Pitt Celebrates 225 Years
The University of Pittsburgh’s Annual Honors Convocation on February 24 marked the beginning of Pitt’s 225th anniversary celebration. As Chancellor Mark Nordenberg stated in the February 13 issue of the Pitt Chronicle, “The University’s commemoration of the 225th anniversary of our founding is an ideal time to reflect on Pitt’s accomplishments in providing individuals with abundant opportunities ‘to build better lives,’ for themselves and their communities. As we celebrate this special anniversary with the theme of ‘225 Years of Building Better Lives,’ it also is a time to look forward to the University—as a leader in education, a pioneer in research, and a partner in regional development—continuing its upward momentum in the years ahead.”
In his Honors Convocation address, Chancellor Nordenberg cited some of the many achievements attained by Pitt faculty and alumni since the University’s founding, including the development of the polio vaccine; the development of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and the founding of the discipline of critical care medicine; the discovery of quasars; the synthesis of insulin; and the development of the science of magnetic resonance imaging.
For the past several months, the University community has continued to highlight the special Pitt people whose contributions throughout history have left indelible imprints on the city, the region, and the world. While some of those triumphs and successes have happened on a grand scale, earning recognition in the form of medals and prizes and awards, other have occurred on more of a human scale, but with no less power to cause lasting ripples of significance. As a way to feature these people and their stories, the University unveiled a new—and still growing—Web site. The site not only provides visitors with the opportunity to watch the official anniversary video, view Pitt’s original charters, and learn more about the University’s “225 Acts of Caring,” but it invites interactivity with a “Share a Memory” link.
The 225th anniversary celebration will culminate during the October 8-14 Homecoming 2012 festivities. To find out more about Pitt’s inspiring past and exciting future, or to write your own chapter in the University’s history book, visit the 225th anniversary Web site.