J. Davitt McAteer Papers regarding Mining Safety A&M 4219

J. Davitt McAteer Papers regarding Mining Safety A&M 4219


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West Virginia and Regional History Center

1549 University Ave.
P.O. Box 6069
Morgantown, WV 26506-6069
Business Number: 304-293-3536
wvrhcref@westvirginia.libanswers.com
URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu

Grace Musgrave

Repository
West Virginia and Regional History Center
Identification
A&M 4219
Title
J. Davitt McAteer Papers regarding Mining Safety circa 1860-2010 circa 1970-2010
URL:
https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/ark:/99999/206911
Quantity
178.2 Linear Feet, 180 ft. 3.3 in. (72 records cartons, 15 in. each); (9 records cartons, 17 in. each); (27 map boxes, 6 in. each); (1 map box, 5 in.); (1 map box, 6.5 in.); (7 document cases, 2.5 in. each); (6 document cases, 5 in. each); (10 flat storage boxes, 1.5 in. each); (1 flat storage box, 2.5 in.); (1 flat storage box, 3 in.); (2 flat storage boxes, 3.5 in. each); (1 flat storage box, 4 in.); (3 flat storage boxes, 5 in. each); (3 artifacts boxes, 6.5 in. each); (1 oversize artifact box, 12 in.); (4 unboxed oversize posters, 0.5 in. total); (12 unboxed oversize mining implements, 48 ft. 10.25 in. total); (1 unboxed oversize office chair, 1 ft. 7.5 in.)
Creator
McAteer, J. Davitt
Location
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / Fax: 304-293-3981 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
Language
English

Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.

Conditions Governing Access

Special access restriction applies to boxes 59b and 111-115.

Preferred Citation

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], J. Davitt McAteer Papers regarding Mining Safety, A&M 4219, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Biographical / Historical

J. Davitt McAteer has devoted much of his professional efforts to mine health and safety issues, including efforts to enact the landmark 1969 Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Acts. In the 1970s, Mr. McAteer led the safety and health programs of the United Mine Workers and founded the Occupational Safety and Health Law Center. He is a former assistant secretary for Mine Safety and Health at the United States Department of Labor (1993-2000) and also served nearly two years as the Acting Solicitor for the Department of Labor. He has also served as Vice President of Sponsored Programs and Interim President at Wheeling Jesuit University, where he lead several national centers that impact economic development, education and mine safety.

In April 2010, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin appointed Mr. McAteer to conduct an investigation into the explosion that killed 29 miners at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia. Governor Manchin also appointed Mr. McAteer to investigate the Sago Mine Disaster and the Aracoma Alma No. 1 Mine Fire in 2006. Two of the produced reports included recommendations to improve mine safety in West Virginia and across the nation.

Mr. McAteer is the author of Monongah: The Tragic Story of the 1907 Monongah Mine Disaster, The Worst Industrial Accident in U.S. History, which was awarded the 2008 Bronze Prize for history in the Independent Publishers Book Awards. He is the recipient of the 2008 David P. Rall Award for Advocacy in Public Health by the American Public Health Association.

(Adapted from "Coal: Powering Our Future." Views and Visions: A publication of Bowles Rice McDavid Graff and Love LLP. Summer 2010. Accessed January 22, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20180823180538/https://www.bowlesrice.com/media/vision/23_vv_Summer10_LR.pdf.)

Scope and Contents

Papers of J. Davitt McAteer documenting his advocacy for mining and other occupational safety. A lawyer and expert on mine safety and health issues, he served as an Assistant Labor Secretary for the Mine Safety and Health Administration from 1993 to 2000. McAteer was also appointed lead investigator into the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster by Governor Manchin in 2010. The collection includes accident investigation reports, conference files, correspondence, health and safety manuals, mine disaster historical files, press clippings, publications, and reports, among other material.

Topics include mine disasters (such as the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster [2010], Aracoma Alma Mine Accident [2006], Farmington Mine Disaster [1968], etc.), occupational safety (including black lung and white lung, accidents, United States rules and regulations, etc.), international occupational safety and regulations, project proposals (including a trip to South Africa to work with the National Union of Mineworkers), mining history, and other similar topics.

