The Mary Phylinda Dole Papers consist of course records, writings, memorabilia, samples of weaving, biographical information, and photographs. The material dates from 1885-1947. Course records consist of three notebooks dating from 1885-1886 that contain drawings and descriptions of the dissection of cats for coursework in zoology at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. Writings consist of an unpublished autobiographical piece, ca.1940, and an autobiography published in 1941 entitled "A Doctor in Homespun." Memorabilia consists of publication announcements for Dole's autobiography, a Mount Holyoke Club of New York newsletter, 1941, and an announcement for an exhibition of Dole's weaving. There are also two poems to Dole from a patient in 1897. Three samples of weaving, dating from ca.1927-ca.1947, consist of a pillow with a woven top, a scarf, and a small square. Biographical information dates from ca.1906-1947 and includes biographical notes, articles, obituaries, and a tribute. The majority of this information consists of newspaper articles, 1931-1941, that describe her weaving, the fellowship fund she created to help Mount Holyoke alumnae attend medical school, and the publication of her autobiography. The photographs date from 1886-ca.1913, 1937-1941 and consist of both formal and informal photographs of Dole, primarily alone. In addition, there is a photograph of her house in New Haven, Connecticut. There are also a number of negatives for these photographs.

Material from this collection is available in an online digital format.

This collection is organized into six series:

• Course Records
• Writings
• Memorabilia
• Samples of Weaving
• Biographical Information
• Photographs