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The Personal Correspondence series contains personal letters, postcards, and telegrams of the Kaplan family covering the years 1936 to 1956, 1958, 1962 to 1970, 1980 to 1981, and 1985. The series is arranged chronologically under different sub-series. Given the time-span of the correspondence, many interesting insights into history are observable. Topics lightly discussed amongst family members include World War II, McCarthyism, President Kennedy's assassination, and the Vietnam War. The correspondence begins in 1936 during Kaplan's study abroad trip. The majority of the early letters and a significant amount of the later letters are in German. The sub-series "Bill to Heidi" encompasses the years 1936 to 1938, shortly after the pair met in Zurich, Switzerland. These letters are those that Bill wrote to Heidi as he continued his study abroad program in Europe. The sub-series "Heidi to Bill" are from the years 1936 to 1938 and are those letters Heidi wrote to Bill during his time abroad and his return to the United States. The Family Correspondence sub-series covers the years 1938 to 1956, 1962 to 1970, 1980 to 1981, and 1985. These letters, which commence following the marriage of Bill and Heidi in 1938, include those between the couple as well as those from or to them from their parents, siblings, and friends. The transcribed letters series features computer print-outs of the letters Kaplan worked to preserve and translate covering the years 1936 to 1957. The essays series features essays in German that Heidi and Bill wrote to each other during their courtship discussing topics such as; marriage, mathematics, and music. The personal diaries series includes Heidi's diary from a trip to Berkeley in 1960 and her diaries from the years 1970 and 1971.