Tom Knudson received his B.A. (1980) from Iowa State University in journalism and mass communication. Knudson was a staff writer for the Iowa State Daily (late 1970s) and the Des Moines Register (early 1980s). At the Des Moines Register, Knudson wrote a variety of articles, but was mostly interested in the government's involvement in the manufacture and use of biological and chemical weapons, primarily anti-animal weapons such as hog cholera. Knudson currently (2011) works for The Sacramento Bee.

Knudson has claimed several prestigious awards over the years, including two Pulitzer Prizes. In 1985 he won a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for a series of articles he wrote for the Des Moines Register on the dangers of farming. In 1992 he won another Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for his article "The Sierra in Peril" (published in The Sacramento Bee) in which he examines the environmental threats and damage to the Sierra Nevada mountain range. He also won the Schwartz Award in 1985, Iowa State's highest honor in recognizing excellence in journalism.

This collection (1947-1984, undated) contains articles written and collected by Tom Knudson on his research of chemical and biological warfare, especially hog cholera. Also included are correspondence, reports, booklets, notes, and an interview transcript.

The correspondence, mostly between Knudson and the State Department, are requests for resources under the Freedom of Information Act. The report is a de-classified field evaluation from Fort Detrick, Maryland, that discusses research of a "...desiccated agent on carrier for an antianimal biological warfare munition." The booklets are also from Fort Detrick and include Science and Technology at Fort Detrick 1943-1968 and a summary of the activities at Fort Detrick that was published on its 50th anniversary. The notes included in this collection are mostly from Knudson's research on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other organizations concerning biological and chemical warfare. The interview transcript is from a conversation with Robert Rutman, who was a professor at University of Pennsylvania and also served as the national chairman of the Scientists Committee on Chemical and Biological Warfare.