Author, poet, scholar, professor and self-described as a "non political feminist," Nancy Pedrick Smith Mairs, Ph.D. was well known for her autobiographical work that addressed living with disability, multiple sclerosis, depression, and her Roman Catholic faith. Born July 23, 1943, in Long Beach, California, Mairs received an A.B. in English Literature from Wheaton College, as well as an MFA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in English, both from the University of Arizona. She taught writing on the high school and university level.

Mairs was the author of nine books and countless newspaper and magazine articles. She was the recipient of numerous awards including the Western States Book Award in 1984 for In All the Rooms of the Yellow House. Her writings were regularly reviewed in the New York Times and on National Public Radio. Ms. Mairs lived in Tucson, AZ until her death in 2016.

The collection contains personal and family correspondence, family papers, photographs; educational, business, and professional papers; literary manuscripts, reviews, and collected writings.