▁maj ors ▁to ▁astronom y . ▁ ▁As ▁an ▁under grad uate ▁student , ▁Ab ell ▁lived ▁in ▁Cal tech ' s ▁F lem ing ▁House ▁and ▁bow led ▁on ▁ ▁the ▁F lem ing ▁House ▁bow ling ▁team . ▁ ▁Ab ell ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁D rama ▁Club , ▁and ▁was ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁club ▁for ▁one ▁year . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁wrote ▁the ▁music ▁column ▁for ▁Cal tech ' s ▁week ly ▁newspaper , ▁The ▁California ▁Te ch , ▁and ▁worked ▁at ▁Griff ith ▁Observ atory ▁as ▁a ▁guide ▁while ▁an ▁under grad ▁student . ▁ ▁Ab ell ▁received ▁his ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Science ▁degree ▁in ▁astronom y ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁ ▁He ▁then ▁continued ▁at ▁Cal tech ▁for ▁gradu ate ▁studies ▁in ▁astronom y . ▁ ▁He ▁received ▁a ▁Master ▁of ▁Science ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁and ▁a ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Ph . D . ▁student ▁of ▁Donald ▁O ster bro ck . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁gradu ate ▁student ▁days ▁he ▁worked ▁at ▁Griff ith ▁Observ atory ▁as ▁a ▁lect urer . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Pal om ar ▁sky ▁survey ▁Ab ell ' s ▁first ▁professional ▁astronom ical ▁occupation ▁came ▁as ▁a ▁Cal tech ▁grad ▁student ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁observer ▁on ▁the ▁National ▁Geographic ▁Society ▁– ▁Pal om ar ▁Observ atory ▁Sky ▁Survey . ▁ ▁Several ▁scientific ▁adv ances ▁came ▁out ▁of ▁this ▁work ▁including , ▁ ▁The ▁Ab ell