Correspondence, speeches, articles, editorials written by Abelson during his tenure as editor of Science, the chief publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, minutes, reports, grant proposals, financial records, publications, and other papers relating to Abelson's participation in scientific professional organizations and advisory committees including the American Geophysical Union, Bio-energy Council, Carnegie Institution of Washington, International Union of Geological Sciences, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the National Academy of Sciences.