This series includes memos, correspondence, meeting minutes, and reports, encompassing materials created by both the Board of Trustees, which was Parsons's governing body prior to its 1970 merger with the New School for Social Research, and its replacement by a Board of Overseers. The Trustees and Overseers sections include materials on councils and committees, as well as correspondence and memos relating to individual board members and Parsons's presidents. There are similar, though more limited, materials in this series relating to The New School.

The arrangement reflects the reorganization of Parsons and New School governance after the merger. Prior to the merger, Parsons was governed by a strong Board of Trustees and a school president who was selected by, and reported to, the Board. Shortly after the merger, circa 1974, the Board of Trustees as a governing body was discontinued and replaced by a Board of Overseers, which functioned as more of an advisory council with fund raising responsibilities.