The Ames Peace Network/Nerve Gas Task Force, composed of concerned alumni, students and other residents of Ames formed in September 1980 after it became known that Iowa State University was considering signing a contract with the military to do nerve gas research. The task force filed a report stating their alarm in August of 1980 and stood opposed to the university holding such a contract, citing ethical concerns.

The collection (1980-1982, n.d.) includes correspondence with the Iowa State University administration, letters to the editor, letters to the military, proposals for how to deal with contracts at the university, speeches delivered by members of the defense department, press releases of the nerve gas task force including a history of the organization, flyers, and pamphlets. The letters to the military include a letter to the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command in Maryland. The majority of the correspondence is written by Tom Cordaro who served as campus minister at Iowa State as well as being a prominent voice in the nerve gas task force.