Allegheny Conference On Community Development (Pittsburgh, PA), Records, 1920-1993 (bulk 1960-90) Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania Archives MSS# 285 377 boxes (Box 1-377); 188.5 linear feet Table of Contents Historical Note Page 2 Scope and Content Note Page 3 Series I: Annual Dinner Page 4 Series II: Articles Page 4 Series III: Community Activities Advisor Page 4 Series IV: Conventions Page 5 Series V: Director of Planning Page 5 Series VI: Executive Director Page 5 Series VII: Financial Records Page 6 Series VIII: Highland Park Zoo Page 6 Series IX: Highways Page 6 Series X: Lower Hill Redevelopment Page 6 Series XI: Mellon Square Park Page 7 Series XII: News Releases Page 7 Series XIII: Pittsburgh Bicentennial Association Page 7 Series XIV: Pittsburgh Regional Planning Association Page 7 Series XV: Point Park Committee Page 7 Series XVI: Planning Page 7 Series XVII: Recreation, Conservation and Park Council Page 8 Series XVIII: Report Library Page 8 Series XIX: Three Rivers Stadium Page 8 Series XX: Topical Page 8 Provenance Page 9 Restrictions and Separations Page 9 Container List Series I: Annual Dinner Page 10 Series II: Articles Page 13 Series III: Community Activities Advisor Page 25 Series IV: Conventions Page 28 Series V: Director of Planning Page 29 Series VI: Executive Director Page 31 Series VII: Financial Records Page 34 Series VIII: Highland Park Zoo Page 58 Series IX: Highways Page 58 Series X: Lower Hill Page 59 Series XI: Mellon Square Park Page 60 Series XII: News Releases Page 61 Allegheny Conference On Community Development, Page 2 of 159 Series XIII: Pittsburgh Bicentennial Association Page 62 Series XIV: Pittsburgh Regional Planning Association Page 62 Series XV: Point Park Committee Page 63 Series XVI: Planning Page 66 Series XVII: Recreation, Conservation and Park Council Page 69 Series XVIII: Report Library Page 69 Series XIX: Three Rivers Stadium Page 107 Series XX: Topical Page 109 History of the Allegheny Conference On Community Development (Pittsburgh, PA) The Allegheny Conference can trace its origins to a meeting of Richard King Mellon, Dr. Edward R. Weidlein, President of the Mellon Institute, and Wallace Richards, Secretary of the Pittsburgh Regional Planning Association, in Washington DC during the Winter of 1943. According to Weidlein, “We talked about the future of Pittsburgh in the Post War years and came to the conclusion that unless something was done, Pittsburgh would become a dying city.” (Lorant, p.381) Their thoughts evolved into the creation of an organization that would do research and study on the region, which would create a community improvement plan. Following this meeting Weidlein, Richards and Dr. Robert E. Doherty, President of Carnegie Institute of Technology, invited forty individuals from business, industry and politics for a luncheon at the William Penn in the Spring of 1943. Doherty presided at the meeting and outlined many of the problems faced by the community. It was then agreed to formally organize the group into what was then known as, the Allegheny Conference on Post-War Community Planning. Doherty was elected as the chairman, Weidlein as vice-chairman, Richards as secretary and later, Vincent Lanfear, Dean of the School of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh, as the treasurer. The main body of the Conference became known at the Citizens Sponsoring Committee. Soon, the Conference occupied office space in the Cathedral of Learning. In 1944 the Citizens Sponsoring Committee approved the Incorporation of the Conference and its Bylaws, which established an Executive Committee. The Incorporators consist of: Doherty, Arthur E. Braun, L. W. Monterverde, J. Steele Gow, Alexander Reed, and Edgar J. Kaufmann. During this year, the Conference also altered its name to Allegheny Conference On Community Development. They establish new office in the Magee Building in downtown Pittsburgh. Willard E. Hotchkiss is listed as the Executive Director and presumable the first to hold that position. Some of the early working committees established by the Conference were: Economic Problems, Employment, Financial Resources, Health, Housing and Neighborhood Development, Land Use and Zoning, Legislation, Public Improvements, Highways, Mass Transportation, Parking, Refuse Disposal, Smoke Abatement, Stream Pollution Abatement, Water Supply, Recreation, Research Coordination, Welfare, Agriculture, Cultural Development and Smoke Abatement. On February 1, 1945, Park H. Martin was hired as the second Executive Director. Under his leadership the Allegheny Conference had it first major victory, the passage of the Pittsburgh Package in the State Legislature. The Pittsburgh Package was a series of bills that helped to Allegheny Conference On Community Development, Page 2 of 