Universities, Colleges, The Univer sity of Pittsburgh is the oldest institution of learning on the continent west of the Allegheny Mountains, north of the Ohio river. Chartered in 1787 as the Pittsburgh Academy, it was re chartered in 1819 as the Western University of Pennsylvania, the intention of the legislature being that it should fulfill for the western half of the State the functions performed by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. It still operates under the charter of 1819, but the name was changed in 1908 to the University of Pittsburgh. It is absolutely undenominational, and is recognized as an integral part of the edu cational system of the Commonwealth, the gov ernor being always a member of the board of trustees, and the support of the university be ing to a considerable extent provided from the treasury of the State. In 1917 the university had an enrolment of 4.250 students and a faculty composed of 441 persons, the chief executive officer being the chancellor. The number of students was diminished as the re sult of the late war, but recent reports show a rapid recovery. The service rendered by the university during this war is worthy of men tion. Over 4.000 of the alumni and under graduates entered the army or were engaged in technical duties connected with its maintenance, or the relief of the wounded. Over 70 of these men laid down their lives. One of the base hospitals in France was served by the medical faculty, with its dean at the head of the or ganization, the original equipment having been provided at large cost by Mrs. Henry E. Col lins, a granddaughter of the late William Thaw, whose generous spirit she has inherited. The organization of the university includes 16 dif ferent schools, of which the College of Arts and Letters is the largest, having over 600 students. The School of Mines, partly sup ported by the State, the School of Education, tbe Sdlool of Law, the School of Medicine, the School of Dental Surgery the latter said to be of the very best in America, the Mellon Institute, and the Allegheny Observatory, are Fman.cd the most famous institutions entering Into the complex life of the great institution. Allegheny Observatory, splendidly equipped vita} instruments, and with considerable en dowment, b..s a world-wide reputation through the researches carried on here by Prof. Samuel P. Langley in the domain of solar physics, and later in aeronautics. Here were laid the fonndations of that science which has given to wan ip these later days the dominion of the air. The observatory is also famous for the classic researches of the late Prof. James E.
Keeler upon the nebulae, which, continued by him at Lick Observatory, have tended to con firm in a remarkable manner the theories of La Place. The Mellon Institute is a unique in stitution, owing its origin to the genius of the late Prof. Robert Kennedy Duncan and the splendid generosity of Mr. A. W. Mellon and his brother, Mr. R. B. Mellon, two of the fore most citizens of Pittsburgh. Great and im portant discoveries in chemistry and the indus trial arts are being constantly made here, and there were 39 fellowships in research in opera tion in 1918. The campus of the university comprises 43 acres in the °civic centre in close proximity to that great group of noble insti tutions which during the past decade have found their location here, and which is without parallel in any other city of the Union. Du quesne University is a Roman Catholic institu tion, originally established by les Freres du Saint Esprit, and until quite recently known as the College of the Holy Ghost, under which name it was carried on from 1878 until quite recently. It has some hundreds of students, and recently has announced a course in law. It has a campus and a large building on the top of Boyd's Hill near the heart of the city. The Pennsylvania College for Women is undenomi national, but enjoys the special patronage of Presbyterians. It was established about 50 years ago and occupies a beautiful site near Fifth avenue on Woodland road in the resi dential part of the city. It has good buildings,
among which may be mentioned Dilworth Hall, the gift of the late Joseph Dilworth, a promi nent manufacturer and merchant of a former generation. There are 250 students in attend ance.
The Carnegie Institute of Technology, a de partment of the Carnegie Institute, and the last to be created by the founder of that complex of institutions in Pittsburgh, which bears his name, has recently grown to great proportions through his lavish gifts. It occupies a tract of about 35 acres adjoining Schenley Park, pur chased by the city of Pittsburgh for its use. Here have been erected numerous buildings, splendidly equipped for their purposes. Originally intended by Mr. Carnegie to be a of advanced grade for the poorer and less fortunate young people of Pittsburgh, it has in recent years essayed a more ambitious role, and has established courses in the various branches of engineering, in which it confers degrees. A school of the arts in which courses are given in architecture, sculp ture, modelling, painting and the drama has been created. The small theatre in this school is a very perfect example of what a theatre should be. There are about 3,500 students in attendance from all over the United States, but principally from Pennsylvania, attracted by the advantages furnished at a merely nominal cost. Mr. Carnegie's original gift to this school has been from time to time increased, until it now totals for buildings and endowment the sum of over $15,000,000.
This account of the schools of higher learn ing in the city would be incomplete without reference to the three theological seminaries, all located in the portion of the city known as North-side.' The Western Theological Seminary, situated on Ridge avenue, was founded about a century ago by the Presby terian Church and has sent out over 2,000 graduates, many of whom have held distin guished positions in the Church and as educators in the colleges and universities of America. The buildings and endowment of the seminary represent an aggregate investment of about $1,500,000. The Theological Seminary of the United Presbyterian Church and that of the Reformed Presbyterian Church are both located cn North avenue in close proximity to each other and serve in part to meet the requirements of these two denominations for a trained clergy. Both are well-known ((Schools of the the alumni of which have reflected honor upon them.
Public Schools, The public schools of Pittsburgh, partly supported by the municipality and partly by the State, are thoroughly organ ized and well administered under the general control of a board of education appointed ac cording to law by the judges of Allegheny County and selected because of their known fitness for their duties. The school property owned by the city has cost $21,034,221. It con sists of 129 buildings with grounds averaging nine acres to each building. There are 96,000 pupils in attendance, 10,077 of whom in 1918 were in the high schools. There were 2,616 teachers employed in the same year. The buildings, many of which have been erected in quite recent years, are notably well adapted to their use, one of the best examples being the Schenley High School on Bigelow boule vard. The Roman Catholic parish schools number 65, with an enrolment of over 30,000 pupils and 632 teachers. There are nine well established private commercial schools, enroll ing 3,600 pupils, and seven preparatory schools with 1,400 scholars. Through the generosity of Mr. Henry C. Frick there has been established a fund of $500,000, the interest of which is an nually to he expended in sending the teachers of the public schools, who may be selected for their special fitness, to summer schools, where they may at once be refreshed and further quali fied for their duties. A board of trustees chosen by Mr. Frick, and having self-perpetu ating powers, administers this fund.