In 1925, my grandfather gave ten cents to help fund the construction of the Cathedral of Learning. Somehow, my parents had the foresight to preserve the certificate documenting his donation and admittance to the "Fellowship of Builders." As a...
Cathedral Memories
Jon Naser
Alumni
A&S '15
EDITOR’S NOTE: Jon Naser’s memories of the Cathedral of Learning provide a vivid reminder of how a person’s sense of place is inextricably connected to the full range of one’s life experiences. We are very grateful that Jon chose to share his...
Paramita Basu
Faculty
I enjoyed visiting the Cathedral of Learning with my sister and exploring its beautiful architecture and rich history together. One of the most meaningful parts of the visit was learning about the room dedicated to Indian culture, which highlights...
Russell Hackenburg
Staff
My mother lived in Oakland on Bouquet Street and watched them build the Cathedral of Learning in the 1920s. She attended Bellefield Girls’ Vocational on Fifth Avenue and dropped out in the 10th grade to pursue her sewing career.
She dreamed that...
Carmella Mullen
Friend
I found an original certificate that my dad had in his belongings from a grade school donation from 1925 in which he donated 10 cents to the building fund for the Cathedral of Learning.
Jeffrey Price
Alumni
A&S '76, '77G
I was privileged to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, father and uncle by attending Pitt. In the 4 years I attended, we went from worst to first in football.
John Andra
Friend
My grandfather worked on the building of the Cathedral after he moved to McKees Rocks. He was a bricklayer and mason who knew stonework. He had two men that worked as his crew. On weekends and after the week’s quitting time, he and his crew worked...
Paula Marchioni
Alumni
A&S '86, DEN '89
I have fond memories of doing my calculus homework in the common area with my math tutor, an engineering student, because I was struggling as a freshman in calculus. I was super shy and had a crush on my tutor, but I never told him. I don’t even...
Floyd Clawson
Staff
I worked in the Cathedral of Learning for 25 years—47 all together at the University. I love the Cathedral. I've been in every room and on every roof, including the very top of the Cathedral. There are so many nooks and crannies in the building that...
Gayane Davtyan
Student
I am Gayane, a sociologist. I count hours, trace systems, measure distance in data. So let me begin with a number: 72, which is the number of hours I was given. The farthest I had ever traveled, the fastest I would return. Fourteen hours of sky...
Kellie Skweres
Alumni
A&S '95, EDUC '16G
I was working at Roy Rogers inside the Cathedral of Learning, which happened to be my first job out of high school. I worked there throughout my undergraduate tenure at Pitt. I had just been through a bad breakup, and a young man I went high school...
Michael Harris
Friend
In 1969, walking almost to the top for my exercise every day. Funny how staff and students stared at me like I was a crazy person but, it was a great workout.
Kevin McDade
Alumni, Faculty, Parent
A&S '00, MED '11, '17
I proposed to my wife on Dec. 23, 2001. Originally, I was planning to propose at the ice-skating rink at PPG Place, but it was raining that day. We both graduated from Pitt, so I told her I wanted to take her on tour of the Nationality Rooms. As we...
Carlos Villamarin
Alumni, Staff
A&S '19
I met my partner of 10 years, who is now my fiancé and future wife, in an English Composition in Film class in the spring semester of freshman year. I fell in love with her article on Star Wars and Dolby Sound. We continued to have dates at the...
Becca Kendsersky
Alumni
PHARM '16, '18G
With my eyes set on attending pharmacy school, I wasn't too excited for my required writing class. But it was in that class that I first met my now husband, Nate. I was complaining about the difficulty of Organic Chemistry II and, being the science-...
Jim Kane
Alumni
A&S '83, '85G
The year was 1983 and I was starting my master’s degree in Communication. As I was walking up the steps of the 11th floor of the Cathedral I saw a friend at the top of the steps. Next to him was a friend of his. She was working on her PhD in...
Angelica Shoemaker
Parent
As a parent, one of my most memorable moments was walking into the Cathedral of Learning for the first time with my daughter.
I remember looking up at the towering ceilings and thinking about everything that building represents—possibility,...
Chrissy Cortazzo
Alumni
A&S '93, EDUC '02G
I graduated from Pitt however I just received my class ring THIS YEAR! I attended the ceremony with my parents, who are 80, and paid for the majority of my education by tapping into my dad's retirement fund. It was my dad's first time in the...
Reid Roberts
Alumni
A&S '81, LAW '84
I came across this photo of the Cathedral mid-construction at a yard sale. I bought it, and the photo now hangs in my law office in Downtown Pittsburgh.
Nicole Hartung
Alumni
A&S '95
I have many warm memories of the Cathedral of Learning: studying, attending classes, playing volleyball on the lawn, and people-watching with friends. However, my favorite memory is taking my son, Ben (Class of 2030) to the Cathedral immediately...
Timothy Gaus
Alumni, Staff
A&S '83, SCI '91G
In the tough job market of 1983 in Pittsburgh, and as a new Pitt grad having a difficult time, I thought the Cathedral of Learning might give me a boost. I heard that the transmitter for Pitt's radio station WPTS was on the Cathedral roof, and so...
Julie Shepard
Alumni
A&S '90, SPIA '03G
The Commons Room will always hold a special place in my heart. Lantern Night was held there my first year and it became my favorite place to study under the watchful eye of Bernie, the security guard. It featured so many special events including the...
Danny Kroll
Alumni
CGS '06
On June 17, 2017, as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins equipment staff, I had my day with Lord Stanley and made a stop to the Cathedral of Learning. Thanks to my sister (a Pitt employee) and a few Pitt police officers, we took the Stanley Cup, the...
Kate Beach
Alumni
A&S '12
I was born in Pittsburgh and moved away when I was 10. When the time came to think about college, I knew I wanted to come home and attend Pitt. The Cathedral of Learning captured my imagination as a child and never released me. When I finally...
Jake Boswell
Alumni
A&S '02
As a student I worked as a messenger for Pitt's Office of General Counsel, back when it was on the 32nd floor of the Cathedral. I had a small office where I did data entry when I wasn't delivering packages or taking files to the Prothonotary office...
MeiMei Santucci
Alumni
A&S '20
Growing up, my mom served as faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. I remember one specific time playing hooky in elementary school and going to work with her. Sitting in her office felt fairly boring, but during her break we walked to this...
George Foutrakis
Alumni
ENGR '93
I have fond memories of taking family and friends on self-guided tours of the Nationality Rooms. We would then take the elevator to the top floor, walk up a half flight of stairs and look in awe at the beautiful, panoramic views of Oakland, downtown...
Venkat Kolluri
Alumni
SCI '02
In the fall of 1993, I arrived at the University of Pittsburgh as a first-year PhD student, completely unaware that the Cathedral of Learning would play host to some of the most vivid memories of my life. My graduate student office was located on...
Erin Ference
Alumni
A&S '03
My world language classes were almost exclusively offered in the Cathedral of Learning. Not only was my very first class there, I met lifelong friends. However, also in that first class, I also received a flyer about a study abroad program through...
Debbie Whitfield
Alumni, Staff
CGS '06
I had started college at another school right after graduation from high school. I always intended to finish but life has a way of going on its own course. When I started to work at Pitt, it seemed to be the perfect time to return to school and...
David Brauer
Alumni
A&S '96
I met Elizabeth Slamka ('96, '98), my future wife, on the third floor of the Cathedral of Learning on Sept. 10, 1994. It was something out of a movie. We locked eyes, and I knew she was the one. We have been together ever since. :-)
Phil Roseberry
Alumni
A&S '85
I had the distinct pleasure of receiving the pictured paperweight from a man I respected dearly, shortly after my graduation. This quote says it all. I found all these things at Pitt and in the Cathedral of Learning. I treasure his memory and this...
Robert Mease
Alumni
A&S '71
I am writing this on behalf of my dad, Robert Mease. He graduated from Pitt in 1971 with a degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. He later joined the Police, and he often worked the third shift in the area of the Cathedral and the William Pitt...
Gudrun Martyny
Alumni
A&S '75
I am a member of the Class of 1976. My senior year I had a class in one of the Nationality Rooms. I was eight months pregnant towards the end of the semester. Due to my size, I was unable to sit in the small student desks, so the professor traded...
Kira Brice
Alumni
A&S '20
Visiting Pitt as a prospective student during high school, I toured the Cathedral of Learning's Nationality Rooms and instantly fell in love. I knew that no other university campus offers such a unique display of intercultural appreciation. Not long...
Stephanie Valleras Carroll
Alumni
BUS '17
The Cathedral of Learning has always been one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh. Fun fact: I was late to my very first class of my college career there. As an 18-year-old freshman, I thought I had plenty of time to get from my dorm to class. Turns...
