The bulk of the Alice French Papers consists of five boxes of typescripts of her published and unpublished work, diaries, clippings, numerous reviews of her writings, a sketchbook, and several speeches. The diaries record, sometimes intermittently, activities and observations regarding social engagements, visits with friends, family doings, the weather and other minutiae of daily life. Seven diaries cover 1905-1918 and the rest date 1922, 1923, 1926 and 1931. In addition, there is a small journal kept on a European journey taken with Andrew Carnegie and his party in 1881. The literary manuscripts include a typescript of her first published story, "Hugo's Waiting," (1871), several variants of an unpublished work called The Coming of Abdallah, several variants of a mystery novel to be titled either Footsteps of Fear, Footprints of Fear or Mystery of the Red Hand, and miscellaneous fragments of both stories and articles. There are several speeches and a great many newspaper reviews. Also, an oversize ledger book covering the years 1893 to 1898, which contains the following: lists of articles and stories sent to publishers; expenses and money received; engagements; books received; names of papers and magazines containing reviews; lists of literary correspondents; clippings and a few other miscellaneous items. Included in the collection are two reels of microfilm: an unpublished biography by Ruth Tucker (ca. 1940) and a copy of an 1871 diary of her mother, Frances Morton French. The originals of the microfilms were returned in 1951 to Grace F. Evans, French's niece and the donor of the papers.