Concerned over the growing pollution of the rivers and streams of the north-west, a number of individuals in business and industry, public health and academia, met in Eugene, Oregon in May 1934 and established an organization to promote clear waters and public awareness regarding pollution problems. The first annual meeting of the Northwest Conference on Stream Pollution, as the organization was called, met in Lewiston, Idaho on May 15, 1935. At this first annual meeting, the members adopted a constitution and elected Carl E. Green president.
From its initial meeting in 1934 the organization has grown steadily from 20 members to over 1,200 in 1975. The organization has experienced a number of name changes during its history which indicated the changing attitudes and concerns toward the problem of pollution. At the first annual meeting in 1935, the membership changed the organizational name from the Northwest Conference on Stream Pollution to the Pacific Northwest Sewage Works Association. The scope of the organization broadened in 1951 when it became the Pacific Northwest Sewage and Industrial Waste Association. The final name change came at the annual meeting in 1959 when, in an attempt to stimulate public interest in the problems of pollution, the membership voted to change the organizational name to the Pacific Northwest Pollution Control Association (PNPCA).
The Pacific Northwest Pollution Control Association records consists primarily of communications by the organization. This includes newsletters dating as late as 1991 and materials for annual conferences. It also contains correspondence and a history of the association by David C. Flaherty and William H. Funk titled Clear Waters!: A History of Pacific Northwest Pollution Control Association, 1934-1975.
This is an unprocessed collection. Any arrangement reflects either a pre-existing order from the records' creators or previous custodians, or preliminary sorting performed by staff.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions may apply.
[Item description]
Preliminary Guide to the Pacific Northwest Pollution Control Association Records, 1934-1991 (MS 2003.08)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Bill Funk, a faculty member for Washington State University Water Research and former editor of the Pacific Northwest Pollution Control Association newsletter, donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries in 2003 (MS 2003-08).
Pacific Northwest Pollution Control Association Records, 1946-1976
Pacific Northwest Pollution Control Association Records, 1974-1977
Pacific Northwest Pollution Control Association Records, 1974-1981
Preliminary Guide to the Pacific Northwest Pollution Control Association Newsletters, 1973-1975
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.