The Gertrude Van Wagenen papers date from 1889 to 1920 and measure 1.25 linear feet (3 boxes). The papers are arranged in four series: Personal, Correspondence, Travel, and Scientific Journals. The Personal series contains newspaper clippings, photos, bills, a family tree, obituaries, name tags, University of Iowa lab passes, and a 1919 University of Iowa dissertation announcement booklet.

The Correspondence series includes both professional and personal letters that Gertrude Van Wagenen had received between the years 1908-1919. The bulk of the correspondence are from the years 1916-1919 when Van Wagenen was working on her PhD in Zoology at the State University of Iowa. The series is arranged alphabetically by correspondent and then chronologically. Correspondents include family members such as her father and brother, friends and colleagues including D. C. Emerson, W. A. Nickerson, Walter K. Fisher, and William B. McClure. Topics discussed in the correspondence range widely. Topics such as World War I can be found in the correspondence from D.C. Emerson and Van Wagenen’s brother, Tony. Other topics such as research, travels, personal relationships, and interests can be found throughout the series.

The Travels series mainly consists of brochures, maps, luggage tags, and menus from her travels to New York, Chicago, and the Caribbean between the years 1916-1919. In this series there are also documents relating to her research trips such as passport applications, packing checklists, and specimen collection instructions. A 1916 Bermuda newspaper discusses various countries’ involvement in World War I.

The Scientific Journals series includes various journals and articles that Van Wagenen owned. The bulk of this series consists of scientific journal articles however also included in this series are academic book catalogues, a newspaper article about fossilized remains, and a 1918 issue of the magazine London Life and Modern Society.