Materials in this collection document the track and field era at San Jose State College that was known as "Speed City." It includes photographs, articles, competition programs, and posters about events, athletes, coaches, and issues surrounding civil rights and black athletes. These materials are from popular publications such as Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine, and are not official records of the track and field program at San Jose State College.

The San Jose State College "Speed City" collection consists of various materials relating to the men's track and field program between the years 1964-2017, including materials about SJSC student athletes who competed and placed as medalists in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Notable publications include a 1968 Sports Illustrated magazine with Tommie Smith on the cover, and a pictorial of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City where Tommie Smith and John Carlos competed.

This collection also contains ephemeral items such as a San Jose State College button, track and field programs from the 1960s, an advertising card for the revised edition of Bud Winter's book, and materials relating to the 2016 "Speed City" exhibit at San José State University.