Karen Sebolt
Alumni, Parent, Staff
BUS '88
As an undergraduate taking a few gen ed courses at Pitt during a gap year (1984), most of my classes were in the Cathedral of Learning. I often wanted to sit in the big, gothic wooden armchairs in the center of the Commons Room, but I was way too...
Alison Novicki
Alumni
A&S '98
My dad, a proud Pitt staff retiree, started and ended his career in IT, on the seventh floor of the Cathedral of Learning (I believe he was hired in 1969). His name is Harry Novicki and he sadly and unexpectedly passed in 2017. I was lucky enough to...
Joyce Carson
Alumni
A&S '70
I spent my years at Pitt in the Commons Room. There was a group of friends who regularly met at "The Spanish Table.” The group originally started with students who took Spanish in the Scottish Room (only at Pitt, right?). As the years went on, we...
George McLemore
Alumni
A&S '85
In the Fall of 1977, as a doctoral student and teaching assistant in the Department of Communication, I taught a public speaking class in the Cathedral of Learning's Yugoslav Nationality Room. I was impressed that even lowly teaching assistants were...
Alexis Wehrle
Alumni, Staff
CGS '24
During the peak of COVID-19 in 2020, my freshman year was mostly limited to virtual classes and locked dorms. The Cathedral of Learning was one of the only spaces where my friends and I could actually get together to socialize. We met in Room G08...
Ella Holsinger
Alumni
EDUC '76
No grilled pecan roll before or since has measured up to the ones from the Tuck Shop! They were a staple of my time at Pitt and a great memory! The gothic environment, hard furniture and dim lighting made the college experience much less mundane...
Mary Martha Nunlist Homa
Alumni
EDUC '60
Growing up, we all lived with the fear of polio. In my junior year of high school it became real. One of the students in my homeroom was thought to have contracted polio. We were all advised to quickly have the gamma globulin shot, the only one...
Marcia Proenca
Alumni
SCI '85
I am Brazilian, and I attended the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Library and Information Sciences in 1983. I worked at the Cathedral of Learning as a Portuguese teacher and loved the experience. In addition to traditional classes, we...
Sarah Anderson
Alumni
A&S '02
I met my husband, Bryan Anderson, in Room 329 of the Cathedral in the Freshman Studies class—on the very first day of school in August 1998! He played football for the Panthers, and I was in the Pitt Band. We were married in July 2004. We now live...
Melissa A
Alumni
A&S '05
As an academic building, the Cathedral is incredibly unique to the Pitt student experience. I realize and appreciate now just how special it is to have classes in the Nationality Rooms. However, I am maybe still regretting scheduling back-to-back...
Mary Wilson
Alumni
A&S '11
My husband proposed to me in front of the Cathedral on Sept. 8, 2017. I had no idea what was coming and decided to take a selfie of us the minute before it happened. He didn't go to Pitt but loves the Cathedral as much as I do! (Sharing the...
Neil Pilewski
Alumni
UPJ '14
I proposed to my wife on homecoming Friday night in 2016 during the laser light show and fireworks, right outside the Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. We got married Sept. 30, 2017 and have three wonderful kids and reside in McCandless. Every time we...
Jason Mottillo
Alumni
CGS '02
The first time my dad (a PSU alum, nonetheless) brought me to the Cathedral, as soon as I walked in I knew this was where I wanted to go to school.
Years later, I decided I was going to climb all 36 stories by stairs. I managed it in 11 minutes,11...
Diane Bieri
Alumni
A&S '92
As a high school student, I was eager to go to college but had no idea which school, or even the type of college environment (big, small, city, rural?) I wanted to experience. I will never forget stepping into the Cathedral of Learning on my first...
Kristin Thomas
Alumni, Staff
A&S '06
My husband and I met in a classroom in the Cathedral of Learning in the spring semester of 2005. We were in a class called "Childhood Books" with instructor Valerie Krips. We will be married for 18 years this summer and we have three teenagers, all...
Alison Allnutt
Alumni
SHRS '12
My husband and I both went to Pitt and started dating our last year there. Fast forward to fall 2019 when we came back for the UCF game (which we won!); he decided to propose on the Cathedral lawn while we were visiting campus. It was the perfect...
Malcolm Weiss
Alumni
A&S '65
On my last day as a Pitt undergrad, in 1965, I crossed Forbes Avenue with my camera to take photos of the Cathedral. I wanted to keep them forever. Pitt is where I developed my values, my critical thinking, my respect for diversity, my goals for my...
