The William G. Merchant papers span the years 1934-1941 and are arranged into four series: Personal Papers, Golden Gate International Exposition, Project Records, and Additional Donations. The collection contains correspondence, reports, drawings, financial records, articles, blueprints and meeting minutes. The papers primarily relate to the Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE) held in 1939 in San Francisco, California. The drawings are primarily from the GGIE, however there are a few of private residences (one in Sonoma), a mausoleum in San Mateo County and a drawing of St. Mary's Square in San Francisco.

William G. Merchant was a native of Healdsburg, California, but lived in San Francisco most of his life. In 1909, he graduated from Wilmerding School of Industrial Arts, San Francisco. He received his state certificate to practice architecture on July 6, 1920. His early training was in the offices of Bernard R. Maybeck and John Galen Howard. As Assistant Designer of the Palace of Fine Arts, he worked with Bernard Maybeck in building the Palace for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition held in San Francisco in 1915. In 1960 he was called upon again to advise on the rehabilitation of the structure (some of his drawings were used during the building's rehabilitation). He also worked with Maybeck on a number of residences

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Access Collection is open for research.