The Doris Bender Hughes papers date from 1945 to 2013 and measure 2 linear inches. The papers are divided into three series: Correspondence, General, and Photographs. The Doris Bender Hughespapers center on her activities as an undergraduate student at the State University of Iowa.

The Correspondence series (1945-1950), which forms the bulk of the collection, contains letters written by Doris Bender in Iowa City, Iowa, to her parents in Norwich, New York. The letters highlight student social life at the State University of Iowa. Topics discussed in the personal correspondence include finances, classes, and social entertainment. The letters help to illuminate the relationship between a daughter attending an out-of-state college and her family.

The General series includes a retrospective scrapbook containing photocopies of images, newspaper clippings, and historical information concerning the State University of Iowa in the mid-1940s to the early 1950s, an autobiographical narrative by Doris Bender Hughes, and excerpts from letters and from informational publications issued by the State University of Iowa in the 1940s. A reminscence of Coralville, Iowa, in the 1950s written by Hughes in 2013 completes the series.

The Photographs (1945-1950)include many photographs of friends and the State University of Iowa's campus. Also included are several photographs of children who attended the preschool where Doris Bender worked. Identification of the subject matter of the photographs is provided on the back of the photographs.