Guide to the Papers of Emerson Venable, 1899-1996 (bulk 1960-1975)
Arrangement
Repository
Heinz History Center
Title
Papers of Emerson Venable
Creator
Venable, Emerson (1911-1996)
Collection Number
MSS#347
Extent
18 cubic feet(36 boxes)
Date
1899-1996
Date
1960-1975
Abstract
Emerson Venable was a member a local chemist and a member of the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) from 1960-1993. He served on many committees in the ACHD including the Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee and the Bureau of Air Pollution Control Variance Board. Papers include correspondence, reports, news clippings, minutes, and publications. The majority of this collection relates to the study of air pollution, both in general and in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Although material prior to 1970 is included, the majority of the material follows the passage of the Federal Clean Air Act of 1970.
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
Author
This guide to the collection was originally prepared by Doug MacGregor on December 12, 2001. Revisions occurred to the finding aid as a part of the encoding process in Spring, 2002.
Sponsor
This finding aid has been encoded as a part of the Historic Pittsburgh project a joint effort of the University of Pittsburgh and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Funding for this portion of the project has been donated by the Hillman Foundation.
Biographical sketch of Emerson Venable (1911-1996)
Emerson Venable was a member a local chemist and a member of the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) from 1960-1993. He served on many committees in the ACHD including the Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee and the Bureau of Air Pollution Control Variance Board. Emerson Venable was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on December 3, 1911. He was the fourth child of William Mayo Venable and Jessie Tuckerman Venable. The family moved to Pittsburgh in 1912. Following his mother's death in 1915, his aunt, Florence Tuckerman, raised Emerson after Emerson's father convinced her to come to Pittsburgh.
Emerson Venable attained his early education at the Fulton Public School and Peabody High School in Pittsburgh. While at Peabody High School, Venable was classmates with Gene Kelly, the famed dancer/actor, both graduating in 1929. Venable went on to Cornell University until 1932, when he returned to Pittsburgh and enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh, receiving a B.S. in Chemistry in 1933. He also attended classes at Carnegie Technical Institute (now Carnegie Mellon University) in 1930 and Harvard University in 1937.
From 1933-1935, Emerson Venable worked as a control chemist at Agfa-Ansco Company in Binghamton, New York. In 1935, he moved back to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, working as a Research Chemist at Mine Safety Appliances Company. Here, he developed a gas mask that was subsequently used by the United States Navy. From 1936-1942, Venable worked as a Research Engineer with Westinghouse Electric Company in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, developing electrical insulation. In 1942, he was moved to the Sharon, Pennsylvania laboratories of Westinghouse Electric Company. Venable then returned to Mine Safety Appliances Company in Pittsburgh in 1944, working there until 1946, when he took the position of Research Director at Freedom-Valvoline Oil Company. He remained in this position until he began his own company with Oscar Hedenburg in 1951. The firm of Hedenburg and Venable investigated accidents and provided expert testimonies in trials. He investigated mine accidents, explosions, auto wrecks and fires as well as conducting secret research for the Federal government. Venable continued working in this capacity, even after Hedenburg's death in 1978, until he retired in 1991. He was a member of many professional scientific organizations including the American Chemical Society, Pennsylvania Chemical Society, American Meteorological Society, American Institute of Biological Sciences, International Association of Forensic Toxicologists, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Institute of Chemists and the National and Pennsylvania Societies of Professional Engineers.
Air pollution had been a topic studied by Venable since 1935. He was a member of the Air Pollution Control Association, American Public Health Association, Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) and was a founding member of the United Smoke Council and American Industrial Hygiene Association. The United Smoke Council was responsible for successfully lobbying the City of Pittsburgh to adopt effective smoke control methods in the 1940's. He continued to fight against air pollution after being appointed to the ACHD in 1960 as part of the Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee. After the passage of the National Clean Air Act in 1970, he was appointed to serve on the Board of Appeals and Variances for Air Pollution in the BAPC. He retired from his activities with the ACHD in 1993. He passed away on March 17, 1996.
Apart from his professional activities, Venable was active in the local organization of the Boy Scouts of America. He performed as Scout Master for the Boy Scouts, while his wife was Den Mother for the Cub Scouts. The family was active in the Pittsburgh Unitarian Church.
On May 18, 1935, Emerson Venable married Regis Alva Illston. She was from Jamestown, New York and the two had met at Cornell University. They had four children together: Wallace, Gilbert, Alan and Thomas. They also adopted a cousin, Robert Law, into their family.
Scope and Content Notes
Papers include correspondence, reports, news clippings, minutes, and publications. The majority of this collection relates to the study of air pollution, both in general and in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Although material prior to 1970 is included, the majority of the material follows the passage of the Federal Clean Air Act of 1970. Reports studying the production of air pollution in the county constitute the majority of the material as well as requests for variances from various companies within the county. There is little relating to Venable's personal life other than his graduating class of Peabody High School, 1929 and their class reunion in 1979.
Arrangement
The Emerson Venable Papers are arranged in three series. Series have been designated for Personal papers, Professional Papers and Allegheny County Health Department Records.
The Emerson Venable Papers are housed in 36 archival boxes and are arranged in three series.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These records were received in one accession in 1997.
Acc. # 1997. 0151 Gift of Wallace Venable, Papers. (Son of Emerson Venable)
Preferred Citation
Papers of Emerson Venable, 1899-1996, MSS# 347, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Doug MacGregor on December 12, 2001.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Doug MacGregor on January 2, 2002.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the curator of the Archives.
Subjects
Corporate Names
Air Pollution Control Association
Allegheny Health Department (Pa.) -- Bureau of Air Pollution Control
Allegheny Health Department (Pa.) -- Bureau of Air Pollution Control -- Variance Board
Allegheny Health Department (Pa.)
Allegheny Health Department (Pa.)
American Chemical Society
American Institute of Chemists
Duquesne Light Company
First Unitarian Church (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Group Against Smog and Pollution (Gasp)
Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation
Peabody High School (Pittsburgh, Pa.) -- Reunions
Peabody High School (Pittsburgh, Pa.) -- Students
Pennsylvania Chemical Society
Shenango, Incorporated
United Smoke Council
United States Steel Corporation
Personal Names
Venable, Emerson (1911-1996)
Chleboski, Ronald J.
Dunlap, Robert W.
Hedenberg, Oscar
Kelly, Gene (1913-1996)
Other Subjects
Air quality -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
Air quality -- Research
Air pollution
Air pollution -- Research
Air pollution -- Pennsylvania
Air pollution -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County (Pa.)
Environmental law
Environmental law -- United States
Environmental law -- Pennsylvania
Environmental law -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County (Pa.)
Environmental law -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh (Pa.)
