The papers of J. Hyatt Downing consist of 1.5 linear feet of manuscripts dating from 1925 to 1968. The arrangement is primarily alphabetical, with the short stories and an unpublished novel grouped separately. The papers include such items as correspondence, biographical material, drafts and published versions of short stories, and a typescript draft of his last unpublished novel. A description of Downing and this collection may be found in Books at Iowa, no. 8 (April 1968) p. 11-18, 23: "The Chronicle of an Era," by Anthony T. Wadden.