Works Cited

Works Cited

Alberts, Robert C. Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh, 1787-1987. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh, 1986. Print.

Cathedral in 1930. 1930. Photograph. Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, PA. Pitt Chronicle. University of Pittsburgh. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://www.chronicle.pitt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/cathedral-in-1930.jpg>.

Chandler, Lyndsay C., and Lindley Homol. "Hugh Henry Brackenridge." The Pennsylvania Center for the Book. 2007. Web. 13 Nov. 2010. <http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Brackenridge__Hugh_Henry.html>.

Chen, Berlin. Image_071. 2006. Photograph. 2006-ICSLP-Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. National Taiwan Normal University. 2006. Web. 12 Nov. 2010. <http://berlin.csie.ntnu.edu.tw/Pictures/2006-ICSLP-Pittsburgh/IMAGE_071.jpg>.

College Graduate Students. 2007. Photograph. Pitt Graduation, Pittsburgh, PA. WikiMedia Commons. WikiMedia, 29 Apr. 2007. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/College_graduate_students.jpg>.

"Education: Boot for Bowman." TIME 02 Oct. 1939. TIME.com. TIME Magazine. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,789020-1,00.html>.

Engineering Building. 1913. Photograph. Pittsburgh Yearbooks (1907-1999), Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh Yearbooks (1907-1999). Pittsburgh: Yearbook Staff. 12. Print.

Fedele, John. "Pitt Chronicle » The Cathedral of Learning: A History." Pitt Chronicle. University of Pittsburgh, 12 Mar. 2007. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://www.chronicle.pitt.edu/?p=65>.

Helfand, William H., Jan Lazarus, and Paul Theerman. "Images of Health." American Journal of Public Health 91.8 (2001): 1190. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1446742/pdf/0911190.pdf>.

Herdlien, Richard J. "Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice." NASPA Journals Database | NASPA Research. 2003. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://journals.naspa.org/jsarp/vol41/iss2/art8/>.

"Jonas Salk Biography." Academy of Achievement. Academy of Achievement, 02 Feb. 2005. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/sal0bio-1>.

Mayberry-Okonek, Bonnie A., and Linda Morganstein. "Development of Polio Vaccines." Access Excellence. National Health Museum. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/polio.php>.

MayoClinic Staff. "Polio." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 31 Mar. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/polio/DS00572>.

"Oakland: People: Mary Croghan Schenley." Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://www.carnegielibrary.org/exhibit/neighborhoods/oakland/oak_n108.html>.

Pitt Polio Vaccine CoL. 1954. Photograph. Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, PA. WikiMedia Commons. WikiMedia. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/PittPolioVaccineCoL.jpg>.

Powell, Albrecht. "Nationality Rooms at the Cathedral of Learning - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Nationality Classrooms." Pittsburgh Pennsylvania for Residents & Visitors. About.com. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://pittsburgh.about.com/od/things_to_do/p/classrooms.htm>.

Salk at Pitt. 1954. Photograph. Dr. Jonas Salk, Pittsburgh, PA. WikiMedia Commons. WikiMedia. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/SalkatPitt.jpg>.

Salk Test Tubes. Photograph. Dr. Jonas Salk, Pittsburgh, PA. WikiMedia Commons. WikiMedia. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Salk_test_tubes.jpg>.

Schenley Park From Cathedral of Learning. 2009. Photograph. Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, PA. Flickr. Yahoo, 22 Aug. 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/etherealdawn/3859201399/>.

Schenley Quad, Schenley Quadrangle. Personal photograph by author. 2010.

"University of Pittsburgh." Maps and Virtual Tour | University of Pittsburgh. Web. 18 Nov. 2010. <http://www.tour.pitt.edu/tour-080.html>.

Yang, Jennifer. Cathedral of Learning Pittsburgh. 2005. Photograph. Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, PA. Flickr. Yahoo, 13 May 2005. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Cathedral_of_Learning_Pittsburgh_by_Jennifer_Yang.jpg>.

