Scope and Contents

The Organizations and Associations Materials are housed in six archival boxes and are arranged alphabetically by folder title with miscellaneous materials arranged to the rear. These papers include correspondence, newspaper clippings, membership lists, minutes, agendas, publications speeches and other sundry items primarily produced by these various organizations. The majority of papers in this series are Netting's personal copies of organizational material. The organizations best documented are the Civic Club of Allegheny County, City Farmers Club of Pittsburgh, the National Speleological Association, Pittsburgh Zoological Society and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. The organizations and associations have been arranged by their general function and service and include civic, educational, scientific and other organizations. Although Netting spent many years working in formal education, this material is fairly limited, but may be used in conjunction with schools information in series II to document his views on education. Furthermore, Netting promoted the educational aspects of the organizations and that material is found in these papers.

Civic Organizations are well represented and encompass a variety of types of organizations. The best-documented organizations found in this series include the Civic Club of Allegheny County and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Material documenting the Civic Club of Allegheny County provides a strong overview of their political activities, their positions on roadside billboards, land conservation, education, and budget issues from the years 1946 to 1973. The political orientation of the Civic Club members may also be deduced from these papers by examining how the members respond to different legislative bills, especially since the bills themselves are included in the material. Material documenting the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is also strong and includes minutes, the president's reports and other reports from the years of Netting's involvement with the organization, 1951-1983. These minutes are from the executive committee, annual meeting and other committees within the Conservancy and provide detailed accounts of discussions relating to land purchases in the region, especially in the Ohiopyle area (Fayette County), conservation issues and other concerns. Other material relating to the Conservancy includes calendars published for fund raising, and miscellaneous publications. Much of the material for other civic organizations is limited and provides little information on Netting's personal involvement with the organization or the history of the organization itself. Of note among material created by smaller organizations include the American Youth Hostels development of a hostel at Ohiopyle (Fayette County), Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation's work to preserve the Old Post Office building on Pittsburgh's North Side.

Scientific Associations material consists of a miscellaneous assortment of informational brochures, newsletters, programs, correspondence, annual reports, and membership lists. These papers generally provide less comprehensive material for the organizations represented. Netting did not seem to be directly involved with many of these societies and often, the material is addressed to him at the Carnegie Museum, where he possibly received information because of his official capacity as director. Of note among scientific organizations is material from the Pittsburgh Zoological Society and the National Speleological Association's Pittsburgh Grotto. The papers relating to the Zoological Society are the most comprehensive of the scientific organizations. Summaries of the Zoological Society's activities are found in yearly reports that thoroughly outline the year's accomplishments and fiscal strength. The changing relationship between the city government and the Society are also well documented. Netting was involved with the Society during the change in management and control of the Highland Park Zoo from the Society to the city. This change took place between 1956 and 1975 and often manifested itself with small changes in the management and operation structure of the zoo. The issue of control came to a head in the years between 1972 and 1975 when Mayor Pete Flaherty proposed a new arrangement of control over the zoo between the city and the Zoological Society. This crisis is particularly well documented, and includes the proposed ordinances by the city, and the Zoological Society's counter proposals, as well as a press release that provides a good summary of the struggle between Flaherty and the Society.

One of Netting's most active, non-professional memberships was with the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Speleological Association. This organization was extremely active, with expeditions nearly every weekend to map, explore, or discover caves in the Pittsburgh region. During World War II, this organization worked with the federal government to help them find caves suitable for storage of war-related items. This project is documented in these papers in the folder labeled "Pittsburgh Grotto." Other scientific organizations are documented less thoroughly as the before mentioned two. Societies such as the Amateur Astronomers, the Amateur Weathermen, the Geography club, the Nature Study Club, the Audubon Society, and the Geological Society often sought out Netting for his expertise and ability to give talks, though he was not a formal member of most of these organizations. The materials on these organizations provide some information on their activity, history and mission in the Western Pennsylvania region. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary material includes annual reports for several years, and the Izaac Walton League (an outdoorsmen's group) includes correspondence for invited out-of-town guests to speak at its meetings. The Keystone Chapter of the Soil Conservation Society was another of the more established organizations to which Netting belonged; membership was open only to individuals with certifiable qualifications in soil and water conservation or some other related topic.

