The papers primarily document his oceanographic and geological research and his career as a faculty member and scientist at Columbia University. To a lesser extent, they concern his personal affairs. They include incoming and outgoing corresondence with geologists, oceanographers, Columbia University colleagues, publishers and professional organizations; personal correspondence, memorabilia, and records from his college career; files on Heezen's professional activities including related materials concerning contracts and grants received by Heezen; manuscripts and reprints of his published and unpublished scientific papers; classroom materials and teachings records; written and audio logs from oceanographic cruises and submersible dives; photographs, 35 mm slides, videotapes, and motion pictures from research cruises and dives, including many underwater images; manuscripts, notes, and reseach materials form his book, The Face of the Deep; and maps of the ocean floor prepared by Heezen and Marie Tharp.