The Max Hensley papers comprise 2.0 cubic feet of materials relating to his career as an herpetologist. The collection is arranged into three series: correspondence, professional associations, and general information. The correspondence series spans the dates 1947-1984. A large majority of the letters are requests for information about snakes, reptiles or amphibians or how to handle household problems with snakes. The folder headings in this series reflect Hensley’s own descriptions. The professional associations series contains journals, conference programs and some correspondence relating to Hensley’s work with professional associations including the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, the Herpetologists’ League, and the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

The final series, general information, consists of five folders. Two folders relate to National Science Foundation Grants and Fellowships awarded to Hensley. There is one folder on Gettysburg College, where Hensley taught before arriving at Michigan State University. There are also two folders relating to summer institutes in which Hensley participated.