Series Include:
Series 1. Papers Arranged by Subject (Boxes 1-49), 1903-1912, 1932-2020
Series 2. Mine Disasters (Boxes 50-59b), 1869, 1907-1936, 1972-2015
Series 3. Books (Boxes 60a-69), 1906–2015
Series 4. Audio/Visual (Boxes 70-73), 1973–2015
Series 5. Artifacts (Boxes 74a-81), 1918, 1960s-2010
Series 6. Oversize, General (Box 82 and unboxed), late 19th century-2010
Series 7. Oversize, Maps (Boxes 83-85), 1960–1972
Series 8. Oversize, Upper Big Branch Maps (Boxes 86-110), 2005–2010
Series 9. Closed Files (Boxes 111-115), 2002–2012
Series 10. Series 10. Addendum of 2021 July 16, 1900s-2000s

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Significant Persons Associated With the Collection

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Significant Places Associated With the Collection

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Container List

Series 1. Papers Arranged by Subject (Boxes 1-49)
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 5 Mixed Materials Box: 6 Mixed Materials Box: 7 Mixed Materials Box: 8 Mixed Materials Box: 9 Mixed Materials Box: 10 Mixed Materials Box: 11 Mixed Materials Box: 12 Mixed Materials Box: 13 Mixed Materials Box: 14 Mixed Materials Box: 15 Mixed Materials Box: 16 Mixed Materials Box: 17 Mixed Materials Box: 18 Mixed Materials Box: 19 Mixed Materials Box: 20 Mixed Materials Box: 21 Mixed Materials Box: 22 Mixed Materials Box: 23 Mixed Materials Box: 24 Mixed Materials Box: 25 Mixed Materials Box: 26 Mixed Materials Box: 27 Mixed Materials Box: 28 Mixed Materials Box: 29 Mixed Materials Box: 30 Mixed Materials Box: 31 Mixed Materials Box: 32 Mixed Materials Box: 33 Mixed Materials Box: 34 Mixed Materials Box: 35 Mixed Materials Box: 36 Mixed Materials Box: 37 Mixed Materials Box: 38 Mixed Materials Box: 39 Mixed Materials Box: 40 Mixed Materials Box: 41 Mixed Materials Box: 42a Mixed Materials Box: 42b Mixed Materials Box: 43 Mixed Materials Box: 44 Mixed Materials Box: 45 Mixed Materials Box: 46 Mixed Materials Box: 47a Mixed Materials Box: 47b Mixed Materials Box: 48 Mixed Materials Box: 49 1903-1912, 1932-2020
Scope and Contents

This series includes correspondence, reports, legal files, research papers, publications, and other material regarding occupational and mining safety, United States occupational and mining rules and regulations, American and international occupational and mining accidents, black lung and white lung diseases, project proposals and fundraising, international mining safety and trips (including those to South Africa and Europe), health and safety manuals, labor unions, and other such topics.

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Series 2. Mine Disasters (Boxes 50-59b)
Mixed Materials Box: 50 Mixed Materials Box: 51a Mixed Materials Box: 51b Mixed Materials Box: 52a Mixed Materials Box: 52b Mixed Materials Box: 53 Mixed Materials Box: 54 Mixed Materials Box: 55 Mixed Materials Box: 56a Mixed Materials Box: 56b Mixed Materials Box: 56c Mixed Materials Box: 56d Mixed Materials Box: 57 Mixed Materials Box: 58a Mixed Materials Box: 58b Mixed Materials Box: 59a Mixed Materials Box: 59b 1869, 1907-1936, 1972-2015
Scope and Contents

This series includes research, publications, and other material regarding American mine disasters and accidents, including the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster [2010], Aracoma Alma Mine Accident [2006], Farmington Mine Disaster [1968], and other earlier disasters. This series mainly consists of material on the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster, as McAteer was appointed head independent investigator of the Governor's Independent Investigative Panel by Governor Joe Manchin soon after the disaster. For detailed maps created during this investigation, please see Series 8. Oversize, Upper Big Branch Maps (Boxes 86-110).

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Series 3. Books (Boxes 60a-69)
Mixed Materials Box: 60a Mixed Materials Box: 60b Mixed Materials Box: 61 Mixed Materials Box: 62 Mixed Materials Box: 63a Mixed Materials Box: 63b Mixed Materials Box: 64a Mixed Materials Box: 64b Mixed Materials Box: 65a Mixed Materials Box: 65b Mixed Materials Box: 66a Mixed Materials Box: 66b Mixed Materials Box: 67a Mixed Materials Box: 67b Mixed Materials Box: 68 Mixed Materials Box: 69 1906–2015
Scope and Contents

This series consists of books, booklets, binders, and other publications regarding occupational and mining safety, occupational and mining history, occupational and mining disasters and accidents, union strikes and history, West Virginia history, and other such topics.

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Series 4. Audio/Visual (Boxes 70-73)
Mixed Materials Box: 70 Mixed Materials Box: 71 Mixed Materials Box: 72a Mixed Materials Box: 72b Mixed Materials Box: 73 1973–2015
Scope and Contents

This series consists of VHS cassettes, audiocassettes, and other audio/visual material regarding mining and occupational safety and other topics. Many tapes of "Appalshop," a documentary program focusing on Appalachian culture and history, are available, as well as recordings of interviews made by McAteer on mining safety and mine disasters.

