The papers, which are mostly from her retirement years, consist mainly of scrapbooks and clippings related to her political activities and subjects that interested her (e.g. politics, health care, race relations) as well as correspondence, reports, a family photograph album, and materials regarding her donation to Southwestern University.

The correspondence includes season’s greetings and birthday cards and letters from friends and family, as well as letters from editors, authors and politicians. There are also health reports and calendars. Of special interest relating to Ames’ private life is the extensive correspondence with her sister Lulu Daniel Hardy and her daughters, Mary A. Raffensperger and Lulu Daniel Ames, in the 1960s.

Jessie Daniel Ames donated her library of more than 1,200 books to Southwestern University. The collection has a strong focus on women’s rights, race relations and African-American history, but also include history, politics, art, travel, religions and fiction. These books can be located by searching the library’s online catalog.