus from the store restaurants, memorandums, advertisements, and training handouts.

The collection also documents Frank's involvement with Republican politics, particularly his relationship with Oregon Governor and U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield, and includes two reports for around-the-world fact-finding trips that Frank undertook for Senator Hatfield. Additional materials include scrapbooks concerning Frank's book "Where to Find It, Buy It, and Eat It in New York"; a scrapbook of Frank's weekly column in the Oregonian; personal photographs, correspondence, and ephemera; and autographed photographs of state and national political figures.