Van H. Manning (engineer)
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Vannoy Hartrog Manning (December 15, 1861 – July 13, 1932), better known as Van H. Manning, was the second director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines and was instrumental in developing chemical warfare defense technologies during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.


Early life

Vannoy Hartrog Manning was born on December 15, 1861, in
Horn Lake, Mississippi Horn Lake is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. It is located south of Memphis, Tennessee. The population was 26,736 at the 2020 census, making it the 13th most populous city in Mississippi. Geography Horn Lake is bordered ...
, to Mary Zilafro (née Wallace) and Vannoy Hartrog Manning, a Mississippi congressman. He attended school in
Holly Springs, Mississippi Holly Springs is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Mississippi, Marshall County, Mississippi, United States, near the border with Tennessee to the north. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 6,96 ...
. He attended
University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...
for three years, before moving back to Holly Springs to teach school. Other sources suggest he graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Mississippi in 1881. Afterward, he moved to
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...


Career

In 1885 or 1886, Manning joined the
U.S. Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on March ...
as a civil engineer and worked two years in Massachusetts. From 1888 to 1894, Manning led topographic field parties in Wisconsin and North Dakota. He then worked as assistant to the supervisor of the survey of Indian Territory. In 1904, he became section chief in charge of the survey in Missouri and Arkansas. In 1906, he was placed in charge of the southern section of the eastern division. In 1908, Manning led drainage work on the
Tallahatchie River The Tallahatchie River is a river in Mississippi which flows from Tippah County, through Tallahatchie County, to Leflore County, where it joins the Yalobusha River to form the Yazoo River, which ultimately meets the Mississippi River at Vic ...
in Mississippi. From 1907 to 1910, he served on the Geological Survey Business Committee. In 1910, Manning was transferred to the newly formed U.S. Bureau of Mines; starting as chief clerk. His role was later renamed assistant to the director. Following the death of the first director
Joseph Austin Holmes Joseph Austin Holmes (January 23, 1859 – July 13, 1915) was a geologist and occupational safety and health pioneer, best known as the first director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. He is the namesake of the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association cr ...
, Vanning became director in 1915 and served in that role until he resigned in May 1920. Manning worked with the
War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet ...
starting in 1916 with nitrogen products. In 1917, they started performing experiments with
helium Helium (from ) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol He and atomic number 2. It is a colorless, odorless, non-toxic, inert gas, inert, monatomic gas and the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table. Its boiling point is ...
to reduce its price by large margins and save the military millions of dollars. Under his purview, the Bureau started the War Gas Investigations Branch to research toxic gas as an instrument of war and to develop a chemical warfare defense. He established chemical laboratories at
American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...
, which would later be used by the
Chemical Warfare Service The Chemical Corps is the branch of the United States Army tasked with defending against and using chemical weapon, chemical, biological agent, biological, radiological weapon, radiological, and nuclear weapon, nuclear (Chemical, biological, r ...
in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Manning argued that chemical production and research should remain under civilian control and not military, but President Wilson transferred 1,700 American chemists to the Chemical Warfare Service in June 1918. Following the war in 1920, Manning resigned his position as director of the Bureau of Mines to become director of research for the
American Petroleum Institute The American Petroleum Institute (API) is the largest U.S. trade association for the oil and natural gas industry. It claims to represent nearly 600 corporations involved in extraction of petroleum, production, oil refinery, refinement, pipeline ...
in 1920. He held that role until 1924 when he became a consulting engineer with the Pan-American Petroleum & Transport Company for the Bureau of Mines. In 1928, Manning became director of engineering and technical research for the Petroleum Research Corporation. Following the 1929 Wall Street Crash and ill health, Manning resigned from his position in 1930.


Personal life

Manning married Emily S. Stephens of Washington, D.C., in 1898 in
Denison, Texas Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States, south of the Texas–Oklahoma border. Its population was 24,479 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 22,682 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Denison is pa ...
. Together, they had two sons: Van H. Manning Jr. and Oscar Stevens Manning. Manning died on July 13, 1932, at his home in
Forest Hills, Queens Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the central portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is adjacent to Corona to the north, Rego Park and Glendale to the west, Forest Park to the south, Kew Gardens to the southeast and Flushing ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. He was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...


Awards

Manning was given an honorary
Doctor of Engineering The Doctor of Engineering (DEng or EngD) or Doctor of Engineering Sciences is a research doctorate in engineering and applied science. An EngD is a terminal degree similar to a PhD in engineering but applicable more in industry rather than in ac ...
degree by the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...
in 1919.


References


External links


Coal-Mining Safety in the Progressive Period: The Political Economy of Reform (1976)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manning, Van H. 1861 births 1932 deaths People from DeSoto County, Mississippi University of Mississippi alumni United States Geological Survey personnel United States Bureau of Mines personnel American Petroleum Institute 19th-century American engineers 20th-century American engineers