Correspondence, memoranda, writings, notes, reports, military orders, biographical material, clippings, and other papers primarily documenting Sims's naval career and his work relating to naval reforms. Documents activities as an intelligence officer on the USS Charleston (Cruiser) at the China Station (1895-1896); naval attaché in Paris, Madrid, and Saint Petersburg (1896-1900); and commander of U.S. naval forces in Europe during World War I. Subjects include gunnery, naval preparedness, and the U.S. Navy Dept. Bureau of Navigation. Includes papers of Sims's wife, Anne Hitchcock Sims. Correspondents include W.F. Arnold, John V. Babcock, Sir Lewis Bayly, William Shepherd Benson, Josephus Daniels, W. Atlee Edwards, Bradley A. Fiske, William F. Fullam, Herbert Hoover, Tracy B. Kittredge, A.T. Mahan, Ridley McLean, William Veazie Pratt, Joel Roberts Poinsett Pringle, Henry Reuterdahl, Kenneth Lewis Roberts, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, and members of the Sims (Simms) family.