Bob Ballas
Alumni, Parent, Staff
SCI '84
My very first memory of the Cathedral occurred in the mid 1960s when my dad took me to Forbes Field to watch the Pirates. I always wondered what that huge tower was next to the ballpark. It's too tall to be a church. What could it be? Little did I...
Anthony Hita
Alumni
A&S '10
Four generations of my family have attended the University of Pittsburgh. The Cathedral of Learning is where I feel that legacy most strongly. When I was a student from 2006 to 2010, I was always aware of where I was. I recall the almost tangible...
Kira Friedel
Student
During welcome week the amount of fireworks being set off in the shape of the Cathedral was so cool.
Lynn Stephens
Alumni
SOC WK '20
The Cathedral of Learning has played a huge part throughout the stages of my life.
As a tiny child my grandmother would tell me stories of the beautiful building that she used to work in. She worked as a custodian in the building before I was born...
Abigail Neubert
Alumni
A&S '26
The past four years here at Pitt, Cathy has always been home base. Receptions. Student-led research. Cathy has always been a place that has inspired new ideas in the classrooms and throughout its halls.
Asher Williams
Alumni
BUS '17
I proposed to my wife, fellow Pitt alum, in the center of the main floor of the Cathedral. This building is the symbol of our beloved University. What better spot to ask the big question?
Alexis Cirocco
Alumni
SHRS '26
The first time i stepped into the Cathedral of Learning I took some professional headshots while I attended the Art Institute. Now I am a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, set to graduate in May. I am so excited!
Gregory Conover
Alumni
A&S '82
In late November 1977, I was in a freshman class in the Cathedral when it started to snow. Big flakes were falling like crazy. Suddenly, as the professor was speaking, a student stood up and walked to a small window and gazed outside. This fellow...
Mike Giorgianni
Alumni
EDUC '02
I had my favorite college course in the Cathedral of Learning while earning my master’s degree. It was on the history of Pittsburgh, and it was an incredible class and vibe in such a historic building.
Mirela Mohan
Student
I was going to CCAC and I used to come to the Cathedral to study because it was on my way. Fast forward to spring 2016 and I got my acceptance letter for the graduate program in Applied Developmental Psychology at Pitt’s School of Education. I was...
Tinamarie Jordan
Alumni
CGS '98
When I think back to my experience at the University of Pittsburgh, images are seared in my mind. The pink blossoms of springtime, a soft rain, and the colossal Cathedral of Learning, a majestic Gothic tower welcoming my spirit for learning.
I...
John Fredette
Alumni
A&S '77
My brother and I went to Falk School. Our mother’s office was on the 26th floor of the Cathedral of Learning. We walked down the hill overlooking the campus and would ride the elevators to her office. The elevator operators all recognized us....
John Chessario
Alumni
A&S '85
As a freshman in 1981-1982, I discovered the joys of running the stairs up all 36 (accessible) floors of the Cathedral to stay active in the Winter. Man, that was quite a workout! I wish I could recall how long it took me to complete one pass, and...
Bruce Mountjoy
Alumni
CGS '91
My dad took me to Pitt football games when I was young. I had grown up seeing the Cathedral of Learning. The first time I stepped inside the Commons Room I was speechless. It amazed me that such a space existed, and right here in Pittsburgh. I could...
John Pantelis
Alumni
ENGR '78, '95G
June of 1967. Safety Patrol Day at Forbes Field. I was an 11-year old fifth grader and I attended my first ever Pirates game that day. When I got off the streetcar on Forbes Avenue, the fledgling engineer in me stood and stared at the tall stone...
William Kranz
Alumni
NURS '20
As a 2020 alumnus, I had an interesting transition into the real world during a global pandemic. I began work as an ICU nurse. I’m always proud to say that all my preparation and training was thanks to Pitt. I look back on my time at this University...
Daniel Ayala
Alumni
A&S '91
It's a proud experience I still share to this day! First term freshman year, 1986, and I had a class that taught us how to prepare for our future beyond Pitt. It was held in a very sunny classroom at the Cathedral of Learning and instructed by Ms....
Sherri Ihrig
Alumni
CGS '88
My son was 6 months old when I began my Pitt journey. As a toddler, my son loved sitting in the “king” chairs and asked if we could take the Cathedral of Learning home. When my son was a teen, we rode the elevator to the top then walked/ran the...
