Joseph Young was a prisoner of war in Japan during World War II. While a prisoner, he kept diaries of his experiences, written in the form of a long letter to his wife, Irene. Joseph Young was born in Cottage Grove, Oregon and lived in Eugene, Oregon for many years after the war. The collection comprises thirteen diaries and six miscellaneous items.

Lee Huntington Young (1869-1939) entered the Protestant Episcopal ministry in 1893, and served congregations in Ohio, West Virginia, Nebraska, and Montana. The Lee Huntington Young sermons primarily contains undated Episcopal sermons.

Stanley Paul Young (1889-1969) became a biologist who held many positions in the federal government, including in the Department of Interior, and also authored articles and books, including literature for children, regarding America's wolves, coyotes, and big cats. The collection (1940s-1960s) contains manuscript material, photographs, and minor correspondence.

Bob Zagorin (1945- ) was a radio and television journalist in Eugene, Oregon. The collection includes audio cassette tapes and reel-to-reel tape recordings of his interviews with figures of local, regional, and national interest. Copies of most of these recordings on compact discs are also included in the collection.

C.C. Jantzen and J. A. Zehntbauer purchased the manufacturing department of the Portland (Oregon) Knitting Company in 1909; this company was the manufacturer of the Jantzen clothing line. The collection contains a letter dated November 18, 1917, from Zehntbauer to J. L. Krantz, regarding the early history of the company, and problems that arose without access to a worsted (wool) spinning mill in the West.

John Zerzan (1943- ) is a writer and anarchist activist in Oregon. The collection includes letters, essay and book drafts, and anarchist ephemera and publications that reflect his activities.

Alfred Zieber (1830-1890) travelled overland from Peoria, Illinois to California. The collection consists of Zieber's diary of his journey, as well as four subsequent letters from his father, John S. Zieber.

Herbert Spencer Zim (1909-1994) was a teacher and author in the field of science. His works in this collection reflect his work in the science field. Sonia Bleeker Zim was an editor for a publishing house and a writer of youth books. Her work in this collection represents her career as a youth author.