The Virginia Harper papers date from the 1940s to 2005 and measure 12.25 linear inches. The papers are arranged in four series: Biographical Information, Correspondence, Civic Leadership Positions, and Iowa Racial Issues and Photographs.

The Biographical Information series ([1940s]-1997) consists of correspondence, newspaper clippings, family histories, and memorabilia of the Harper family. Handwritten and typescript copies of "The Dandridge Family History," written by Virginia Harper's great aunt Rosa Dandridge Pryor in 1971, include descriptions of George and Jane Motley Stevens' and Rufus Dandridge's lives under slavery and after settling in Lee County ca. 1866. Minutes, newsletters, and lists relating to the annual Harper-Dandridge family reunions are included in this series; the "Harper Reunion Log Book" (1934-1979) can be found in the Harry Harper papers in the University of Iowa Special Collections Department. This series includes three short poems written by Leanne Howard, one of the "Currier Five" who integrated the dorms at the University of Iowa in 1946.

The Correspondence series (1950-1987 and undated) comprises letters by Harper, her family, and friends, and includes several written in the 1950s by Clif White, a musician travelling with jazz and swing big bands.

Harper's involvement in local and state activities is documented in the Civic leadership positions series (1963-1987). The series includes materials relevant to her service on the State Board of Public Instruction, the Iowa Board of Parole, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and her volunteer service for the Iowa State Penitentiary. The local Fort Madison branch NAACP newsletters (1963-1970), which Harper edited, are also part of the series.

The Iowa Racial Issues series (1961-1988 and undated) comprises diverse materials. It includes information on an African-American statewide communications network; Iowa affirmative action policy; curriculum guides, including "Minority Cultures and Negro History: A Supplement to the Course of Study in Social Studies" (1970) from the Mason City Schools; and various articles on race relations. A sizable portion of the material in the series is devoted to the Highway 61 issue (1968-1976), the location of which the NAACP opposed on the grounds of racial discrimination.