Guide to the Robert Pease Papers 1954-2010
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Robert Pease Papers
- Creator
- Pease, Robert.
- Collection Number
- MSS 759
- Extent
- 4 linear feet (4 boxes)
- Date
- 1954-2010
- Abstract
- Robert Pease (1925-) was the executive director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority and also the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. A civic engineer, he was in charge of several redevelopment projects around the City of Pittsburgh during the last half of the twentieth century. The Robert Pease Papers provide insight into his work for the City of Pittsburgh, and also his work as a consultant for other urban redevelopment projects. The papers primarily consist of correspondence, newspaper clippings, speeches, and bound printed materials.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Sponsor
- This collection has been made accessible as part of an NHPRC-funded Basic Processing grant.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
History
Robert B. Pease was born in Atkinson, Nebraska, in 1925. He served during World War II as a navigator in the 15th Air Force. Shortly after the war, he attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), in Pittsburgh, Pa. Upon graduating, he worked for the university as an engineering assistant, working with a group that focused on post-war development of the campus.
In 1953, he joined the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA). Incorporated in 1946, the URA played a large role in the post-war redevelopment of Pittsburgh. The URA had already acquired (through the use of eminent domain) and cleared land to form a state park and a series of commercial stainless buildings, known as Gateway Center, at Pittsburgh's Point. Pease was in charge of the redevelopment of the Lower Hill district, a controversial project because of the forced relocation of low-income, minority residents.
In March of 1958, Pease became the Executive Director of the URA. He continued to work on large urban redevelopment projects, including the redevelopment of Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood. In total, Pease planned and executed forty projects throughout the city of Pittsburgh while working for the URA.
In the late 1960s, Pease became the Executive Director of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development (ACCD). The ACCD is a non-profit organization that was established in 1944. Initiated by Richard King Mellon and Carnegie Institute of Technology President Robert Doherty, the organization received great support from civic leaders. The organization was comprised of local leaders in both the public and private sectors, and inspired the Pittsburgh Renaissance during the mid-twentieth century. Under Pease's leadership, the organization secured grants for public schools and the expansion of the Pittsburgh International Airport.
After leaving the ACCD in 1991, Pease became the Senior Vice President of the National Development Corporation, a private real estate development and construction firm. He also was hired as a consultant for multiple urban redevelopment projects around the world. Using the work that he did in Pittsburgh as a model, he was consulted on projects in Japan, India, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. He has won several awards for his work, including being named an Honorary Member by the American Society of Civic Engineers in 1994.
Scope and Content Notes
The Robert Pease Papers are housed in four archival boxes and are arranged alphabetically by folder title. The papers primarily consist of correspondence, newspaper clippings, speeches, and bound printed materials. The majority of the collection is regarding Pease's work with urban redevelopment projects in Pittsburgh and other cities, as well as his involment in economic and civic projects around the city of Pittsburgh. Box one contains materials documenting his involvement and support for the Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh Public Schools, and Strategy 21, a project designed to build the local economy after the crash of the steel industry. In addition, Pease's work as an urban development consultant in Japan, Spain, and Northern Ireland are enclosed in the first box. Box two contains his work as an urban development consultant in Wakayama, Japan, along with his appointment books for the years 2004 through 2010. Box three and four contain his appointment books, dated between 1968 and 2003.
Conditions Governing Access
None.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift from Robert Pease in 2004.
Archives accession # 2004.0105
Preferred Citation
Robert Pease Papers, 1954-2010, MSS 759 , Thomas and Katherine Detre Library and Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center
Processing Information
Preliminary processing by Dane Flansburgh on April 6, 2012. Inventory was created by volunteer staff in 2011
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Thomas and Katherine Detre Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.
Related Materials
Allegheny Conference on Community Development (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Records, 1920-1993 (bulk 1960-1990), MSS 285, Thomas and Katherine Detre Library and Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center
Subjects
- Allegheny Conference on Community Development (Pa.)
- Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh
- Pease, Robert.
- Downtown (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Lower Hill District (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- East Liberty (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Urban renewal--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh.