Stories
$3B campaign kickoff, Cathedral celebration and light show highlight Pitt Homecoming weekend
Homecoming at Pitt was bigger than ever in 2026, as the University looked back on 100 years of a campus icon while setting up its next century of possibilities.
How the Cathedral of Learning went from grandiose idea to enduring landmark
In the 1920s, Chancellor John Bowman envisioned bringing Pitt together under “the greatest educational structure in the world.” One hundred years later, it’s become an awe-inspiring symbol of ambition and big ideas.
World-expanding stories from Pitt’s Nationality and Heritage Rooms
The cultural spaces that bridge past and present have been a part of the Cathedral since the beginning. As the University grew, so did they.
The Cathedral’s top floors are home to some of the University’s top scholars
In this Q&A, Dean Nicola Foote discusses how Pitt’s David C. Frederick Honors College is redefining opportunity and building on a decadeslong mission.
This Pitt team keeps the Cathedral of Learning in tip-top shape
Here’s how the University’s facilities management office ensures the academic skyscraper will be functional and beautiful for another hundred years.
An iconic 1960 Life magazine image captured baseball history from the Cathedral’s 32nd floor
Woody Turner, former Pitt trustee and alumni association president, was among a handful of students who witnessed the Pirates win the 1960 World Series win from up high.
Personal Cathedral stories highlight family, education and opportunity
The iconic tower continues to serve as the backdrop to some of the biggest moments in the lives of Pitt alumni and supporters.
The name game: Cathy vs. Cathedral
Pitt people are as passionate about how they refer to the Cathedral as they are about the building itself. Are you Team Cathedral or part of the Cathy Crew?
He studied in an unfinished Cathedral of Learning — and later contributed to its preservation
For alumnus and longtime Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation leader Arthur Ziegler, preservation is about people and culture, not just buildings.
The Cathedral of Learning is always on display, thanks to this artist’s image-a-day vision
A campus gallery of daily landscape paintings showcases artist Félix de la Concha’s vision of the University’s grand tower.
Meet some of the people who helped build the Cathedral of Learning — and their Pitt-connected descendants
These alumni triplets have a unique connection to Pitt's campus and its famed tower, which was shaped by their great-great-great-uncle, Charles Zeller Klauder.
‘Positive progress for all’ was the result of 1969 Cathedral sit-in
The sit-in showcased the Cathedral of Learning as a central locale for campus and community strength.
42 stories, facts and figures you should know about Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning
The team at Pitt Magazine gathered some of its favorite tall tales from the storied landmark in celebration of its 100th birthday.
For 25 years, Cathedral has offered a home on high for peregrine falcons
Standing at 535 feet, the Cathedral of Learning’s height makes it the perfect home for this keystone species.
Study of cosmic rays continues high upon Pitt’s iconic tower
More than a century ago, scientists began studying cosmic rays atop Paris’ Eiffel Tower. Today, Pitt researchers replicate work in the Cathedral of Learning.
Pitt’s resident Cathedral expert studies how the landmark shaped campus and the city
Drew Armstrong says the beloved building can help us understand the relationship among architecture, education and society.
This art installation turns a century of Nationality Rooms history into poetry and pattern
The exhibition by Susy Bielak, Fred Schmalz and Aaron Henderson, which is based on materials from the University’s Archives and Special Collections, will run through July 2027.
Pop artist Burton Morris said he owes his life to the Cathedral of Learning. You can now see his painting of it in Hillman Library.
His parents met at Pitt in the ’50s. Last week, the Pittsburgh native unveiled his painting of the building that holds a special place in his heart.
