The Hershell Howard Nixon and Joan Lowery Nixon Papers is composed of original materials used for the production of the book Oil and Gas: From Fossils to Fuel, published in 1977 by husband and wife authors Hershell Howard Nixon and Joan Lowery Nixon. The book provided an explanation of the formation, location, recovery, and uses of oil and gas. Hershell Nixon worked as an exploration petroleum geologist based in Texas, and used his experience to produce this book. The collection is composed of original general correspondence, drafts, galley proofs, a book, and clippings, involved in the book’s development and publication efforts from 1974 to 1978.