Carnegie Mellon University - Thistle Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

Page 8 text:

On November 15, 1900, Andrew Carnegie provided the first definition of the Carnegie Technical Schools thereby beginning the evolutionary process in terms of which today’s institution is defined. On that date he announced his intention to endow a technical school for the city of Pittsburgh which would offer secondary technical education coupled with specialized training in science and art. Course content and methods of instruction were to have a direct relationship to the technical, developmental, and managerial needs of area industry. four

Page 7 text:

IDENTITY LIVES IN THE MOMENT OF BECOMING, DEFYING PRECISE DEFINITION AND ALLOWING ONLY A NECESSARILY INCOMPLETE VIEW OF THE EVOLUTION AND COALESCENCE OF ITS COMPONENT ELEMENTS. A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THIS IDENTITY IS THE SUBJECTIVE ELEMENT INTRODUCED BY THE ACT OF DEFINITION. DEFINITION AND COMMUNICATION REQUIRE THE MEDIUM OF HUMANLY TANGIBLE FORMS. THESE FORMS ARE THE PRODUCTS OF A SELF-CONSCIOUS INTELLECT ATTEMPTING TO FIND MEANING AND FORM WITHIN ITSELF AND TO IMPOSE THESE UPON THE WORLD EXTERNAL TO IT. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECTION IS THE FORMATION OF A UNIFIED ESSENCE-AN IDENTITY. THE IDENTITY IS CONSTANTLY FORGED, BUT NEVER WHOLLY UNIFIED. THE DIVERSE ELEMENTS ENCOMPASSED WITHIN IT SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR ITS SOMEWHAT ARBITRARILY ASSIGNED DEFINITION, AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, AS THE ESSENCE OF A CONTINUUM FROM WITHIN WHICH A NEWER, MORE COMPREHENSIVE IDENTITY CAN EMERGE. three

Page 9 text:

TURNING THE FIRST SPADEFUL OF EARTH On April 3, 1905. Mrs. Hamcrschlag. wife of the first President, signalized the start of building operations by sinking a spade at the spot where excavations began for the erection of the original building. This occurred near the southwest corner of the campus. The school was organized to serve interests in four areas—The School of Science and Technology was to couple intellectual and technical skills to produce engineer's assistants, foremen, draftsmen, etc.; the School of Apprentices and Journeymen was to concentrate on the mechanics of manufacturing and building; the School of Fine and Applied Arts was to specialize in courses that would produce skilled designers and art workers in the industrial application of the plastic arts; and Margaret Morrison Carnegie College was to emphasize homcmaking, nursing, and secretarial skills. five