Yearbook Staff. Pittsburgh Yearbooks (1907-1999). Print.

The Mutualistic Relationship of Pittsburgh & The University

     As history has surely shown, Pittsburgh, and the major public institution it's home to get along quite well.  From the early success seen in the development of Oakland, the two started off their symbiotic relationship remarkably mutualistic. The wealthy brought with them progressive ideals, and the University provided a place to explore knowledge.  This steady relationship grew even stronger with the building of the Cathedral of Learning, seen as a beacon of high educational regard for both the school and the city alike.  What really cemented the University and the City together though, was their cooperation in defeating the polio virus.  Together they did something that had never been done before, a thing some thought might be impossible. What is clear though from the research, is that the University of Pittsburgh and the city of Pittsburgh have banded together in the past.  While the meanings of those bonds may have changed over time, they are still strong and will not be broken for a very, very long time.

The Polio Vaccine

     "Polio" the Mayo Clinc defines as "a contagious viral illness that in it's most severe form causes paralysis, difficulty breathing, and sometimes death." It was a disease that had the potential to effect the lives of every post World War I American.  It was an infection that spread like wildfire, causing multiple epidemics to break out across the country.  The country was in trouble, as more and more children were inflicted with the disease due to the often unsanitary conditions they create and are subject to in school, and such places.

     Interestingly enough, Dr. Jonas Salk of the University of Pittsburgh was the man that would undertake the mission.  While many had tried and failed to combat polio, Dr. Salk would not accept defeat.  His study of immunology at the University in 1947 quickly transitioned to a full time concentration on the polio virus.  

Dr. Salk

     He was a man obsessed with developing a vaccination for this seemingly unbeatable illness  Backed by funding from the March of Dimes (instituted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a polio victim himself), the doctor began  his rise to greatness.  In 1949 Salk’s research took a step forward when  a method for growing the polio virus in cell culture was determined, as opposed to using monkey for the research (as the primates were known to easily acquire the virus).  The problem Salk now had, was finding a way to neutralize the virus just enough for it to be safe enough to use in a vaccine.  It took Dr. Salk until 1952, but he was finally able to concoct what no man before him could: a successful vaccine against the polio virus.

Salk w/ Vaccine

     It was not the end though, as the vaccine still had to pass through clinical trials to be deemed truly safe for the public.  In event like no other seen before it, and probably never again,  Salk’s vaccine was tested on a massive scope of individuals in 1954, starting with those of Pittsburgh.  Yes, the citizens of Pittsburgh were the first to offer up themselves and their children to the polio vaccine.  The same city of Pittsburgh that donated not only money, but their work and time to Dr. Salk, donated themselves as well.  

Vaccination

     Thanks to the brilliant and careful work of Jonas Salk, the vaccine was in large part a success.  Cases of polio fell across the nation in each test group.  Because of these results the government quickly okayed the distribution of the vaccine.  After some minor falters in it’s first stage, the refinement of the vaccine led to a massive wipe out of the polio virus, and even it’s overall eradication from the United States in 1979.  

     This was a huge victory for Jonas Salk, which meant victory for both the University of Pittsburgh, and the city as well.  The amount of attention and praise blessed upon the Pitt Medical School after this great triumph continue to reward it with reverence and high standing nearly half a century later.  The city of Pittsburgh it’s self is also rewarded by this attention, as it’s hospitals and overall medical care is highly regarded as well, making it a top medical city in the United States.  Because of these two factors the city itself overall is blessed with wonderful medical care from those who know of the rich medical history, and are interested in following in the footsteps of Dr. Jonas Salk.

