Gale Stubbs was born on July 1, 1923 in Akron, Ohio to Florence M. Harris and Elmer J. Stubbs. She graduated from Cleveland Heights High School in 1941, and from Mount Holyoke College in 1945. She married Robert M. McClung in July of 1949. She became the editor of the "Mount Holyoke Alumnae Quarterly" in 1961.

The Gale Stubbs McClung Papers consist of correspondence, writings, and photographs. The correspondence, 1941-1947, written to her parents begins with McClung's first impressions of Mount Holyoke College. McClung's letters detail her social activities, particularly weekend excursions to Amherst College, as well as her excitement about Mount Holyoke traditions, including "senior hazing" and junior show. McClung also describes her academic life, worrying about exams and grades and mentioning topics covered in her coursework. Of special note within the correspondence is McClung's involvement with wartime organizations on campus and the participation of not only students in the war effort, but also of women. Later letters discuss McClung's work at IBM and her social activities while living in New York City. The writings include an article entitled "Inside Mount Holyoke," written in 1959 for the "Mount Holyoke Alumnae Quarterly," further describing McClung's involvement in the college community, both as a student and alumna. The photographs show McClung in class wearing her jeans and flannel shirt, a gift request made during an early correspondence to her parents. Also included is a thesis written by Florence Mae Waldron entitled, "In Public and In Private: The Wartime College Experience of Gale Stubbs," describing McClung's participation with several different organizations on campus during World War II.