Marjory Stoneman Douglas (1890-1998) led an extraordinary, long life, and established herself as one of South Florida's premier personalities of the twentieth century. Douglas' importance as a female writer and reporter of both local and national significance is further impacted by her pioneering role as an environmental and political activist. As a writer and reporter she enjoyed a distinguished career first as an assistant editor for the Miami Herald and later as an O. Henry Award winning short story writer and novelist. Her most popular and acclaimed work, the Everglades: river of grass, a natural and historical guide to the famed Florida wetlands , raised public consciousness about the need to conserve and reclaim the Everglades as a priceless and critically balanced natural environment. The Papers consist of 39 linear feet of book manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, diaries, newspaper articles, videos, awards and other primary source material. The complete collection is housed at the University of Miami Special Collections and a description of the papers is available through the collection's finding aid. Selected photographs, correspondence and other materials are digitized and available online.