Netting was born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. He had a long career at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was Curator of the Section of Amphibians and Reptiles from 1931 to 1954. (He was succeeded by Curator Neil D. Richmond.) In 1935, Netting and Leonard Llewellyn discovered the Cheat Mountain salamander (Plethodon nettingi) , a species unique and endemic to West Virginia. He was Secretary (1931–1947) and President (1948–1950) of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

In the mid-1950s, Netting helped create the museum's field station, Powdermill Nature Reserve. He also helped found many environmental organizations in Pennsylvania including the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Netting served as Director of the Carnegie Museum from 1954 to 1975.

• Carnegie Museum of Natural History Archives (Microsoft Word document).