The Joint Committee on Atomic Energy was established by the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 and existed from 1946 to 1977. It was created to "make continuing studies of the activities of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and of problems relating to the development, use, and control of atomic energy." Through hearings and other public informational activities, the committee played a significant role in encouraging peaceful uses of atomic energy, dealing with subjects such as budget authorization bills for the Atomic Energy Commission, international agreements regarding atomic energy (stemming from President Dwight D. Eisenhower's "Atoms-For-Peace" speech of December 1953), and various mutual defense agreements. Examples of other matters the Joint Committee covered include: developments at the national energy labs; health impacts of nuclear energy; nuclear waste management.

This collection of published committee hearings and prints includes policy as well as limited technical information. Included in this extensive collection are statistics from various sources, folding maps and charts, photographs, bibliographies, selective indexes, periodical and journal article reprints, and selections of various government and public reports. Selective reprints of congressional bills and public laws are included as well.