Dates

• Majority of material found within 1933 - 2000

Extent

12 boxes Linear Feet (Dr. John (Jack) F. Finklea (August 27, 1933-December 22, 2000) was a public health administrator notable for his leadership at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the 1970s. A native of Florence, South Carolina, John Finklea earned his BS from Davidson College in North Carolina and his MD from the Medical University of South Carolina. He earned graduate degrees (MS and PhD) in public health from the University of Michigan, and he taught medicine before moving into public health administration. From 1970-1974, Dr. Finklea was the head of the EPA National Environmental Research Laboratory in Durham, North Carolina. His controversial research included the adverse health effects of atmospheric sulfates from power plants, and sulfur dioxide emissions and acid rain. Dr. Finklea was opposed to the auto industry using catalytic converters to control auto emissions because of the adverse environmental impact. In 1975, Dr. Finklea was appointed director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). During his tenure as director, NIOSH identified 65 potentially dangerous substances found at job sites, 100 chemical compounds considered potential carcinogens. He resigned from NIOSH in 1978, and returned to teaching in higher education. Dr. Finklea taught at the University of Alabama as a professor of medicine and professor of environmental science. He helped to establish the University of Alabama Occupational Health Clinic. In 2000, he retired from teaching. This is an extensive collection of medical books that deal with major health issues. There are many books covering occupational safety and environmental health concerns. The collection was donated by Jack Finklea after his retirement from the University of Alabama in 2000.)

Language of Materials

English