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The files of Gleaves Whitney consist of topical and other files documenting his various activities as a speechwriter, administrative historian, and Engler biographer. The "Topical files," though transferred to the Bentley Library under Whitney's name, appear to have been originally created by Engler's first Communications Director, Rusty Hills, and then inherited and augmented by Whitney. These files relate to the development of Engler's public message. Within topical, the "Affirmative Action" file contains a memo which formulates language for replies to constituents who contact the Governor's office regarding the University of Michigan's affirmative action suits. The "All Departments" file contains the suggestions of the Directors of State Departments about "the most important thing the federal government can do to help your department" in anticipation of Bob Dole's election as president. The eight "Engler, John" files demonstrate the molding of Engler's public image. Memos describing the expected political impact of the School Choice/Vouchers referendum on the 2000 presidential election, in the "School of Choice" and "Vouchers" files are valuable because sharing a ballot with the referendum was seen as being an important reason why George W. Bush failed to carry Michigan in the 2000 election.

Whitney's "Speeches" files contain his research and drafts of speeches. They are in chronological order. For the text of speeches as revised by Engler himself, see the "Speeches" subseries of the Communications Division series described below.

The "Authorized History" files were files created in support of Whitney's book John Engler: The Man, the Leader, the Legacy. These files are a microcosm of the entire Engler collection, and a researcher can get a quick tour of the highlights of the Engler administration by beginning his or her research here. There is original material here, which Whitney gathered from other parts of the collection. For example, there are the original drafts for the State of the State for 1992. There are also newspaper clippings, bumper stickers, and correspondence. The "Bibliography" file includes a bibliography of Engler's written works as well as citations from Whitney's book.