The Lois Baker Muehl papers date from 1952 to 2000 and measure 2.1 linear feet. The papers are arranged in seven series: Biographical, China, Professional, Unpublished Works, Published Works, Publication Files, and Photographs and Slides.

The Biography series dates from 1957-1990 and contains several newspaper articles about the life and career of Lois Baker Muehl, personal letters, and speeches. Also included in this series are the various awards Muehl won for her writing and an interview with Muehl excerpted from Iowa: A Place to Read, published by the Iowa Reading Association in 1990. The complete volume, Iowa: A Place to Read, is shelved in the printed works collection of the Iowa Women's Archives.

The China series dates from 1987-1993 and contains information and records from Lois Muehl's trip to China as a visiting professor teaching English to post-doctorate students at Hohai University. Included is a copy of her contract with Hohai University and articles and information that Muehl collected in preparation for her trip to China. This series also contains the diaries and journals she kept while in China. These diaries are the basis for her published work, Trading Cultures in the Classroom, co-authored by her husband, Siegmar Muehl.

The Professional series dates from 1969-1987 and contains papers from Lois Baker Muehl's career as a professor of rhetoric at the University of Iowa. Included in this series is a copy of the text she wrote, A Reading Approach to Rhetoric, which contains extensive margin notes from Muehl. Also included is material from various exhibits presented by Lois Baker Muehl at the Iowa Memorial Union, materials she prepared for the Iowa Testing Program, and papers pertaining to her work at the Developmental Reading Center at the University of Iowa.

The Unpublished Works series dates from 1952-2006 and is organized by genre (children's literature, poetry, essay, etc.). This series is primarily comprised of stories for children, but also includes short stories, essays, and non-fiction.

The Published Works series dated from 1937-2012 and is organized by genre (poetry, essay, academic, etc.). Included in this series are copies of the publications in which Lois Baker Muehl's writing was published, as well as separate drafts of published works. This series also contains manuscripts of Muehl's published books. Three works have been transferred to the Iowa Women's Archives printed works collection: Trading Cultures in the Classroom, 1993; The Hidden Year of Devlin Bates, 1967; Worst Room in the School, 1961.

The Publication Files series dates from 1975-2013 and reflects the business aspects of Muehl’s writing life. Included are newspaper clippings, publication correspondence, contracts, notes, awards, and lists of published works (and compensation amounts).

The Photographs and Slides series dates from 1980-2012 and covers both professional and personal aspects of Lois Baker Muehl's life. Many of the photographs are of rugs, embroidered wall-hangings and quilts that Muehl made for her family. Others are of various art and craft projects, including driftwood sculptures, shadow boxes, and designs created from antique buttons. The slides are mostly from and exhibit that Lois Muehl put together for display in the Iowa Memorial Union on the University of Iowa campus in 1980.

2 folders