The MacPherson B. Williams Naval Aviation Collection is a small collection consisting of military records and photographs related to Rear Admiral MacPherson B. Williams' career in the U.S. Navy dating from about 1931-1959.

The military records document both MacPherson's career and the history of Air Group Three. Military orders and other records provide information on MacPherson's activities from 1932-1959. Of particular note are some official memos documenting the sequence of events when he was struck down in December 1944, parachuted out of his plane and landed near Marikina Airfield near Manila, Philippines, and then was rescued by the USS Orca in February 1945. A photocopy of a typed account titled "Philippine Adventure" provides Williams' own personal narrative of these events. Also present are two folders of documents which provide chronologies and histories of Air Group Three, of which Williams was commander starting in 1943.

The 16 photographs in the collection are all black-and-white prints of official U.S. Navy photographs. They depict Naval aviation scenes but are not directly of Williams' personal experiences. The earliest image is from 1932 and depicts biplanes from Scouting Squadron Two from Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California. Three images depict aircraft carriers, including the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. Other images were taken by Light Photographic Squadron 62 (VFP-62), dated 1958-1959, and show: an F9F-8P over the eye of Hurricane Grace; aerial views of NAS Cecil Field and NAS Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida; air-to-air refueling on Vought F8U Crusaders; and formation flying of Grumman F9F Cougars, McDonnell F3H Demons and F2H Banshees, and Vought F8U Crusaders. Most of the images of planes are air-to-air photographs, rather than photographs taken from the ground. Many of the planes are associated with VF-43. Three prints are 8x10 inches but the rest are 11x14 inches and some are mounted on board.