Other associations are represented with varied material and include the Agora Club, City Farmers' Club of Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania Historical Association, and the Westmoreland County Historical Society, among others. Material found for these associations includes publications, general correspondence for members, and other sundry items. Of note are material for the Agora Club (Pittsburgh) and the City Farmers' Club of Pittsburgh. Netting was an active member of the Agora in the 1930s and 1940s and this material includes correspondence sent to members, and material documenting his role on the program and membership communities. City Farmers' Club material includes their newsletter, The Bulletin, from 1964-1975, a 1958 membership directory and a small amount of correspondence. The Bulletin includes club calendars, member news, and articles of interest for local farmers and other items. Each copy of The Bulletin also includes the most recent copy of Farm Economics, a pamphlet produced by Pennsylvania State University and the U. S. Department of Agriculture, that contains articles and statistical information on issues and concerns facing Pennsylvania farmers.

Scope and Contents

The Pittsburgh Urban Life material is housed in three archival boxes and arranged alphabetically by folder title. These papers include correspondence, bulletins, promotional information, programs, news clippings, and other sundry items documenting economic development and environmental, educational and cultural interests in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. Environmental material is most useful for providing an overview of various environmental issues effecting Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the 1950s and 1960s. Allegheny County material includes general reports concerning how to control and monitor air pollution, the bureaucratic parties involved with air pollution control, emissions standards, existing environmental laws, regulations, ordinances concerning pollution, and the penalties for violation. Also included with Allegheny County material is monthly activity reports of the Bureau of Air Pollution Control from 1962-1971, and clippings and student papers on topics relating to Allegheny County Parks and Recreation Department and Water Supply and Sanitation. Material relating specifically to Pittsburgh includes documents for an environmental teach-in, held in Pittsburgh in 1970. Pennsylvania material consists primarily of press releases from the Governor's office on different environmental issues such as drought control, funding for parks and recreation, billboard legislation, flood relief, pollution control, strip mining, the energy crisis of the early 1970s as well as annual meteorological summaries for Pittsburgh and other parts of Pennsylvania. Arranged with Pennsylvania material are items from the Pennsylvania Roadside Council. The Council was established to promote clean and safe highways in Pennsylvania. The primary fight taken up by the Council in the period after World War II was to limit the use of billboards on Pennsylvania's highways. Roadside Council material includes pamphlets, newsletters, clippings, and minutes documenting their activities during the post-war period. The minutes provide information on the political activities undertaken to support billboard legislation and are well described in the minutes.

Material documenting schools and education canvases Netting's concerns and activities including private schools, public schools, universities and colleges. With the exception of the material documenting the University of Pittsburgh, this material is relatively limited. The University of Pittsburgh material includes student papers, publications, reports and other sundry items. Life at Pitt, published in 1925 to illustrate Pitt's "individual personalities." This publication successfully conveys the personality of Pitt, and provides a history of the school, descriptions and pictures of the campus buildings, overviews of different activities and sports, explanations of the different schools, and even fees and tuition information. Also included with the University of Pittsburgh material are course announcements and descriptions, commencement programs from 1928 and 1935, a bulletin entitled "Good Teaching" from 1925, clippings on the construction of the Cathedral of Learning, a long range planning report, and a 1975 membership directory for the University Club. The folder of Netting's student's papers contain proposals for a war memorial and tour guides of Pittsburgh. The correspondence consists mostly of thank-you notes and requests for certain articles or other information and provides no real discussion of educational issues. Material documenting general universities and colleges and Shady Side Academy (Pittsburgh, Pa.) contain ephemeral items including dinner invitations and programs that provide little more information than the names of the attendees. Included with material on Shady Side Academy is one issue of the school's magazine from 1958.

Miscellaneous materials contain newspaper clippings, publications and other sundry items documenting Pittsburgh's history, arts, churches, city planning, and transportation. More than any other material found in these papers, these items seem to reflect Netting's personal interest in the city, rather than activities he was involved with. Of note are the news clippings and publications on city planning and urban redevelopment during the ten years following World War II. Included are summaries of the activities of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development in the promotion and construction of the Point State Park in Pittsburgh. Material on the Allegheny Conference's recommended legislative program for Pittsburgh covers topics such as smoke abatement, parks and recreation, and new highways. Publications promoting the future of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County along with a proposal for consolidating Pittsburgh services into Allegheny County (c1930) are also included with this material. Pittsburgh arts material includes calls for entries into art shows, and programs for movies and musical events. General description material includes tour guides for Pittsburgh (1944-1953). Church material includes programs for various church functions between 1961 and 1971. Material on Pittsburgh Transportation is more comprehensive, covering all aspects of transportation in Pittsburgh after World War II. Included is a report by Pittsburgh civil engineers describing transportation conditions at that time, as well as future predictions and plans.