The papers of William A. Benney (1885-1965) span the years 1909-1966, with the bulk of the material dating from 1920 to 1931, and consist of notes, correspondence, drawings, lists, payroll records, newspaper clippings, personal papers, printed matter, and photographs documenting his employment by Thomas A. Edison as a research superintendent. Scrapbooks, containing approximately four hundred notes written between Benney, Thomas A. Edison, Charles A. Edison, as well as others, document day-to-day laboratory activities especially during the search for a natural rubber substitute carried out at Edison’s winter home in Fort Myers, Florida. Included also in the scrapbooks are correspondence and drawings of machinery and tools. The payroll records, signed by Benney, document work conducted by carpenters and laborers on the Edison property in Fort Myers. There are also equipment lists. Newspaper clippings largely pertain to Thomas A. Edison, but also cover Benney’s personal life. Other items of a personal nature include correspondence, invitations, Benney’s death certificate, and a rental agreement for a store in Morris Township, New Jersey. The printed matter consists mostly of memorabilia pertaining to Thomas A. Edison. Photographs include portraits inscribed to Benney by Thomas A. Edison and Charles A. Edison. The three photograph albums document the Edison estate and laboratory in Fort Myers and the Benney family.