Thomas Franklin Vance was born to Frank and Olivia Vance on February 11, 1885, in Shenandoah, Iowa. He received his B.A. (1909) from Coe College and his M.A. (1911) and Ph.D. (1913) from the University of Iowa. Upon receiving his final degree he was hired as an Assistant (1913-1914) in the Psychology Department at the University of Illinois.

Vance joined the faculty of Iowa State as Assistant Professor (1914-1918) of Psychology, with a focus on educational psychology. He was promoted to Associate Professor (1918-1927) of Psychology and then Professor (1927-1960), serving in the Departments of Psychology and Child Development.

Vance was given charge of the child psychology course in 1920. When the Department of Child Development was formed, Vance became responsible for parent education, psychological study of children, and the directing of research. His research interests focused on the psychological growth of preschool children.

Thomas Vance married his first wife, Minnie M. Lush, in 1909. They had one son, Gerald, before she passed away in 1914. Vance later married Fannie Blythe Cessna of Grinnell, Iowa, in 1918. They had three children: Virginia, Paul, and John. Vance died on April 26, 1960, and was buried in the Ames Municipal Cemetery.

The collection (ca. 1913-1960) contains biographical information, reprints of published articles, and scripts for radio talks. Biographical information includes news clippings, faculty information forms, and obituaries. The reprints include published articles by Vance on topics ranging from food selections for nursery school children to the development of children in the home management houses at Iowa State.

The radio scripts included in the collection were written by Vance and presented by him on WOI Radio. Generally, the scripts cover topics related to child development or dealing with complicated family situations. Episode titles from the "Homemakers Half-Hour" show include "Grandma Comes to Live With Us," "Our Puppy Got Run Over," and "The Cost of Children in the Family." This particular show is hosted by Martha Duncan and most of the scripts have a speaking role for her. The radio scripts for the Radio Child Study Club series of shows include presentations on marriage, parenting, and gerontology. The scripts for the Matins Talks consist of meditations and reflections presented by Vance with titles such as "Reflections Along the Cinder Path," "Reflections on a Summer Trek," and "Flowers for Mother."

The collection is in alphabetical order.