The collection consists of her manuscript of "David and the Bear Man," which was published by Macmillan in 1929. It also contains manuscript, typescript, and galley proof versions of "The Singing Swan: An Account of Ann Seward and Her Acquaintance with Dr. Johnson, Boswell, and Others of Their Time," published by Yale University Press in 1931. Additionally, the collection features six black-and-white photographs intended for reproduction in the biography, as well as three letters concerning its publication.

The Ross family fonds consists primarily of records related to the student achievements of the Ross children and includes student notebooks, news clippings, convocation programmes, certificates, and memorabilia of the Red and White Revue such as songs, photographs and original songs. Edward Russell Paterson’s student notebooks in geology, petrography and English literature are included.

In addition, there are two diaries of William Stieven Paterson’s from his travels through Civil War battlefields in the southern USA and a trip to Cuba; 8 photograph albums depicting the Paterson side of the family; 3 scrapbooks of magazine stories for children, poems and household hints; and correspondence between Dorothy Jean Ross and the McGill University Archives.