The Arlene E. Johnsen Trans World Airlines Collection consists of textual materials collected by Arlene E. Johnson during her 36-year career as a flight attendant for Trans World Airlines (TWA), from 1960-1996. It also includes a small amount of materials related to the crash that claimed her life, collected by her twin sister, Marlene. Original order has been maintained and the collection is arranged into two series: Series I: Arlene Johnsen TWA materials and Series II: TWA Flight 800 materials.

Series I, Arlene Johnsen TWA materials, give a good sense of what it was like to fly with TWA in the 1960s through the 1980s and many documents include Arlene Johnsen's personal notes and annotations. It contains material such as flight attendant training manuals, including a “Hostess Course” manual for the Boeing 707; and employee information, including memos, policies, timetables, and correspondence. There is a small amount of information related to Vietnam War-era Material Air Command stewardess duties, including a commendation letter and instructions for flight attendants arriving in Guam and Vietnam. Also included are health and travel benefit documents; and labor agreements, as well as materials related to labor disputes between flight attendants and TWA in the 1960s and 1980s. Ephemera such as menus, safety cards, TWA advertising brochures, and 1965-1980s in-flight movie fliers, many with personal annotations by Johnsen, are also present.

Series II, TWA Flight 800 materials, was collected after Arlene’s death by her twin sister, Marlene. It is comprised of both original and photocopied clippings and newspaper articles that relate to the crash of TWA Flight 800, the investigation, and aftermath of the incident.