The papers of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller primarily consist of correspondence, including personal correspondence to family and relatives, biographical materials; art collection files, and files pertaining to her philanthropic activities.

The Charles E. Culpeper Foundation archives present a complete account of the foundation's activities in the years following the death of Charles E. Culpeper, during which the foundation devised and established its philanthropic mandate. The collection includes the Fiftieth Anniversary Report 1940-1990, a general overview of the foundation's involvement in the areas of health, education, arts and culture, and administration of justice, with a breakdown of funds provided for each field.

Important subjects in this collection include: child development and parent education; public health; interracial relations; general education; foreign and home missions; emergency relief in time of natural disaster and war; development of social sciences - both practically and theoretically; and social welfare.

The Central Files series contains the general correspondence of the Office of the Vice President from Nelson A. Rockefeller's tenure (December 19, 1974, to January 20, 1977). The series offers partial documentation of Rockefeller's role in the development of national policy and his duties as President of the U.S. Senate. There is correspondence with President Gerald R. Ford and members of his staff, congressional representatives, senators, other government officials, and foreign dignitaries. However, there is very little in this series documenting actual policy formation. Much of the correspondence with government officials concerns the Vice President's information-gathering activities on behalf of the White House and executive agencies, as well as his support of the President's policies. There are also reports and position papers on national issues submitted to the Vice President by individuals both within and outside the federal government. Virtually all of these were unsolicited.

This series focuses on Joseph E. Persico's service as the chief speech writer for Nelson A. Rockefeller during his two last terms as Governor of New York (1967-1973) and during his service as Vice President of the United States (1974-1977). This collection contains the speeches and press releases that Persico wrote in this capacity. His personal papers and writings are at the New York State Archives in Albany.

The National Commission on Water Quality (NCWQ) was formed in 1972 by President Richard Nixon, who appointed Nelson A. Rockefeller (then-governor of New York) chair of the Commission. It was an outgrowth of the 1972 Water Pollution Control Act. The Commission got off to a late start: The first meeting was in May 1973. It did not meet its reporting deadline of October 1975 but continued into 1976. The Commission consisted of five members from the public sector and ten from Congress--five each from both chambers. Senator Edmund Muskie and Senator Robert Jones co-chaired the Commission. (Throughout the collection, there is evidence of in-fighting between Rockefeller and Muskie.) The staff of 60 was headed by General Frederick Clarke.

When President Gerald R. Ford selected Nelson A. Rockefeller to fill the vacant vice presidency on August 20, 1974, Rockefeller's staff began preparing material for the confirmation hearings. Much of the material in this series was gathered from the Rockefeller family archives, which was located in Rockefeller Center.