.gif)
Allen Hall (University of Pittsburgh)
Encyclopedia
Allen Hall at the University of Pittsburgh
is a Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation
Historic Landmark and a contributing property to the Schenley Farms National Historic District
. Completed in 1914 and originally serving as the home to the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research
, the six story Greek Revival
building designed by J. H. Giesey now serves as the home of the university's Department of Physics and Astronomy.
. The institute was founded for industrial and chemical research by brothers, and University of Pittsburgh alumni, Richard B. Mellon
and Andrew W. Mellon
. The institute originally grew out of university's Department of Industrial Research and served as a graduate school managed by the University of Pittsburgh
until it was incorporated as an independent non-profit research institute in 1927.
The six story building designed by J. H. Giesey in the Greek Revival
style of the university's other buildings that at the time were being constructed in accordance with Henry Hornbostel
's acropolis master plan for the university campus. It was erected from 1913 to 1914 at a cost of $230,000 ($ in dollars) to construct and equip,http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs&cc=pittmiscpubs&idno=00c50130m&node=00c50130m%3A56&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=88 and it was dedicated on February 26, 1915, in a ceremony in which the Mellon brothers turned over the keys of the institute to university Chancellor Samuel McCormick
.
The facility originally contained low temperature and heavy equipment rooms in its basement; general offices, a library, assembly room, dark room and a special apparatus room on its first floor; and research laboratories on its upper floors.
The institute soon outgrew this facility and engage in the construction of a new facility on the corner of Bellefield and FIfth Avenue across from the grounds of the university's Cathedral of Learning
. After completion of a this new Mellon Institute facility in 1937, the old Mellon Institute building was handed over to the university on May 9, 1939. It was remodeled and equipped to provide laboratories and additional classrooms for the School of Medicine
, doubling that school's facilities that were then located in Pennsylvania Hall. The School of Medicine's library, administrative offices, several faculty offices, histology and embryology labs, as well as its departments of physiologic chemistry, physiology and pharmacy all moved into the building, freeing Pennsylvania Hall of all but the medical school's first year courses in anatomy and pathology. The School of Medicine began moving into its present facility, Scaife Hall, in the fall of 1955. Today Allen Hall is home to offices, classrooms, and labs of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
The building was renamed Allen Hall in honor of a former University of Pittsburgh Physics professor, Alexander J. Allen, who arrived at Pitt in the 1930s and led a project for the construction of a cyclotron for producing radioactive isotopes for medical applications and atomic research. This facility, called the Sarah Mellon Scaife Radiation Laboratory, was completed in 1946. During World War II
, Allen also participated in the development of radar
systems.
for the lower two stories and buff brick for the next three stories; the 6th floor is windowless and concealed by the roof. Due to the building's age and landmark status, and despite internal renovations, all floors, with the exception of the 3rd (due to the flying tunnel connection to NPL), have only one bathroom; the bathrooms alternate male-female, with the fifth floor's being coed. This is due to a space-saving decision by the original designers that women's bathrooms were unnecessary in a science building. There are plans to rectify this issue during the next renovation. The building is linked on the first 3 floors to neighboring Old Engineering Hall
, and on the 1st and 3rd to the Van de Graaff Building housing the Nuclear Physics Laboratory located at the rear.
The facade at the entrance of this building has a plaque to honor Madame Curie, commemorating the 100th anniversary in 1967 of her birth, the conferring of an honorary degree in 1921, her visit to the plants of the Standard Chemical Company, its role as a major radium
producer and in the making of the gram of radium presented to Marie Curie by President Warren G. Harding
, and the role of Glenn Donald Kammer, a University of Pittsburgh
graduate who supervised its production. The plaque was unveiled on September 20, 1969 by the Archbishop of Kraków, Poland
, Cardinal Wojtyła, who in 1978 became Pope John Paul II
. The plaque reads as follows:
Renovations, upgrades, and improvements for Allen Hall, Old Engineering Hall
, Van de Graaff Building and Thaw Hall
, have been announced and preliminarily targeted in to be in excess of $58.6 million according to the University's 12-year facilities master plan. In 2010, it was announced that $28.2 million was allocated to proceed with the creation and renovation of 13 Department of Astronomy and Physics laboratories located in Allen Hall, Old Engineering Hall, and the Van de Graaff Building.
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
is a Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation
Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation
The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 to support the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA....
Historic Landmark and a contributing property to the Schenley Farms National Historic District
Schenley Farms Historic District
The Schenley Farms Historic District, also referred to as the Schenley Farms-Oakland Civic District, is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places that is located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States...
. Completed in 1914 and originally serving as the home to the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research
Mellon Institute of Industrial Research
Mellon Institute of Industrial Research, founded in 1913 by Andrew W. Mellon and Richard B. Mellon, merged with the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1967 to form Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States...
, the six story Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
building designed by J. H. Giesey now serves as the home of the university's Department of Physics and Astronomy.
History
The building that would become known as Allen Hall was erected as the original home for the Mellon Institute of Industrial ResearchMellon Institute of Industrial Research
Mellon Institute of Industrial Research, founded in 1913 by Andrew W. Mellon and Richard B. Mellon, merged with the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1967 to form Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States...
. The institute was founded for industrial and chemical research by brothers, and University of Pittsburgh alumni, Richard B. Mellon
Richard B. Mellon
Richard Beatty Mellon , sometimes R.B., was a banker, industrialist, and philanthropist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....
and Andrew W. Mellon
Andrew W. Mellon
Andrew William Mellon was an American banker, industrialist, philanthropist, art collector and Secretary of the Treasury from March 4, 1921 until February 12, 1932.-Early life:...
