The papers comprise files maintained by Hohnen while Registrar and Secretary of the Australian National University, 1949-76; drafts and research materials for a history of the Australian National Universtiy; appointment diaries; papers relating to the 1995 review of the Institute of Advanced Studies; and papers relating to Hohnen's involvement in numerous organisations including the Industrial Design Council of Australia, Australian Frontier Incorporated, the National Heart Foundation, Heart Research Institute, and the Scout Association of Australia.