According to a note included with the materials, the notebooks were first in the possession of Bernard O'Kelly, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Upon his death, his widow, Marcia O'Kelly, kept the notebooks which were eventually passed on to Tom Rand, associate dean of Arts and Sciences.

In an explanatory letter by Bernard O'Kelly to Professor Randy Lee, the books were left in the dean's office by Robert Witmer, the preceding dean of Arts and Sciences. Dean O'Kelly noted that he took possession of the notebooks in July 1966.