The Mary Elizabeth Wood papers date from 1920 to 1996 and measure 2.5 linear feet. The papers are arranged in five series: Personal information; Church, civic groups, and clubs; Honors and recognition; Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA); and Photographs. The bulk of the collection is related to Wood's work as an administrator at the Buffalo, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh YWCAs.

The Personal information series (1941-1996) contains Wood's personal correspondence as well as some of her poetry, most of which was included in her annual Christmas letter. Of interest are a drawing and Lenten letter sent out by Wood after she had a near-death experience in 1992. There is also the transcript of an oral history interview conducted in1997 by the Iowa Women's Archives as part of the "Giving Voice to Their Memories: Oral Histories of African-American Women in Iowa" project.

The Church, civic groups and clubs series (1958-1996) contains files that reflect Wood's involvement in her church and community. The files related to the Health and Welfare Planning Association and the 1977 Conference on Aging indicate her concern for the elderly.

The Honors and recognition series (1920-1982) contains Wood's diplomas and many certificates and awards she received in recognition of her professional service to the community, as well as her church involvement and charitable giving.

The Young Women's Christian Association series (1941-1995) is divided into two subseries: Consultant and Director. The Consultant subseries contains materials documenting Wood's work as a volunteer for the national board of the YWCA after her retirement. The Director subseries chronicles Wood's professional career at the Buffalo, Newark, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh YWCAs.

The Photographs series (1925-1996) illustrates events from Mary Wood's adult life. The Des Moines folder contains an undated group photograph of the Des Moines Junior NAACP chapter probably from the 1920s. Of interest are two panoramic photographs that document Wood's earliest work. One photograph features the students and staff of Houston College (Houston, Texas), where Wood was first employed after graduation from Drake University. The second panoramic photograph shows Wood and other attendees at the National YWCA Conference in Frankfort, Kentucky in 1926.