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Series 5. Artifacts (Boxes 74a-81)
Mixed Materials Box: 74a Mixed Materials Box: 74b Mixed Materials Box: 74c Mixed Materials Box: 74d Mixed Materials Box: 74e Mixed Materials Box: 75a Mixed Materials Box: 75b Mixed Materials Box: 76a Mixed Materials Box: 76b Mixed Materials Box: 76c Mixed Materials Box: 76d Mixed Materials Box: 77 Mixed Materials Box: 78 Mixed Materials Box: 79a Mixed Materials Box: 79b Mixed Materials Box: 79c Mixed Materials Box: 80a Mixed Materials Box: 80b Mixed Materials Box: 80c Mixed Materials Box: 81 1918, 1960s-2010
Scope and Contents

This series consists of various artifacts regarding mining safety, mining history, unions, and other such topics, including photographs, posters, awards, commemorative coins, and other such objects. Notable objects include three boxes of rock and mineral specimens, a set of seal presses and seal press plates from various local chapters of the United Mine Workers of America, and a set of commemorative neckties from various mining organizations in the United Kingdom.

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Series 6. Oversize, General (Box 82 and unboxed)
Mixed Materials Box: 82 Mixed Materials unboxed late 19th century-2010
Scope and Contents

This series consists of oversize artifacts, including international mine safety posters, a set of late 19th century-early 20th century mining implements, and an office chair owned by John L. Lewis, union activist and former President of the United Mine Workers of America.

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Series 7. Oversize, Maps (Boxes 83-85)
Mixed Materials Box: 83 Mixed Materials Box: 84 Mixed Materials Box: 85 1960–1972
Scope and Contents

This series includes maps of West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, and other states used by the Miners for Democracy to display voting locations.

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Series 8. Oversize, Upper Big Branch Maps (Boxes 86-110)
Mixed Materials Box: 86 Mixed Materials Box: 87 Mixed Materials Box: 88 Mixed Materials Box: 89 Mixed Materials Box: 90 Mixed Materials Box: 91 Mixed Materials Box: 92 Mixed Materials Box: 93 Mixed Materials Box: 94 Mixed Materials Box: 95 Mixed Materials Box: 96 Mixed Materials Box: 97 Mixed Materials Box: 98 Mixed Materials Box: 99 Mixed Materials Box: 100 Mixed Materials Box: 101 Mixed Materials Box: 102 Mixed Materials Box: 103 Mixed Materials Box: 104 Mixed Materials Box: 105 Mixed Materials Box: 106 Mixed Materials Box: 107 Mixed Materials Box: 108 Mixed Materials Box: 109 Mixed Materials Box: 110 2005–2010
Scope and Contents

This series consists of maps and some photographs created during the investigation of the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster [2010] and a few maps of the Aracoma Alma Mine accident [2006]. The descriptions of the maps are based on transcriptions of text found on the maps themselves, including location codes, mapping team names, dates, and sometimes labels. Other than the transcribed text used for description, there is little or no additional textual content on most of these maps.

According to McAteer:

The maps are the result of a project to map the explosion of the Upper Big Branch Mine in 2010. The mapping involved an analysis of charcol resulting from the explosion of the coal to determine direction, speed, and force of the explosion. The maps are dated by when an investigation was conducted on a section of the mine represented by a map.

The alpha-numerics associated with the maps correlate to the MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration) report of the Upper Big Branch explosion.

There were four teams conducting the investigation which took place over 10 months, 12 hours per day. Each day maps (of where the explosion occurred) were prepared for the teams, which met briefly in the morning at 6am. During the physical investigation, evidence was recorded onto the maps showing the results of flame and explosion. There are accompanying pictures to the report. The accumulated evidence formed the basis of the MSHA report.

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Series 9. Wheeling Jesuit University Files (Boxes 111a-114)
Mixed Materials Box: 111a Mixed Materials Box: 111b Mixed Materials Box: 112 Mixed Materials Box: 113 Mixed Materials Box: 114 2002–2012
Scope and Contents

This series consists of papers, correspondence, publications, and other material from McAteer's time as Vice President of Special Programs at Wheeling Jesuit University. Topics include the HEALTHeWV and HEALTHeSTATES programs, the Coal Impoundment Program and Community Alert program, the Wheeling Jesuit International Mining Health and Safety Symposium, and other such topics.

Processing Information

In April 2024, material was removed and returned to the donor. Contents was reboxed to eliminate empty space; citations from prior to this date may have incorrect box and folder information. Box 111a is also intentionally missing folders 3 and 5.

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