The Hettie M. Dodd Carter Papers consist primarily of two diaries, but also include correspondence, composition, biographical information, and photographs. The diaries chiefly describe Carter's voyage from Marsovan, Turkey to the United States after the death of her father in 1866. The first diary notes Carter's activities aboard the ship and stops in Malta and Liverpool, as well as her stay with relatives in New Jersey and homesickness. These passages are occasionally in Turkish. The second diary contains brief entries about Carter's first year as a student at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, 1867-1868. Carter mentions her coursework, activities and examinations. The other material in the collection documents Carter's correspondence with the Mount Holyoke Alumnae Association and a photograph of herself. The composition was written in Carter's senior year at the Seminary, entitled, "Esther Clyde's Party."