The Mary (Johnston) Elson papers date from 1928 to 2004 and measure 17.5 linear inches. The papers are arranged in five series: Biographical, Education, Teaching, the Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs, and Artifacts.

The Biographical series (1928-2004) includes a biography hand-written by Mary Elson in 2004, and diaries spanning the period from 1960 through 2008. The early diaries cover family vacations the Elsons took each summer to various places across the U.S., and a family trip to Europe in 1977. Beginning in 1979, Elson made daily entries in her diary, detailing many aspects of her day-to-day life. Also within this series are numerous newspaper clippings from the early 1930s covering life in Birmingham, Iowa. Some of the clippings provide information about the Birmingham High School Women's Basketball Team, of which Mary Johnston was a member. This series also includes the Elson's WWII ration books, and a number of booklets and pamphlets from the World's Fair held in Chicago in 1934.

The Education series (1928-1966) includes several graduation programs and certificates, report cards, and scrapbooks of Birmingham High School "School Notes" clippings, a newspaper series that Mary Johnston helped edit. Also included are Iowa State Teacher's College (now U.N.I.) yearbooks from 1938 and 1939. Of particular note are the school notebooks made by Mary Johnston during her high school years, which cover subjects such as literature, agriculture, biology, and home economics.

The Teaching series (1933-1976) includes various school newsletters, teaching certificates, and contracts spanning Mary Elson's entire teaching career. Also included is a Folk Tales book compiled by the Iowa State Teacher's College. Photographs from Mary Elson's teaching career, including photos of Mary Elson, other teachers, and of students, conclude the series.

The Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs series (1958-1962) includes numerous "yearbook" booklets from women's clubs, each highlighting a specific year. The yearbooks contain such information as that year's calendar, the membership, the club motto, and the year of founding and federation. The series also features an issue of The Iowa Clubwoman, and a booklet compiled by Mary Elson, as Chairman of the Art Division of the IFWC, which includes "A Look at Art in Iowa." This essay provides information on the art departments at Iowa colleges and universities, history and information on Iowa art associations and museums, and brief biographies of numerous Iowa artists. Photographs of Mary Elson conclude this series.

The Artifacts series (1922-1977) includes mementos from her school and teaching days.