Background

Vannoy Hartog Manning was born on December 15, 1861 at Horn Lake Depot, Mississippi, and was the son of Vannoy Hartrog Manning and Mary Zilafro (Wallace). His father was a member of the national House of Representatives from 1877 to 1883.

Education

Manning attended school at Holly Springs, Miss. , and entered the University of Mississippi.

Career

He taught school at Holly Springs for a time and then went to Washington, D. C. , toward the end of his father's second term in Congress. In 1885 he obtained a position with the United States Geological Survey as topographic aide, and for the next two years did topographic work in Massachusetts. From 1888 to 1894 he was in charge of topographic field parties in Wisconsin and North Dakota and was subsequently 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, and in 1906 was placed in charge of the southern section of the eastern division. From 1907 to 1910 he was a member of the Geological Survey Business Committee. In 1908 he had charge of the Tallahatchie drainage work in Mississippi. When, in 1910, part of the work done by the Geological Survey was transferred to the newly created Bureau of Mines, Manning was transferred to the new organization, with the title of chief clerk, to serve as its executive officer pending the appointment of a director. His title was later changed to assistant to the director, and in 1914 he was appointed assistant director. He was in effect the general manager of the Bureau's administrative work. On the death of Joseph Austin Holmes, the first director of the Bureau, in 1915, Manning was appointed to succeed him and continued in office until 1920. His vision and initiative led him to perceive that the special knowledge of the technical staff of his bureau should be utilized in preparing for the possible participation of the United States in the World War. The Secretary of the Interior, at his suggestion, in 1916 offered to aid the War Department in any capacity within his power, noting that the Bureau of Mines could aid in the study of methods and materials necessary for the manufacture of nitrogen products. Much work of this character was done by the Bureau with funds furnished by the War Department, various pilot plants were built, and eventually a $2, 500, 000 plant for the production of sodium cyanide, by the Bucher process, for gas warfare was constructed and turned over to the War Department in November 1918. Meanwhile the staff of the Bureau, experienced in such problems from its work in mine disasters, had begun work on gasmasks. Financial support from the War Department was soon forthcoming and the work expanded into research on different types of poisonous and irritating gases and smokes, smoke screens, gas shells and gas bombs, flame throwers, trench projectors, signal lights, and gas bombs. In June 1918 the staff engaged in this work, including more than 700 chemists, was transferred to the War Department. Regulation of the use of explosives by the civilian population, promotion of the production of needed mineral substances formerly imported, and the study of airplane motor fuels were undertaken and successfully carried out by the Bureau; but the activity that has attracted most attention was the production of helium for use in lighter-than-air craft, which the Bureau initiated in 1917 and subsequently carried on with funds supplied by the Navy Department. The Bureau was one of the most important and efficient agencies in the conduct of the war, and there can be no doubt that its service in this regard was due in large measure to Manning's foresight, initiative, and administrative skill. After the war, in 1920, the petroleum interests of the country organized the American Petroleum Institute, and he resigned his directorship of the Bureau of Mines to become director of research for the Institute. The industry never raised the necessary funds to initiate research in its own laboratories, however, and after organizing cooperative research with a number of universities and technical institutions, Manning resigned in 1924 to take up special work with the Pan-American Petroleum & Transport Company. In 1928 he became director of engineering and technical research for the Petroleum Research Corporation, which was affiliated with a large petroleum investment trust. The business depression which began at the end of 1929 seriously interfered with this activity and the following year he resigned. Ill health postponed his return to active work, and he died in 1932.

Achievements

• Manning helped develop the American Chemical Warfare Service during World War I while he served as Director of the United States Bureau of Mines from 1915 to 1920. He was also instrumental in the development of explosives. He was credited with the experiments that helped reduce the price of helium. Without the experiments the gas load for the airship Akron which currently costs $74, 000 would have cost $16, 000, 000, 000 a few years ago.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Mine Safety Devices Developed by the United States Bureau of Mines

    (This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before ...)

  • War Minerals, Nitrogen Fixation And Sodium Cyanide: Advance Chapter From Bulletin 178, War Work Of The Bureau Of Mines, Volumes 178-184

    (This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)

  • Petroleum Investigations And Production Of Helium: Advance Chapter From Bulletin 178, War Work Of The Bureau Of Mines, Volumes 178-184

    (This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)

  • Yearbook. 1916-...

    (This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)

Connections

In 1898 Manning was married at Denison, Tex. , to Emily S. Stevens, of Washington, D. C. Two sons were born to them.

Father:

Vannoy Hartrog “Van” Manning

26 July 1839 - 2 November 1892 Civil War Confederate Army Officer, US Congressman. Served as Colonel and commander of the 3rd Arkansas Regiment.

Mother:

Mary Zilephro Wallace Manning

23 May 1839 - 10 March 1907

Brother:

Levi Howell Manning

May 1864 - 1 August 1935

Brother:

Wilkins Reuben “Cookie” Manning

9 February 1877 - 16 February 1963

Brother:

Harriet Wallace Manning

December 1872 - 24 March 1931

Sister:

Mittie Wilkins Manning

19 January 1871 - 22 April 1875

Sister:

Mary Manning Fletcher

June 1866 - 27 July 1913

Wife:

Emily Stevens Manning

9 December 1865 - 29 October 1940

Son:

Van Hartrog Manning, Jr

12 December 1898 - 9 September 1940