The William J. Murphy, SJ, President’s Office records contain correspondence, memos, student applications, contracts, notes, brochures, pamphlets, architectural drawings, and maps documenting Murphy's term as the nineteenth president of Boston College. Murphy's presidency coincided with World War II, and these records document the war's effects on campus military programs and funding. The collection spans from 1911 through 1945, although the bulk of the material dates from Murphy's presidential years, 1939 to 1945.

Series I. Boston College schools consists of records regarding the College of Business Administration; the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; the Graduate School of Social Work, which had campuses in Boston and Providence, Rhode Island; the Intown College; and the Law School. This series contains students' applications for special tuition arrangements, whether financial aid or extended payment plans. Law School materials include an oversized 1929 map of Boston's Back Bay neighborhood and an architectural drawing of one floor in the 441 Stuart Street building.

Series II. General office files include correspondence on a variety of topics as well as a folder of exchanges with William Cardinal O'Connell. Subject files cover Murphy's interaction with government-related issues, such as taxation changes and the challenges of religious educational institutions. Murphy held a seat on an advisory committee for the House of Representatives Committee on Education's Study of Higher Education, also reflected in these materials.

Series III. Military programs depicts the effects of World War II training on Boston College. Included in this series are materials concerning the Army Specialized Training Corps, a wartime program, and the College's attempts to secure a Navy training program on campus. Also included is a brochure detailing the abbreviated war degree and a letter soliciting donations to the College's War Fund.