The collection includes Craven's 1917 diary, photographs, clippings, and one Boston College football drive sheet.

Craven wrote in his diary for the entirety of 1917, with his entries becoming more sporadic after his graduation from Boston College. As a student, he primarily wrote about his class work, the side jobs he worked, and meeting with friends. He worried about pop quizzes, discussed his extra-curricular activities, and recorded the scores for every BC football and baseball game. Craven also noted the important country-wide events of the day, such as President Wilson's inauguration on March 5, and the United States declaring war on April 6. Although he remained mostly focused on his day-to-day activities, his notes about World War I became more frequent as he reached graduation. After he graduated, Craven worked in a store in Boston and volunteered for military service. On August 11, he received his orders to report to Vermont to begin his training, and less than a week later he left home for the base in Vermont. Craven wrote in his diary less frequently after volunteering for service. His entries from the fall of 1917 include details on daily drills, inspections, and meeting the other young men on his base. Craven also reported on some of the major events of the war, but gave few opinions on the matter. He recorded his last entry on December 23, 1917.

The clippings in this collection include copies from the 1917 Sub Turri yearbook, an excerpt from Boston College in the World War, 1917-1918, and Craven's obituary from 1987.