Born in 1927, Patricia Pelkofer was an environmentalist active in western Pennsylvania. One of the founding members of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), a grassroots environmental organization, Pelkofer worked specifically on environmental issues of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. She served on the board of directors and was the editor of the GASP monthly Hotline newsletter. A Pittsburgh native and resident of the Oakland neighborhood, Pelkofer came to her volunteer service through her parents, who were volunteers at schools, churches, and political parties. Her dedication to service and environmental issues continued through her time at the University of Pittsburgh, where she was an education student and into her graduate studies at the Katz Graduate School of Business, from which she graduated in 1953. She was a dedicated member of many organizations as a student, especially those supporting women students such as the Alumnae Council. By the 1960s, Pelkofer was active in a variety of environmental efforts in addition to GASP, including the Allegheny County Health Department's Bureau of Air Pollution Control (BAPC). Her interest and dedication to informing the public of toxic waste and recycling issues led her to be appointed as a member of the state Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) from 1984 to 1996. She also held offices in the Pennsylvanians United to Rescue the Environment (PURE) and the Group for Recycling in Pennsylvania (GRIP), and was involved in the efforts of the Environmental Justice Work Group (EJWG) to offer a blueprint for achieving environmental justice in Pennsylvania. Through her environmental efforts, Pelkofer was instrumental in framing environmental policies and creating public interest for the issues she promoted. Pelkofer died in 2003 at the age of seventy-six.
From the description of Papers of Patricia Pelkofer, 1969-2003. (University of Pittsburgh). WorldCat record id: 33868307
