The Papers of Henry Dunster and the Dunster and Glover families chiefly document the personal lives of Henry Dunster and his family. They contain little information about Harvard College business. Material referring to the Rice Family of Sudbury, Massachusetts is also included in this collection. The principal subjects represented in this collection include the Dunster-Glover lawsuit (1655-1656), land transactions between Henry Dunster and his descendants and the Rice Family of Sudbury, Massachusetts, land transactions between Rice Family members, the John Appleton lawsuit (1654), and matters related to the resignation of Henry Dunster from Harvard College (1654). This series also touches upon the activities of Dunster's family including his wife, sons, and later descendants. Dunster's descriptions of Harvard College activities can be found in Dunster's Memorandum of December, 1653, the Quadriennium Memoir, 1654, and Dunster's Petition to the General Court, 1654 November 4.

Henry Dunster (1609-1659?) was the first President of Harvard College from 1640 to 1654.