The Margaret Davis Collison papers measure 3.5 linear feet and date from 1937 to 1990. The papers are divided into three series: Personal, Board of Regents, and Political. The bulk of the papers document the issues occurring during Collison's tenure on the Iowa Board of Regents.

The Personal series (1937-1989) contains incoming and outgoing correspondence, newspaper clippings relating Collison's family and personal life, and several photographs. Also included are subject files detailing a large portion of Collison's non-regential activities, including conferences she was involved in and boards on which she served.

The Board of Regents series (1970-1981) consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence and of subject files which outline topics addressed by the Board. Papers concerning important issues dealt with during Collison's tenure including collective bargaining, credit by examination, dormitory and dining services, equal employment opportunity, and the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School can be found in this series.

The Political series (1966-1982) is made up of materials concerning Collison's political activity, the bulk consisting of items from the Roxanne Conlin gubernatorial campaign. These provide an interesting contrast to the Roxanne Conlin papers (also held by the Iowa Women's Archives), in that they present detailed activities of the people who performed the laborious work of the campaign, as opposed to the more formal materials of the candidate herself.