The collection consists of papers and records relating to Scandinavian Americans and particularly Swedish Americans in Oregon. The materials were collected by Ross Fogelquist and made available for research use under the auspices of the research organization Swedish Roots in Oregon. These include records and memorabilia of multiple Scandinavian American organizations based in Oregon; events and celebrations held by the Scandinavian American community in Oregon, particularly in the Portland area; and papers, photographs, reminiscences, and genealogies of Scandinavian American individuals and families in the state.

Individuals and families represented in the collection include the Edlund family; G. Bernhard Fedde and Johanna B. Fedde; Ross Fogelquist; Swedish Consul of Oregon Malcolm Frykman and his wife, Faye Frykman; the Gronquist family; the family of Mary E. Håkensson (also spelled Hockenson); the family of Oscar Nastrom and Mary Nastrom (also spelled Nästrom); and the Nordgren family.

Other materials in the collection include historical data about Swedish Americans in Oregon and materials about the Fogelbo estate, a Swedish-style house owned by Ross Fogelquist that was the site of many Swedish American events in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Some material in the collection is in Swedish or Norwegian. There are also individual items in Danish, Finnish, German, and Icelandic.