The sub-series is made up of three separate, but related components, sixty-six volumes of subject files, nine volumes of coded subject files and seventeen volumes of material that functioned as an aide-mémoire for Allan J. MacEachen, who, at the time, was attempting to write a political memoir. Overall, the material focusses on MacEachen's activities as a Senator during the 1984-1996 period, but also provides documentary evidence of MacEachen's broad interest in Scottish culture, in Liberal Party politics, his personal and family connections in Cape Breton, the diverse nature of his correspondence with Nova Scotians and others from around the world and his attempts to write his political memoirs. The subject files (1900-2001), the first component of this sub-series, includes files on MacEachen's family, St. Francis Xavier University, personal correspondence and condolences, Ministerial visits, memoranda from staff, files relating to the administration of the Senate, including such topics as Senate procedures, attendance, conflict of interest and closure, national and international affairs, personal and work-related travel, notes to file, various budgets, correspondence with famous people such as Pierre Elliot Trudeau, John Turner, Henry Kissinger and others, and files on abortion, free trade and Balnain House, the former Home of Highland Music.
The second set of records in this sub-series are coded subject files (1922-2002). All of the coded files fall into two blocks of files, the 60 block, personal correspondence, or the 40 block, correspondence with companies, associations or boards, which form part of a file classification system used by MacEachen since the early 1970s. The correspondence in this sub-series is primarily local, focussing mostly on MacEachen's home riding, but there are also provincial, and to a lesser extent, national interactions as well.
The final set of records in this sub-series has been identified by the archivist as an aide-mémoire (1974-2003). As MacEachen began to prepare for his retirement from the Senate, which coincided with his 75th birthday in 1996, he was encouraged to begin work on writing his memoirs. The last dozen and a half or so boxes appear to have been organized to support this project. There are numerous, small subject files on MacEachen's involvement with St. Francis Xavier University, newspaper clippings and subject files on a variety of issues, personages and events, personal notes and draft chapters of his mémoire. Included in the record set is a draft of the first nine chapters of his memoir, detailing events from his birth, and ending just before the Liberal Party leadership campaign in 1968.
