Carnegie Mellon University - Thistle Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

Page 13 text:

This book ts respectfully dedicated to Mr. John A. 'Brashear whose unflagging interest, and untiring efforts, as a member of the Committee on Technical Schools, has secured for our institution many of the advantages and privileges that we so well enjoy, and whose contributions to science have Won for him a place among the great men of the world.

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Contents •M-H Pirc Andrew Carnegie's Letter.............................. 5 Dedication............................................ 7 J. A. Brashear's Letter.............................. 12 Board of Trustees.................................... 15 Director’s Letter.................................... 17 Officers of Administration........................... 18 School of Applied Science............................ 19 Fraternities.....................................tot Social ..........................................117 School of Apprentices and Journeymen.................125 Day Industrial ..................................12S Night Classes....................................14 Day School of Applied Design.........................16S Night School of Applied Design.......................178 Margaret Morrison Carnegie School....................1S7 Margaret Morrison Carnegie ...................... 90 Anna Beckwith Smith .............................193 Publications ........................................238 Clubs ...............................................243 Athletics ...........................................254 Grinds ..............................................274 Retrospect ..........................................298 6

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John A. Brashear OHX A. BRASHEAR was born at Brownsville. Pa., in the year 1840. With the rest of the boys of the neighborhood, lie attended common school,—a very common school, as Mr. Brashear puts it. for it was only a very ordinary two-roomed, brick building. But be that as it may. it gave him his first insight into learning, and instilled that desire for knowledge, which has made him the great scholar that he is. After leaving public school, in order to learn a trade, he apprenticed himself, as pattern-maker, to a steam boat engine manufactory, in his native town. In i860 he removed to Louisville, K , where he again found work with a steam engine builder. Louisville was one of the hot beds of the Confederacy, and the fact that he was a Northerner, and had sworn allegiance to the Union, made things so unpleasant that he was forced to leave. He came to Pittsburgh, and accepted a position as millwright with Zug Painter, and for the next twenty years lie was closely associated with rolling-mill work. Throughout all this time, however, he had been faithfully enlarging upon his elementary knowledge of astronomy, which his grandfather, Nathaniel Smith, had first imparted to him as a boy. It was exceedingly difficult, up hill work, filled with discouragements, and demanding untiring labor. He had to solve the most difficult problems, and penetrate the deepest of sciences, almost without help or assistance. During his stay with Zug Painter he made a very careful study of the heavens, usually taking his candle and star map on the river bank and getting behind the pig metal piles, locating the principal stars in a constellation until they became very familiar to him. There was but one man in Pittsburgh. Professor Langley, who had any knowledge of astronomy, and while the assistance he did render was invaluable, yet Mr. Brashear would not impose upon him to any great extent. With the help of his wife. Phoebe Stewart, whose encouragement and labor did much to win success for her husband, he made, by three years’ work at night, a five-inch lense and telescope. Not content with this, he began the grinding of a twelve-inch reflecting telescope glass. After two and a half years, when the lense was nearing completion, during which time he had worked almost S