The Ethel Hale Freeman Papers span a period from 1882 to 1917. Much of the material is from her time as a professor at Smith. The information regarding her personal life is largely confined to her correspondence with her family during two trips to Europe, the first in 1905-1906 and the second in 1908-1909. A large portion of the collection contains correspondence and materials documenting her involvement in various organizations, particularly the Lend-a-Hand Dramatic Club. The folders are arranged alphabetically by subject, and the collection is composed of correspondence, class notes, plays, photographs, memorabilia books, and other general items such as music scores and sketches.

This collection is organized into five series:

• I. General
• II. Correspondence
• III. Class Notebooks
• IV. Memorabilia
• V. Lend-a-Hand Dramatic Club