Patrick John O’Connell of Anthon, Iowa, graduated from Iowa State College (University) with a B.S. (1956) in Sciences and Humanities. At Iowa State, O’Connell was a member of the Camera Club, TV workshop, and radio station KMRI. This collection (1956-1957, 1990) consists of photographic contact sheets and negatives taken during 1956 and 1957, as well as an itemized list of the photographs. The photographs include several images from the WOI-TV studio, including interviews done with people such as Ezra Taft Benson, President James Hilton, and coverage of Betty Lou McVay’s children’s show, "The Magic Window." There are several photographs of concerts including dance scenes and images of Louis Armstrong. The collection also contains images of athletic events, including the Iowa State versus Kansas basketball game in 1957, with photos of Kansas player Wilt Chamberlain and Iowa State's Gary Thompson. The collection includes many additional photographs of Iowa State including campus scenery and buildings, Greek houses, and VEISHEA events. Images of the Des Moines area and the Iowa capitol building can be found in the collection.

The collection is in its original order. The photographic negatives in boxes 2 and 3 are stored in the vault.