Robin Leaf
Alumni, Staff
EDUC '07
For our third date, and many more after that, I would meet my now-husband at the Cathedral door facing Heinz Chapel. We'd start there and have dinner, go to the museum, or on late nights meet friends and attend the improv show in the basement. A few...
Virginia Schaap
Alumni, Parent, Staff
A&S '88
My grandfather was in elementary school when the Cathedral was being built. There was a campaign in City of Pittsburgh schools for students to bring 10 cents to buy a brick in the Cathedral. My grandfather did take in the 10 cents to buy a brick. It...
Nancy Huguenin
Alumni
A&S '69
It is my understanding that when the construction of the Cathedral of Learning was completed, there was an essay contest to celebrate the occasion. My father (Kelse M. Hoffman, M.D.) was a medical student at the University of Pittsburgh at the time...
Bruce Boul
Alumni
A&S '93
In the early 1990s, I spent five days a week in the Spanish classroom in the Cathedral of Learning’s first-floor Nationality Rooms with my first love, Heather. Our professor spoke only Spanish, which meant we studied together every night just to...
Harry Psaros
Alumni
ENGR '96
The Cathedral of Learning occupies a cherished spot in my heart, evoking a surge of excitement each time I enter. Its striking Gothic Revival architecture captivates the eye, with towering stone arches resembling the ribs of a colossal skeleton,...
Kathy Dax
Alumni
BUS '80
My story began as a Freshman at Carnegie Mellon University as an art major. I chose the Commons Room in Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning as a place to sketch the numerous arches, alcoves and castle-like spaces. These pencil drawings were then assembled...
Jody Federer
Alumni, Staff
A&S '00
Growing up very close to campus, I have been coming to campus my whole life. Both of my parents have worked for Pitt over 25 years. The Cathedral of Learning (I will not call it Cathy) brings me so much joy because it reminds me of all the fun times...
Ben Ginsberg
Alumni, Parent
A&S '90
On the first day of class in my freshman year (1986) I met my lifelong best friend in Spanish I on the second floor.
Renee Galloway
Alumni, Staff
EDUC '08
I worked in the Cathedral of Learning for 18 years on the 32nd and 33rd floors. My favorite times were experiencing many times three, and sometimes all four, seasons in one day. The view was spectacular!
Justin Jones
Alumni
A&S '22
In my freshman year (2018) my friends and I did a weekly "Cathy Lunch”—Cathy, of course, being our affectionate name for the Cathedral. We would convene at Cathy, usually at the Chick-fil-A that existed there at that time, and then we would pick a...
Cathy O'Farrell
Alumni
EDUC '89
My dad always mentioned that when funds were being raised to build the Cathedral of Learning, you could purchase a brick. He bought one and always said that it was his brick that held up the entire building.
Oscar Cariceo
Alumni
SOC WK '14
I still remember one particular winter morning inside the Cathedral of Learning, when Pittsburgh felt like it had frozen in time. I was a Master’s of Social Work candidate between 2012 and 2014, still adjusting to the rhythm of the city, its hills,...
Colin Weber
Alumni
BUS '26
Coming to Pitt and meeting some of my best friends has been the best thing to ever happen to me. Playing volleyball on the lawn with the backdrop of the cathedral has been awesome.
Gretchen Thurber
Alumni
SHRS '25
The 2025 Ring Ceremony was held in the Commons Room in Cathy. It was really cool to go up to the Babcock Room and see the views of Pittsburgh from that high up. It was a privilege to be able to celebrate a special moment up there.
Uttam Gaulee
Alumni
EDUC '12
While the sun dipped low, casting golden hues across the Cathedral's towering façade, I immersed myself in Professor John Weidman’s research seminar on the sixth floor. My mind danced with ideas while my son and daughter chased a soccer ball on the...
Marie Levine
Alumni, Parent
A&S '73
My dad was a mechanical engineering student, commuting from Coraopolis in 1940, at the age of 16. He spent a lot of time in the Cathedral between classes. He had to be very frugal. Even going home for dinner, before returning to the Cathedral to...
Rho Ayuyang
Alumni
A&S '94
It was a privilege having classes in the Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning. I enjoyed taking a Shakespeare class in a medieval-esque room. I admired the Cathedral’s interior gothic architecture. I especially liked when I found quiet...
