Records in this fonds document to a limited degree the two writings noted above. There are galley proofs, some correspondence and numerous reviews documenting Christianity and Classical Culture. While there is no draft of any form of Thucydides, there is one file containing correspondence, comments and reviews. It is possible however that notes found in Series 5 relate to the research done for both books as well and lectures and other writings. Series 5 is by far the most extensive series accounting for nearly half the volume of records in this fonds and include not only notes but a bibliographic card index and books from Cochrane’s library that he had annotated.
Apart from his two major publications, Cochrane gave many lectures, wrote reviews and articles. A bibliography can be found in Appendix 1. At the time of his death, it was anticipated that his Yale lectures on St. Augustine would be published as a sequel to Christianity and Classical Culture. He was also doing research on historian Carl Becker and Greek jurisprudence. Early in his career, he wrote a report for the National Council of Education on the teaching of history and civics in Canadian schools (April 1923). He later teamed up with University of Toronto Librarian W.S. Wallace, to write a school textbook entitled This Canada of Ours, an Introduction to Canadian Civics. (Oxford University Press, 1924). Records relating to all of these works can be found in Series 3 and 4.
There were other aspects of his life that are, to a limited degree, documented in these records. As noted above, he was dean of University College residence – the first to hold this position since 1899. His appointment corresponded with the opening of the men’s commons room in University College. Some routine correspondence relating to this can be found in Series 1. Cochrane’s role as a teacher is somewhat better covered with several series of lecture notes as well as annotated exams. There are however no records relating to his administration of the Department of Ancient History while he chaired the department after 1929.
While there are no records relating to his participation in the 1st World War, two aspects of his life during the 2nd World War are fairly well documented. In Series 1, there is extensive correspondence and notes relating to the Oxford evacuees, especially regarding the children of family friend Kenneth Bell and more notably the two Clark children who stayed with the Cochranes. As well, there are extensive records documenting his position as advisor to the Minister of Justice on the committee hearing appeals from prisoners interned under the Defence of Canada Regulations, including case files on several notable communists such as Tim Buck, J B. Salsberg, Jacob Penner, Leslie Morris, Fred Rose, Bill Kashtin and Stanley Ryerson. Cochrane also co-authored a Memorandum on the Communist Party in Canada for the Ministry of Justice that discusses whether the Communist Party should continue to be illegal in view of the fact that the USSR was by now an ally. These records are found in Series 6.
Finally, some family photographs have been kept and mainly document Cochrane’s two children, Mary Ann and Hugh David Cochrane.