The collection consists of 6 diaries, 2 appointment books, and papers written between 1928 and 1956 by Estella Hughes (1887-1971) of Kalamazoo, Michigan, psychiatric social worker and Director of Social Services at Kalamazoo State Hospital.

Estella Hughes's diary entries occasionally mention her work at the Kalamazoo State Hospital. Many of the diary entries detail her life with her husband, as well as her life after his passing in 1940. Estella kept up on current events throughout her life, which she included in her diary entries. There are mentions of conditions in the United States during World War II, her avid support of President FDR, and local and statewide issues, especially those which related to her career at the State Hospital and women’s civic engagement. She was a member of and wrote about her involvement in several local groups, including the American Association of Social Workers, the American Association of University Women, Women’s League of Voters, Kent County Social Workers’ Club, and the Kalamazoo Council of Social Agencies.