The Joyce Gault papers date from 1940 to 2001 and measure 20.75 linear inches in 3 boxes. The papers are arranged in 4 series: Personal (1940-2001), Education (1942-1974), Professional (1940-2001), and Audiovisual (1988). The bulk of the collection deals with Joyce Gault as Professor of Music at the University of Northern Iowa.

The Personal series contains a variety of short statements that details Gault’s life and achievements. Next, there is a range of newspaper clippings about Joyce Gault and her activities. Rounding out this series are Gault’s multiple certificates that were awarded to her for being active throughout her life.

The Education series grapples with Gault’s journey to becoming a professional musician. This series holds her academic diplomas from 8th grade to her PhD in music from Northwestern University. This series is completed with programs from recitals she gave as an undergraduate and graduate student.

The Professional series is the largest of the collection and begins with music recital programs for events in which Gault performed as a guest and from her stretch as a music director for the New Hampton High School before she began graduate school. There are several music recital programs for her students as well. Following the student recital programs are Dr. Gault’s faculty recital programs. The performances were mostly from Gault’s time at UNI and a few from Northwestern spanning from 1950 to 2001. This series also includes correspondence to Gault from various music professionals and others. Next in the series are documents evaluating contestants for the Iowa High School Music Association in 1951. Gault judged this competition as her girls’ and boys’ glee club were participants. Additionally, within this folder are official and rough draft reports, critiques, and summary of her accomplishments. The critiques are for the Iowa High School Music Association and the summary of accomplishments was as School of Music faculty. In the succeeding folder are two notebooks, the smaller notebook is a retirement gift from Gault’s students and co-workers at UNI. The larger notebooks contain notes from the University of Maryland’s International Piano Festival in 1973. Box two closes with two folders; one folder contains photographs of Joyce Gault throughout her life. The other folder holds artifacts such as necklaces and pins from organizations Gault was involved in along with the coin purse they were removed from. Concluding Joyce Gault’s collection is a scrapbook with some loose pages that she constructed while she was 16 years old. Inside that scrapbook are club programs and activities of girls of the 4H Club, a youth development organization. As well as newspaper clippings, snapshots, and questionnaires.

The Audiovisual series has one audio cassette tape of a 1988 faculty recital she held at the University of Northern Iowa is shelved in the audiocassette collection.