The Cathedral of Learning

    Many schools have an iconic image that they are often associated with.  They will have something on campus that becomes synonymous with the school whether it be a building, quad,  statue, or stadium.  Back in 1921 the University of Pittsburgh decided it was going above and beyond all expectation to blow most other schools out of the water, and they did it with the Cathedral of Learning.

The Cathedral of Learning

     While the building was planned in 1921, ground was not broken on the project until 1926.  Built with a steel frame structure and an Indiana limestone overlay, the Cathedral would host it's first class in 1931. The exterior was then finished three years later in 1934, and finally the building was dedicated in 1937.  Upon completion, this majestic work of Late Gothic architecture would contain more then two thousand rooms, and exactly two thousand five hundred and nine windows.      

Cathedral Circa 1930

     At the time of it's construction it was the largest educationally purposed building in the world at five hundred and thirty five feet, a towering forty two stories.  Currently the building is the fourth largest in the world, but is still the largest in the western hemisphere.  

     This building did not come to be in any ordinary fashion at all though, it took the power of the residents of Pittsburgh, most importantly Oakland.  Fundraising for this project came in many forms, including donations from industries, corporations, individuals and foreign governments. In order to raise all of the necessary money to complete the project,  University Chancellor John Bowman (who conceptualized the idea of the cathedral to begin with) began a fundraising campaign in local neighborhoods.

     The most important part of Bowman's campaign was a project reaching out to the children of the city which he called "Buy a Brick for Pitt."  The campaign worked as follows:

*Each young child would send a dime to the University

*With the dime, the child would include a note explaining how they acquired the dime

*Children would receive a certificate linking them to one individual brick used in building the cathedral.

     An amazing turnout was crucial in funding the building, as a total of ninety seven thousand certificates were issued to children, meaning that same number of bricks were donated.  With Bowman's building a complete success the University gained more notoriety in the public eye, and became an instant landmark of the city.  As a result of the building, as well as Bowman's direction of the University, enrollment increased during his time as Chancellor by five thousand, all the way up to twelve thousand and six hundred students.  The citizens of Oakland were kindly rewarded for their generosity, as this increase in students brought more money into the local economy. 

Cathedral Commons Room

      Even today the Cathedral of Learning is a draw not only for possible students, but also Pittsburgh tourists.  Tours of the Cathedral of Learning are available each day though not only the breathtaking three story Commons Room, but the the Nationality Rooms as well.  These Nationality rooms are on the first floor of the Cathedral, surrounding the Commons Room, and are meant to recreate the look of foreign classrooms from twenty six different countries.  A gift shop also accompanies the rooms, as well as recently added touch screen computers and other technologies which allow the tourist to explore the wonder of the Cathedral.  Classes are still held on the many floors of the Cathedral as well, and the Honors College is also housed inside this historic building.

     As seen in the both the past and present, the Cathedral of Learning is both a successful University venture resulting in a world renowned symbol of achievement and overall tremendous academic building, and a bright spot in the history and culture of Oakland.  

"Ukraine" Nationality Room