This collection consists mainly of photocopies of material created by John McElroy, SJ, in the course of his work as a Jesuit priest, long-time campaigner for a Jesuit college in Boston, and founder of Boston College. Material types include correspondence both to and from Father McElroy, as well as a letter of introduction for McElroy from former First Lady Dolley Madison to Army General Zachary Taylor; McElroy's personal diaries; two manuscripts he authored about his time as a Mexican missionary and the history of Boston College; publications by or about McElroy; McElroy's naturalization certificate from a court in Washington, DC; and an accounts ledger dating 1848-1869. These materials are all photocopies. The only original material in this collection are two letters that McElroy wrote to Ellen (Ahern) Rush in 1871 and 1872 when she was a student of the Sisters of Notre Dame.