UPMC Medical Center

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

Oakland & The University

     Oakland never used to be the cultural epicenter it is today.  Early settlers to the area used the territory mostly as farmland, but it developed quickly.  By the 1830’s  many of the upperclass citizens of “Downtown Pittsburgh”  were looking to escape the filth and disease that had become common in that area.  Because of the influx of this wealth and attraction to hip, modern culture Oakland began to shift.  A great deal of this was made possible by the contributions of Mary Schenley.  

     Mary made quite a few sizable donations to the city, but none more significant than Schenley Park.  Schenley donated three hundred acres of land for the park herself, (the park is now an even larger four hundred and fifty six acres)  singlehandedly creating the second largest municipal park in all of Pittsburgh.  This land borders the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, an attraction for local residents and students alike.

Schenley Park

      Mrs. Schenley was not only instrumental in developing the public areas of Oakland, but also had a hand in the University’s expansion as well.  After her death in 1903, she still held fifty million dollars worth of real estate in Pittsburgh.  Some of this land was turned over to the University of Pittsburgh, including what is now known as the Schenley Quadrangle.

The Schenley Quadrangle
(Shitty Picture Due To 2.0 mpx iPhone Camera)

The quad is the location of five of the schools residence halls. 

These include (listed alphabetically):

*Amos Hall - named for the University’s former dean of women, Thrysa W. Amos.

*Brackenridge Hall - named for founded Hugh Henry Brackenridge.

*Bruce Hall - named for the first chancellor of the Western University of Pennsylvania,  Robert Bruce. 

*Holland Hall - named for former University Chancellor William Jacob Holland

*McCormick Hall - named for Samuel McCormick, University Chancellor who moved the school from the North Side to Oakland, renamed it the University of Pittsburgh

   It's clear from all of this, that both the city and school effected each other throughout the transition of the University's move from the North Side to it's present day location in Oakland effectively beginning in 1909.  The transition of the upper class from Downtown Pittsburgh to the Oakland area was key in the University's success at it's new campus.  Oakland became a more favorable environment of culture, learning, and progression.  This is directly linked to the support of citizens such as Mary Schenley and other members of the upper class' who were able to make a difference in Oakland.  Without their generosity the University of Pittsburgh might not have the land, resources, and public appeal that it has today.  Without the spacious, multidimensional campus or the vast cultural scene, the University might not be the large name it is in education today.  Without the University, Oakland would be a completely different place than it is now.  The great deal of college students that make up the neighborhood would not be there to stimulate the local economy as they do now, among other effects that could be caused by their absence.  

University of Pittsburgh Graduation

My Goal

     The University of Pittsburgh has been a landmark in Allegheny County since it's official charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on February 28, 1787.  Before that date the Pittsburgh Academy, (as it used to be known) which was founded by Hugh Henry Brakenridge, was a preparatory school.

The Pittsburgh Academy

     With western expansion in the United States increasing at this time, new higher education facilities were needed and so what became known as the Western University of Pennsylvania was established.  The school was originally planned to be a related institution to the University of Pennsylvania, which was already well established in Philadelphia, but it’s strong commitment to a liberal arts curriculum made it stand out as a truly separate entity.  It has been a staple of the city of Pittsburgh since these days, and their impact on each other has been astounding.  The University of Pittsburgh (as it was renamed in the summer of 1908) and the city for which it’s named have progressed and evolved with each other over the years.

                                               
     In 1909 the school began to move to from it’s original location on what is now considered the North Side, to an area that would come to be known as the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh.  From there the university blossomed under then Chancellor Samuel McCormick.  As the school implemented itself in the community and took off in it’s own path towards academic success, though not without influence from the great city in which it stood.

Thaw Hall Circa 1913

     This interaction and growth between the city of Pittsburgh and our very own University is definitely an interesting relationship and in fact the focus of this blog.  The posts you’ll find from here on out are intended to present the relevant information gathered through research in a way the texts and historical accounts they come from won’t.  The intent is to provide a more interesting and engaging read, while still displaying cited historical material to an audience interested in the longstanding relationship between the school and city.