Subseries consists of correspondence, applications, curriculum vitae, notes and clippings on Messenger's teaching career with the UBC English Department, including tributes given at his memorial service.

Series consists of offprints, reprints, photocopies and drafts of Messenger's essays, reviews, and articles. It also includes poems and limericks, notes, clippings, and correspondence.

Series consists of notes, clippings, articles, reviews, revisions, and correspondence about Active Voice, a reader co-edited by Messenger and William New that was published in 1980 (1st ed.), 1986 (2nd ed.) and 1991 (3rd ed.).

The sous-fonds consists of correspondence, clippings, student records, student notebooks and papers, yearbooks, poetry, cookbooks, manuscripts, portraits, obituary notices, and tributes.

Subseries consists of game boards and draft game boards for three board games: "Cheat,"; "Hugger-Mugger," and an untitled geographic board game. The game boards are in oversize boxes.

Series consists of records about the Canadian Writer's Handbook, a writing guide co-authored by Messenger and Jan de Bruyn that was published in 1980 (1st ed.), 1986 (2nd ed.) and 1995 (3rd ed.). There are two subseries: Miscellaneous subseries and Subject subseries.

Series consists of correspondence and personnel files on career and employment before Messenger's teaching career at UBC.

The subseries consists of various records about the chronologies created for and included in Literature In English, including clippings and notes, revisions and an appendix.

Subseries consists of issues of the ComPost, the English Department's composition newsletter, which Messenger created and edited, including notes, distribution lists, memos and articles.

Series consists of records about Messenger's role as the Canadian National Editor of Conradiana between 1969 to 1980. These records include correspondence, notes, clippings, drafts and annotated copies of articles and reviews, and revisions.

Subseries consists of notes, outlines, handouts, bibliographies, articles, tests and assignments of the different courses taught by Messenger in the English Department as an Instructor and Associate Professor.

Series consists of Messenger's works of fiction, detective story and murder mystery, including his manuscripts, outlines, notes, correspondence with publishers, and the final manuscript of A Necessary End, a murder mystery co-authored by Messenger with his wife Ann under the pseudonym of Edmund Carey.

Series consists of records about Elements of Writing: a Process Rhetoric for Canadian Students (previously called "Essentials of Writing"), a writing guide co-authored by Messenger and Peter A Taylor and published in 1984. These records include correspondence, notes, drafts, reviews, permission forms, and revisions.

Series consists of records about games and word puzzles created by Messenger. There are three subseries: Miscellaneous subseries, "Triple-Ploy" subseries, and Board Games subseries.

Series consists of records pertaining to the anthology edited by Messenger and Bill New in 1993. There are four subseries: Research Notes subseries, Permissions subseries, Miscellaneous subseries, and Chronologies subseries.

Series consists of various miscellaneous records, including newspaper clippings, correspondence, newsletters, notebooks, travel logs and diaries, calendars, his diary as a homeowner and his interests in gardening and genealogy.

Subseries consists of records that were used for or produced during the creation of Literature in English. These records include correspondence, revision, notes, reviews, designs, and various illustrations.

Subseries consists of notes, revisions, correspondence, reviews, marketing materials, and drafts about the Canadian Writer's Handbook (1st, 2nd and 3rd eds.).

Subseries consists of miscellaneous notes, correspondence and articles related to the English Department.

Subseries consists of records about creating various types of word games and puzzles. These records include original, copy and draft puzzles, notes, completed puzzles (not started by Messenger), and clippings.

Series consists of draft chapters, clippings, and notes of Messenger's work on his sea-themed novel called The Last Horizon.

Subseries consists of permission forms and permission tracking forms for various works that were published in Literature in English.

Series consists of various correspondence, Christmas letters, and postcards received and sent out by Messenger to family, friends, colleagues, university libraries and publishers, including numerous hand-written notes written after Ann Messenger's death, found scattered among his correspondence files.

Series consists of colour photographs of William Messenger, his wife Ann and colleagues and friends, including pictures of his house. These are the photographs from the accrual in 2003 only. The series is arranged by year.

Series consists of records about Messenger's miscellaneous editorial and review projects for Prentice-Hall Canada Inc. These records include an annotated policy document and correspondence.

Subseries consists of records that were used for research during the creation of Literature In English. Each file within the subseries pertains to a particular writer or poet that was featured in the anthology.

Series consists of Messenger's records as an undergraduate student at the University of Washington (1955-1956), a graduate student at Cornell University (1957-1959) and a post-graduate student at UCLA at Berkeley (1960-1966). These records include correspondence, student papers, artwork, designs and pencil drawings (thumbnail faculty drawings), manuscripts, notebooks, examinations, assignments, and transcripts.

Series consists of notes and clippings about miscellaneous subjects.

Subseries consists of notes and clippings on various subjects included in the Canadian Writer's Handbook.

Series consists of Messenger's thesis presented to Cornell University and his doctoral dissertation submitted to the University of California at Berkeley (Box 13), including notes, correspondence, drafts and chapter notes.

Series consists of records about Messenger's participation in the Thesis Bibliography Series Project; this is an international bibliography of doctoral dissertations and masters' theses on selected writers. These records include correspondence and pamphlets.

Subseries consists of records about Messenger's regular puzzle column Triple-Ploy, published in Western Living Magazine. These records include correspondence, completed puzzles and revisions.

Series consists of records of William Messenger's years with the UBC English Department. There are four subseries: Academic Teaching Career subseries, ComPost subseries, Course Materials subseries and Miscellaneous subseries.

Series consists of records relating to Gifts and Endowments from William and Ann Messenger, including correspondence, notices of awards, and book lists.

The fonds consists of correspondence, revisions, drafts, notes, theses materials, reviews, photographs and negatives pertaining to Messengers personal life, education, career, research and personal interests and the various publications that he was associated with. The fonds also includes game boards, notes, drafts and original word puzzles. Finally, the fonds contains the Ann Parshall Messenger sous-fonds.