These papers document the life and work of Arthur J. Vidich. The bulk of this collection consists of drafts, correspondence, and contracts related to Vidich's writings, as well as items pertaining to his teaching and administration of the Sociology Department at the New School. The collection consists primarily of paper manuscripts and photographs; however, also included are thirty-one cassette tapes, one VHS tape, and one magnetic reel-to-reel, containing audio of Vidich's courses and public lectures. Finally, the collection includes twenty floppy disks containing drafts of Vidich's autobiography, With a Critical Eye.

The first series, Biographical and subject files, consists of material documenting Vidich's life ranging from the 1940s through the 2000s. Included are photographs of Vidich, materials pertaining to his education, his service in the Marine Corps during World War II, and transcripts of interviews conducted in the 1990s. The series also documents Vidich's relationshp with friends and colleagues, including Joseph Bensman, Stanley Diamond, Robert Jackall, Stanford Lyman, Daria Martin, and Hans Speier. Files may include photographs, correspondence, drafts of writings, clippings and other printed material.

The second series consists of correspondence sent and received by Vidich. Running from the 1950s to the 2000s, this material relates largely to his professional academic and writing activities. One subseries is organized alphabetically by correspondent, another is arranged chronologically.

The third series, Teaching and departmental administration, consists of items relating to Vidich's courses and his role as chair of the Sociology Department at the New School. Course files encompass Vidich's teaching at the New School as well as work at other institutions where he held faculty positions (such as the University of Puerto Rico) and visiting professorships. This series also reflects Vidich's administrative role as acting chair and chair of the department. Items include correspondence, student material, meeting minutes, reports and proposals, and financial, scholarship, and degree requirement information. Also included is a significant cache of material relating to the accreditation crisis in the Graduate Faculty in 1977.

The fourth and largest series, Writings, consists of manuscript and typescript drafts, correspondence, contracts, and reference material related to Vidich's extensive publications, including articles, presentations, research papers, monograph books, and edited collections and anthologies. Also included are flyers, correspondence, and notes related to Vidich's conference papers, invited talks, and other presentations. Finally, the series contains correspondence and reviews reflecting Vidich's work as a reader, reviewer, editor and consultant for academic and trade publishers. Throughout the series, material demonstrates Vidich's frequent collaborations with Stanford Lyman and Joseph Bensman, among others. The items in this series reflect Vidich's writings and professional work from his doctoral thesis in 1948 until his death in 2008.