In 1907, architect Henry Hornbostel, the designer of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, won a national competition to transform Pitt’s campus into a grand academic acropolis. He planned for a collection of stately classical buildings perched above the city, echoing the temples of ancient Greece
Three years before he announced it in 1924, early plans dating back to about 1921 had the Cathedral of Learning soaring to 52 stories toll. Coincidentally, the Cathedral’s Commons Room height is 52 feet from floor to ceiling.
With assistance from the Mellon family, Pitt acquires the 14-acre Frick Acres, seen here in a 1923 map, to further expand campus.
Two distinct student groups are honored on the walkways between the Cathedral and Heinz Memorial Chapel: student-athletes honored with annual Blue-Gold and Panther athletic awards and those seniors chosen each year by the Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) honor society. ODK began selecting one or two top seniors in 1922
Chancellor John G. Bowman retains architect Charles Klauder to erect a skyscraper for the University of Pittsburgh.
Pitt announces plans to build the tallest academic building in the world. In his statement, Chancellor Bowman first uses the phrase “Cathedral of Learning,” though he reportedly dislikes that name.
Pitt announces the Cathedral of Learning fundraising drive has reached $5.6 million, with the city raising approximately $1.5 million in one week.
Public campaign to raise the final $7 million needed for Cathedral construction begins; this phase includes schoolchildren donating a dime to “buy a brick.”
Ground is broken at the site of the Cathedral of Learning, seen here two days before the start of excavation.
With the Pittsburgh Athletic Association and Alumni Hall (formerly known as the Masonic Temple) already standing tall, the foundation is laid for the Cathedral on the Frick Acres site.