The Bessie Boies Cotton Papers consist of 1.5 linear feet and relate to her professional and personal life, dating from 1891 to 1983. The bulk of the papers date from 1910 to 1935 and focus on Cotton's work in the YWCA, particularly during her time in Russia, and the courtship between Cotton and her husband, Thomas. Cotton's papers provide valuable insight into the work of the YWCA in Russia from 1917 to 1919 as well as the conditions in Russia during the Revolution and World War I. There is little material documenting the last twenty-five years of her life, or her relationship with her family after her marriage. Although Cotton worked with several women's rights organizations and groups devoted to promoting peace, there is little evidence of that work in this collection. Types of material include correspondence; diaries; reports; magazine articles and newspaper clippings; family histories; financial records; membership lists; pamphlets; memorabilia; and photographs.

This collection is organized into five series:

• I. Biographical Materials
• II. Correspondence
• III. Diaries
• IV. YWCA
• V. Photographs