It includes data and commentary on U.S. refugee policies from bygone eras up to the Fall of Saigon, then to the war in Syria that dispersed populations in-country, regionally, and worldwide.
Purcell worked in public affairs for his entire career, serving in every presidential administration from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan.
In 1983, President of the United States Ronald Reagan nominated Purcell as Director of the Bureau of Refugee Programs, and he held this office from June 12, 1983, to September 28, 1986.
In 1988, Purcell became Director General of the International Organization for Migration in Geneva, a post he held until 1998, having been re-nominated by Bill Clinton and reelected.
Among awards he received while at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) were The Order of the Phoenix (Greece) and Wings of Hope (USAIM).