Carnegie Mellon University - Thistle Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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slow and careful study of the subject, and did not report until February, nineteen three. Their report formed the basis u| on which the school was planned. The selection of a suitable site upon which to place the new school was a matter that took a great deal of time and was held back by many false starts. Each particular clique in Councils had a separate notion as to the best location. Several times, different plots seemed to be finally selected, but in each case some difficulty wotdd present itself and the matter would fall through. Such was the case with the Schcnlcy farm, back of Fifth and Bellcficld. The ncwspa| ers even published plans of the new buildings, with the definite announce tnent that all had been arranged. I lowevcr, there are at least a few i eoplc who now know that such news, though interesting, was not very accurate. Councils appointed a committee of seven of their number in September, nineteen two. In February, nineteen three, the present site was approved by Councils and by the Board of Trustees. A considerable amount of jxnv-wow was necessary, however, before the embryo “Tech was the proud jiosscssoi of thirty-two acres adjoining Schcnlcy Park. During the fall of nineteen three, the most im| ortant question taken up by the committee was the choosing of a director to head the schools. It was decided to choose the director before going ahead, in order that lie might Ik able to help plan the schools. William McConway was at this time chairman of the committee, composed of V. II. Stevenson. J. A. Brashear. W. L. Scaifc and J. J. Booth. They began their dclilx-rations on this subject on October second, nineteen three, and their report was not made until November ninth of the same year. They reported unanimously in favor of At tliur A. Hamerschlag, then at the New York Trade Schools. The Trustees then officially invited him to take command. The committee's re| rt had lx en carefully made and their choice has since been proven a wise one. (hi February twenty-third, nineteen four, the first actual work, the grading of the site, was begun. To the Gillespie Construction Company had been awarded the contract, and they finished this part of the work by June twenty-seventh. But up to this time no arrangement had lieen made for the design of the buildings. A competition was announced for the best designs and the preliminaries closed on July twelfth, nineteen four, with sixty-nine contestants. The result was made known September tenth, when it was announced that Palmer and Hornbostcl. of New York, were the winners. They drew up the final plans and specifications from which the bids were made. March twenty-first, nineteen five, sixteen bids had been received, and on March twenty-eighth Wells Brothers were awarded the contract, for alx ut five hundred thousand dollars. This bid only included what are now buildings A. B and C. with teni|x rary power house. The first shovelful of earth was raised by Mrs. Hamerschlag. on April third, nineteen five, and the work was pushed rapidly from then on. 24

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y-gyHKX the Central Hoard of Kducation. in nineteen Innulrcd, asked the city for an appropriation for a technical school, it was the signal for Andrew Carnegie to make an offer which he had long had in mind. I Ic had made a careful study of technical education and had decided that Pittsburgh ErfiSI should have such a school, although la- postponed further action until the Carnegie Institute’s new building was completed. The action of the Hoard, however, now moved him to make a definite offer. At a banquet given by V. X. Frew, at which were present the Hoard of Trustees of the Institute and the chief officials of the city. Mr. Carnegie offered to provide money for a technical school and to endow it. provided the city furnished the site. His aim in offering to establish the schools was to give the young men and women of this community an opportunity to obtain an education in technical arts, so that, by the possession of exjKTt skill and thorough knowledge, they could advance the general interests of the community and improve their own conditions in life. This. Xovcmber eleventh, nineteen hundred, was the first public announcement of his attention. It created considerable excitement in educational circles and was immediately recognized as a valuable addition to the advantages of Pittsburgh. The Hoard of Trustees of the Carnegie Institute, into whose hands the management had been placed, on December eighteenth, nineteen hundred, appointed a committee of five to study the subject of technical schools and to re| ort upon a plan of formation. This committee made a very

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Tlu first actual instruction given by the Carnegie Technical Schools was in the form of a preliminary course of public lectures, given at the various Carnegie Libraries around the city. The first lecture was given in April, nineteen four, and the series was kept up for some time. These were of the jxipular scientific class and served to interest the people in scientific matters. They attracted great crowds and were a marked success. An interesting and highly amusing feature of the school’s early history was the attitude of the newspapers towards it. They regarded the school, first and foremost, as a good producer of local color, a subject that was always of interest to the general public. So. it there was no news, they made some. The results were fearful and wonderful, but not very accurate. Every detail was seized and enlarged upon, such as the going and coming of our Director, or the inauguration to bis duties of a new office boy. Such interesting matter was copied by pa|X-rs in many cities, so that Carnegie Tech lias at least l ccn thoroughly advertised. In Octol er. nineteen five, the school was ready for opening. It had been besieged by one thousand seven hundred and twenty-three applicants, of whom six hundred and four were examined. Examinations began October ninth and on the Monday following the Day School of Applied Science was opened, six months and thirteen days after the actual building had been begun. Such remarkable speed in building is symliolic of the speed with which we took our place in the world of colleges. Carnegie Tech is a recognized factor in the college life of Western Pennsylvania, and with its present leader, its brilliant future is assured. F. L. K., 'oS. 25