The Marcia Thayer papers date from 1927 to 2013 and measure 3 linear feet in 18 boxes. The papers are arranged in eleven series: Biographical information, Education, Dance companies, Dance productions, Paul Engle poetry, Teaching responsibilities, University of Iowa Department of Dance, Newspaper Clippings, Photographs, Audiovisual, and Artifacts.

The Biographical Information series contains Thayer's, correspondence, resume, scrapbooks, and eulogy. The Education series contains notes from her undergraduate and graduate class work as well as yearbooks and a scrapbook.

Thayer's efforts to invite professional dancers and their companies to present and teach in the Department of Dance are represented in the Dance Companies series, which consists of publicity brochures and correspondence.

The Dance Productions series consists of news releases, programs, correspondence, and production records. Included are Dance Gala posters, Orchesis modern dance club programs dating from the early 1930s, publicity and club reports, and budget and membership records as well as Midwestern Dance Symposium programs and correspondence dealing with artist searches. The sub-series Madrigal Dinners contains programs and notes from twenty years of participation in the dinner theater production.

The Paul Engle Poetry series is comprised of poetry exchanged between Thayer and Paul Engle. Engle was a professor of English and director of the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa.

The Teaching Responsibilities series contains student papers and classroom handouts. Included are records of the Saturday School of the Dance taught by Thayer.

The University of Iowa Department of Dance series is comprised of departmental publications pertaining to the curriculum, application forms, and undergraduate and graduate dance programs. Blue prints of a proposed conversion of the mirror room to a dance theatre complete the series.

The Newspaper Clippings series is comprised of a collection of review and general interest articles, photographs and a scrapbook containing newspaper clippings from 1964 to 1985.

The Photographs series consists of photographs of dance productions at the University of Iowa, professional dance companies, dance classes, and portraits. Marcia Thayer is depicted in many of the photographs throughout the series. Photographs of classes and activities offered by the Department of Physical Education for Women between 1927 and 1939 depict social dancing, synchronized swimming, and a dance production. Annual Dance Theatre productions are documented in photographs and negatives.

The Audiovisual series consists of a film of eleven dances recorded at the Communications Center. The 20-minute film consists of solo and duet performances by Marcia Thayer and Lar Lubovitch, and solo and group productions by unidentified dancers. A videotape of the film is available for viewing.

A 1982 Dance Gala and "An American in Iowa" button comprise the Artifacts series.