. The institute originally grew out of university's Department of Industrial Research and served as a graduate school managed by the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
until it was incorporated as an independent non-profit research institute in 1927.
The six story building designed by J. H. Giesey in the Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
style of the university's other buildings that at the time were being constructed in accordance with Henry Hornbostel
Henry Hornbostel
Henry Hornbostel was an American architect.He designed more than 225 buildings, bridges, and monuments in the United States; currently 22 are listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
's acropolis master plan for the university campus. It was erected from 1913 to 1914 at a cost of $230,000 ($ in dollars) to construct and equip,http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs&cc=pittmiscpubs&idno=00c50130m&node=00c50130m%3A56&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=88 and it was dedicated on February 26, 1915, in a ceremony in which the Mellon brothers turned over the keys of the institute to university Chancellor Samuel McCormick
Samuel McCormick
Samuel Black McCormick was the ninth Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh.His administration is best known for changing the name of the university and moving and expanding it from Allegheny City to its current location in Oakland...
.
The facility originally contained low temperature and heavy equipment rooms in its basement; general offices, a library, assembly room, dark room and a special apparatus room on its first floor; and research laboratories on its upper floors.
The institute soon outgrew this facility and engage in the construction of a new facility on the corner of Bellefield and FIfth Avenue across from the grounds of the university's Cathedral of Learning
Cathedral of Learning
The Cathedral of Learning, a Pittsburgh landmark listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh's main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States...
. After completion of a this new Mellon Institute facility in 1937, the old Mellon Institute building was handed over to the university on May 9, 1939. It was remodeled and equipped to provide laboratories and additional classrooms for the School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is a medical school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The School of Medicine is also known as Pitt Med, and is ranked as a “top medical school” by U.S. News & World Report in the publication's categories of research and primary care...
, doubling that school's facilities that were then located in Pennsylvania Hall. The School of Medicine's library, administrative offices, several faculty offices, histology and embryology labs, as well as its departments of physiologic chemistry, physiology and pharmacy all moved into the building, freeing Pennsylvania Hall of all but the medical school's first year courses in anatomy and pathology. The School of Medicine began moving into its present facility, Scaife Hall, in the fall of 1955. Today Allen Hall is home to offices, classrooms, and labs of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
The building was renamed Allen Hall in honor of a former University of Pittsburgh Physics professor, Alexander J. Allen, who arrived at Pitt in the 1930s and led a project for the construction of a cyclotron for producing radioactive isotopes for medical applications and atomic research. This facility, called the Sarah Mellon Scaife Radiation Laboratory, was completed in 1946. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Allen also participated in the development of radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
systems.
Structure
Allen Hall comprises six stories using graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
for the lower two stories and buff brick for the next three stories; the 6th floor is windowless and concealed by the roof. Due to the building's age and landmark status, and despite internal renovations, all floors, with the exception of the 3rd (due to the flying tunnel connection to NPL), have only one bathroom; the bathrooms alternate male-female, with the fifth floor's being coed. This is due to a space-saving decision by the original designers that women's bathrooms were unnecessary in a science building. There are plans to rectify this issue during the next renovation. The building is linked on the first 3 floors to neighboring Old Engineering Hall
Old Engineering Hall
Old Engineering Hall is an academic building at 3943 O'Hara Street on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The building was completed for $1.2 million in October, 1955. The seven floor building connects Allen Hall and Thaw Hall, as well as the Van...
, and on the 1st and 3rd to the Van de Graaff Building housing the Nuclear Physics Laboratory located at the rear.
Radium
Radium is a chemical element with atomic number 88, represented by the symbol Ra. Radium is an almost pure-white alkaline earth metal, but it readily oxidizes on exposure to air, becoming black in color. All isotopes of radium are highly radioactive, with the most stable isotope being radium-226,...
producer and in the making of the gram of radium presented to Marie Curie by President Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
, and the role of Glenn Donald Kammer, a University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
graduate who supervised its production. The plaque was unveiled on September 20, 1969 by the Archbishop of Kraków, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Cardinal Wojtyła, who in 1978 became Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. The plaque reads as follows:
In Commemoration of
Maria Sklodowska Curie
A Polish Scientist
Discoverer of Radium And Polonium
Conferred Degree of Doctor of Laws by the University of Pittsburgh on May 26th, 1921
Inspected Facilities of Standard Chemical Company at Cononsburg and Pittsburgh where were produced 76 of the 120 gram donated to her by the Women of America and presented at the White House by President Harding. This Radium was extracted from Colorado Carnotite by a process invented and supervised by Glenn Donald Kammer of the University of Pittsburgh.
Erected on the occasion of the centennial of Mme. Curie’s birth in Warsaw, Poland, 1967. Proposed by the Historical Committee of Central Council of Polish Organization of Pittsburgh.
Renovations, upgrades, and improvements for Allen Hall, Old Engineering Hall
Old Engineering Hall
Old Engineering Hall is an academic building at 3943 O'Hara Street on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The building was completed for $1.2 million in October, 1955. The seven floor building connects Allen Hall and Thaw Hall, as well as the Van...
, Van de Graaff Building and Thaw Hall
Thaw Hall
Thaw Hall is an historic academic building on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh that is a contributing property to the Schenley Farms National Historic District and has been named a Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark...
, have been announced and preliminarily targeted in to be in excess of $58.6 million according to the University's 12-year facilities master plan. In 2010, it was announced that $28.2 million was allocated to proceed with the creation and renovation of 13 Department of Astronomy and Physics laboratories located in Allen Hall, Old Engineering Hall, and the Van de Graaff Building.