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.

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). See also the letter in Series 13.

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.

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.

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 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. See series 12 for an additional artifact.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Additional papers of J. Davitt McAteer. Materials include research for McAteer's book on the Monongah Mine Disaster, Mine Safety and Health Administration binders, news articles and other works written by McAteer, research on the Buffalo Creek Mine Disaster, material from a coal mine health and safety study (1969), assorted papers and correspondence, material regarding Campaign Continental, and a folder of photo tapes and audiocassettes.

The original order was maintained and the donor's original folder titles were used. Subseries are derived from the donor-provided contents list.

Additional papers of J. Davitt McAteer. Materials include papers related to the Occupational Safety and Health Law Center (OSHLC); United Mine Workers' Association records; Mine Safety and Health Administration press, correspondence, and other related materials; news articles and other publications by McAteer; papers related to the Miners' Manual; mining maps and posters; research material from a coal mine health and safety study (1969); assorted clippings and correspondence; material regarding Campaign Continental; and published records of United States government proceedings, hearings, briefs, and reports that pertain to mining safety.

This series consists of a French miner's shirt that might have come from McAteer's visit to the site of the successor mine to Courrières, the largest French mining disaster, as a union gift. See series 3 for additional artifacts.

This series consists of a letter from Donald Blankenship to then-President Donald Trump regarding the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster investigation, copies of which were shared with several other individuals including J. Davitt McAteer.

This material consists of 5 letters written to writer Phil Primack in the early 1970s. Three are signed by WV Rep. Ken Hechler. One is from former UMWA president Arnold Miller. One is signed "Ed."

This series includes audiovisual and born-digital content that has not yet been reformatted. Researchers may access these materials by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department at https://westvirginia.libanswers.com/wvrhc.

Restrictions apply to the following:

Box 136, Center for Law and Social Policy Chronological Files, contains at least one Social Security Number (in folder 2); please contact the West Virginia and Regional History Center in advance to request access.

Box 150, Miscellaneous Material from JDM's MSHA Work (Part 1), contains restricted material, possibly including PII and financial information. Please contact the West Virginia and Regional History Center to request access.

Box 190, Sago box 2 of 4, contains PII in the folder labeled Sago Family Lists. Researchers can sign our form to use the material in aggregate; the restriction can be lifted 75 years from the date of creation.

The original order was maintained when possible and the donor's original folder titles, where provided, were used.

Additional papers of J. Davitt McAteer. Materials include documents related to McAteer's work with the Occupational Safety and Health Law Center (OSHLC); Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), including reports, correspondence, and other related materials; books, manuals, and other publications; papers related to the Miners' Manual and other industrial safety manuals along with related draft, research, and publication materials; occupational health and safety studies; occupational injury, illness, and fatality reports; assorted clippings and correspondence; material regarding McAteer's work with the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); and published records of United States government proceedings, hearings, briefs, and reports that pertain to mining and other industrial health and safety issues.

Notable organizations mentioned (and their abbreviations, if any): Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU), Consolidation Coal Company, Inc., CONSOL, Purdue, Inc., the West Virginia Humanities Council, the United States Department of Labor (DOL), the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA), The United States Department of the Interior (DOI), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the North Carolina Labor Department, Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Energy (DOE), International Labor Office (ILO), Caterpillar, Inc., World Bank, Council of the Southern Mountains, Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

Notable individuals in content: Robert Reich, Robert Shapiro, Bob J. Nash, Al Gore, William Clinton, Earl Dotter.

Other notable subjects: China, South Africa, World Trade Center, Ground Zero, 9/11/01, WVU Law School, Textile Industry, Mushroom Workers, Formaldehyde, Black Lung, Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs), Tug River Valley Petition, Surface Mine Control Reclamation Act (SMCRA), Labor History, mining accident and injury reports, Appalachian music, labor- and coal industry-related recordings, Sago, Wilburg, Rushton, Monongah.