159 establish more smoke control in Allegheny County, insured the extension of the Penn-Lincoln parkway, new garbage disposal plants, the establishment of a Transit and Traffic Commission, permitting the State to take ownership of several bridges, establish a Parking Authority, establish a Department of Parks, and permitting the broadening of the tax base by allowing taxes on sources other than real estate. This was a huge step in insuring that local government agencies would have the power to move the Pittsburgh Region in a direction that was envisioned by local planners. In 1959, Martin accepted the position of Secretary of Highways for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Edward J. Magee succeeded Martin as the Executive Director. Under Magee the Conference continued it redevelopment of Point State Park, Gateway Center and the Lower Hill. The coordination of these projects proved to be a major coup for Magee. He later resigned in 1968. Robert B. Pease, the former Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Redevelopment Authority, succeeded Magee as the Executive Director of the Allegheny Conference. Under Pease’s leadership the Conference’s focus was expanded to include more about the living conditions and climate of the citizens of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. After the explosion of the racial riots in 1968, the Conference instituted a program to assists minority business growth. They established programs that would encourage minorities to open businesses, they provided leadership training for them and also low interest loans and grants. These programs were coordinated with local banks, business leaders and social service groups. Pease remained the Executive Director until 1992. He had one the longest tenure in that position to date. Under his leadership Pittsburghers saw the rise of Three Rivers Stadium, the USX Tower, Oxford Center, Fifth Avenue Place, and PPG Place. The Offices of the Conference moved from the Magee Building after the construction of the USX Tower. In the Tower, the Conference had a suite of offices designed for its multifaceted work. In 1992, Richard Stafford took over the leadership of the Conference as the Executive Director. Recently, with the construction of the new headquarters of ALCOA on the North Shore, the Conference Offices have moved the old ALCOA building. It continues to be active as a cooperative agency. Scope and Content Note: The Allegheny Conference On Community Development Records are housed in 357 boxes and are arranged alphabetically in twenty series. Series have been designated for Annual Dinners; Articles; Community Activities Advisor; Conventions; Director of Planning; Executive Director; Financial Materials; Highland Park Zoo—Aquarium; Highways; Lower Hill Redevelopment; Mellon Square Park; News Releases; Pittsburgh Bicentennial Association; Pittsburgh Regional Planning Association; Point Park Committee; Planning, Recreation, Conservation and Park Council; Report Library; Three Rivers Stadium; and Topical Files. These records include minutes, correspondence, reports and printed materials. The records document the large scope of Allegheny Conference On Community Development, Page 2 of 159 the involvement of the Conference in the planning and redevelopment of the Greater Pittsburgh region. The arrangement of the records has been recreated by the order in which they appeared to have been used or created by the Conference Staff. This order was most often very apparent to the processor. However, on some occasions it was not and therefore, best judgment in the arrangement of these records was used. Many of these records were maintained by separate individuals in a variety of capacities at the Conference Offices. Therefore, material found in the Topical Folders Series may have additional or duplicated papers in other series, such as, the Executive Director or the Director of Planning. Researchers searching for specific topics need to be aware that it may be necessary to search in several series. Series I: Annual Dinner (1945-1991) This series consists of 6 boxes of records and is arranged chronologically. Starting in 1945, the Conference hosted an annual dinner meeting, which quickly grew to a large number of participants, including speakers and guests. These records document the names of the individual who were invited to attend, whether a member, guest or speaker. Series II: Articles (1944-1987) These series consists of 6 boxes of materials and is arranged alphabetically. Two subseries emerged from this series: Miscellaneous Writings and National & Regional Periodicals. The subseries, Miscellaneous Writings appears to be a collection of papers and articles written by members or employees of the Conference. They are arranged alphabetically by the title of