Emily Adamek
Alumni
A&S '14
My Cathedral story is just a time-lapse of writing classes, poetry and short stories. Of being an English major and walking room to room with Wilco playing in my earbuds. From the computer lab in the basement to the very top of dear Cathy, the...
Andrew Grimes
Alumni
A&S '20
When I first arrived at PITT, the Cathedral of Learning was one of the first buildings I saw as I came onto campus. To me, it represented a strong university in Western Pennsylvania—and one that helps students be successful. Fast forward to now,...
Andrew Weckman
Friend
I was a cadet in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) in 2006-08, and I vividly remember trying to be in charge of reveille when the flagpole was frozen just outside of the Cathedral. I literally would try to use my weight and hang...
Samuel DePaul
Alumni
EDUC '84
As a young school administrator working toward earning my Ph.D. in school administration, I often spent time in the Cathedral prior to classes reviewing assignments. It was very relaxing to reflect after driving in to Oakland from Beaver County....
Lynn Smith
Alumni
A&S '98
I remember so many times spent late-night studying with my best friend in the Cathedral. Something amazing about that space! Thank you!
Janet Lee
Alumni
I was the first one in my immediate family to actually go to college. I remember walking through the Cathedral of Learning for the first time feeling absolutely awestruck by the place. I was so proud to go to school at Pitt! I love the study area on...
Joanne Patterson
Alumni
BUS '86
My dad graduated from Pitt in 1943 with a degree in electrical engineering. He went to work for Westinghouse and used to talk about the lightning studies they did from the very top of the Cathedral. That work was important for future projects. I...
Ronald Homa
Alumni
A&S '59, EDUC '63G
In 1956, I was a sophomore in the Cathedral of Learning basement meeting with my friend Lloyd Simpson, a popular Pitt basketball player. Mary Martha Nunlist, a freshman better known as Marty, stopped to say hello. We enjoyed a chat. When she left I...
Lisa Dacko
Alumni
A&S '92, SCI '94
In high school, I thought I wanted to go to a pharmacy school. I applied to three universities and was accepted at all three. I had to make a decision. My mom and I decided to visit the schools — two in Pittsburgh and one in Philadelphia. Pitt was...
Shannon DeMateo
Alumni, Faculty, Staff
A&S '15, EDUC '16G
My husband and I fell in love as we walked the Cathedral of Learning stairs together in undergrad. We would make our way up to the top in the honors college, sit and admire the beautiful view of Oakland. It was here that he first told me that he...
Carolyn Crooks
Alumni
A&S '72, '85G
The Cathedral was my home base for graduate school at Pitt during the 1970s and 80s for my master’s and doctoral work in Russian studies. I loved taking classes in the Nationality Rooms back then. My family has gone back to the Cathedral to visit...
Bob Gentile
Friend
My entire life, the Cathedral of Learning has been in view from wherever I lived. My grandma's house is .5 miles away from Oakland. My parent’s house was 1.8 miles away. Now, my home is 5.6 miles away. It's like a lighthouse welcoming the ships home.
Cathy Smith
Friend
When I was a child in the early 1950s, my father was a student at Pitt. As I remember it, faculty sometimes dined at the top of the Cathedral of Learning. My mother worked as an employee. I was permitted to “help” her since my father was in classes...
Marina Gzikowski
Student
In February 2026, Pitt Dance Marathon revealed that we raised a record-breaking $95,089.14 in 36 hours for the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. We held our big reveal on the Cathedral steps with many Pitt Dance Marathon members and...
Gracie Jane Gollinger
Staff
In 2025, I had the pleasure of working with the National Aviary and local bird blogger Kate St. John on the maintenance of the Cathedral's FalconCam, which keeps watch on the peregrine falcon nest box outside the 40th floor. This past January, I had...
Loubna El bdaoui
Staff
The Cathedral of Learning will always hold a quiet but powerful place in my story. In 2014, I walked into that building to take the Pennsylvania Educator Certification Test in order to teach French. I remember the feeling so clearly—nervous, focused...
Burr Beard
Alumni
EDUC '78
I have fond memories of the Tuck Shop in the basement (while it lasted) and studying at the tables on the first floor. I also had classes on the fifth floor in the Department of English. I learned in sociology that young people would be more...
Mary Griffin
Alumni
NURS '80
My great grandfather donated to the construction of the German Nationality Room in the Cathedral of Learning. When I graduated from Pitt, my parents surprised me with the framed certificate from his donation. I have treasured this family connection...