University of Pittsburgh Names 13 New Legacy Laureates Pitt's
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INSIDE Pittsburgh attracts young people..................6 Women’s Studies Program anniversary.....................7 PittNewspaper of the University of PittsburghChronicle Volume XIII • Number 20 • October 16, 2012 Pitt’s Building Our Future Together Completion of Campaign: "A Milestone Moment Campaign Exceeds Goal of $2 Billion In the Long and Proud Funds will help support students, faculty, programs, research, and facilities for years to come History of Our University” Total is largest amount ever raised in region [This is the print version of University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A. Norden- berg’s celebratory announcement that Pitt achieved its $2 billion capital campaign goal. The speech was delivered Oct. 12, 2012, during Pitt’s Homecoming weekend and 225th anniversary, in Alumni Hall’s J. W. Connolly Ballroom.] Let me begin by welcoming all of you. It is nice that you were willing to spend at least part of this very nice autumn afternoon here in Alumni Hall. I extend that welcome not only for myself but for our Board of Trustees and, particularly, for our Board Chair Steve Tritch and for the cochairs of MIKE DRAZDZINSKI/CIDDE our capital campaign committee, Board Addressing a standing-room-only crowd of more than 700 people in Alumni Hall on Oct. 12, Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg announced that Pitt had completed the most successful Vice Chair Eva Tansky Blum and her big fundraising initiative in Western Pennsylvania’s history. From left, J. Roger Glunt, Pitt emeritus trustee; Steven Tritch, Pitt Board of Trustees chair; Chancellor Nordenberg; Eva Tansky Blum, brother, Trustee Burt Tansky. Pitt board vice chair and campaign cochair; and Burt Tansky, Pitt trustee and campaign cochair. As you all know, this is a huge birthday year for Pitt. On Feb. 28, 1787, the Penn- sylvania legislature approved a charter for By Lynn Shea the frontier academy that would become our University. That was 225 years ago, The University of Pittsburgh has in the J.W. Connolly Ballroom of Pitt’s In 2002, after that goal was reached, it was and several months before our constitution exceeded its goal of raising $2 billion Alumni Hall on Oct. 12. More than 182,000 doubled, to $1 billion. And in 2007, after $1 breathed life into a new nation, the United through its Building Our Future Together donors contributed to this remarkable cam- billion had been raised, the campaign goal States of America. capital campaign, the largest and most suc- paign success. Chancellor Nordenberg’s was doubled again, to $2 billion. The Build- That frontier school was, of course, cessful fundraising initiative in the history announcement was part of the University’s ing Our Future Together campaign now has modest by modern standards: housed in of Western Pennsylvania, Pitt Chancellor 225th anniversary Homecoming celebration, raised $2.047 billion, more than eight times a log cabin, perched at the edge of the Mark A. Nordenberg announced to a stand- the largest Homecoming in Pitt’s history. the $251 million raised in the University’s wilderness, and offering a course of study ing-room-only audience of more than 700 When the campaign was announced in that included such subjects as “mercantile alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends October 2000, its goal was $500 million. Continued on page 2 arithmetic, navigation, surveying, and bookkeeping.” If the school itself was unimposing, its home community was described by some in even more negative terms. According University of Pittsburgh Names 13 New Legacy Laureates to Stefan Lorant’s history of Pittsburgh, Arthur Lee, “a member of the celebrated By Séan O'Donnell Virginia family,” passed through Pittsburgh in 1784. This is how he described what he The University of Pittsburgh has named daily newspaper, The Tribune-Democrat. lation suffers from steady decline. He was saw. 13 new Legacy Laureates—alumni recog- After attending Stanford University on recognized for his excellence in fashion Pittsburgh is inhabited almost entirely nized for their outstanding professional and a full academic scholarship and earning journalism in 2003, when AmericasMart by Scots and Irish, who live in paltry log- personal accomplishments. The laureates his Master of Arts degree in journalism, Atlanta awarded him a prestigious Design, houses . There [is] not a priest of any were honored during Pitt’s Oct. 9-14 Home- he returned to his native Johnstown and Impact, Vision, Atlanta award. persuasion, nor church, nor chapel; so that coming festivities. rejoined the Tribune-Democrat staff as a they are likely to be damned without the Launched in 2000, the Legacy Laureate copy editor. John P. Gismondi is a personal- benefit of clergy . The place, I believe, program honors alumni who demonstrate In 1979, Fallon began what would injury trial attorney who has worked in will never be very considerable. the pinnacle of achievement in professional become a distinguished career with Fair- the Pittsburgh area for more than 30 years. Mr. Lee was not alone in holding that and civic leadership. child Publications, the precursor to Fairchild Graduating magna cum laude in 1975 with unflattering view, but others saw a far Brief biographies of this year’s honor- Fashion Media. He served as a news editor a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Kenneth brighter future for Pittsburgh. Among them ees follow. in the company’s 35-person Washington, P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, was Hugh Henry Brackenridge, our founder. D.C., bureau and, two years later, he was Gismondi earned his Juris Doctor degree He led a wide range of civic efforts within James Fallon is editor of the 102-year- appointed chief of Fairchild’s London in 1978 from Pitt’s School of Law. He was the community and later served both in old newspaper Women’s Wear Daily, a Fair- bureau. He covered continental Europe, a nationally published member of the Uni- the Legislature and as a Justice of the state child Fashion Media property often referred contributing to Fairchild’s business publi- versity of Pittsburgh Law Review. Supreme Court. to as “the fashion bible.” He received his cations, as well as interviewing prominent Gismondi began his career as a law In all that he did, Mr. Brackenridge Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from members of the literary and arts worlds— clerk to the Honorable Gustave Diamond was driven by an extraordinary vision for the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and members of the British royal family. of the U.S. District Court for the Western this region. When he viewed the modest in 1977. Editor of Women’s Wear Daily since District of Pennsylvania. He later moved settlement that had become his home, he Fallon began his journalism career October 2001, Fallon has revitalized the to private practice, where he focused on said, “This town must in future time become during his undergraduate years in John- brand, nearly doubling the paper’s circula- stown, working as an intern with the city’s tion during a time when print media circu- Continued on page 4 Continued on page 3 2 • Pitt Chronicle • October 16, 2012 Building Our Future Campaign Exceeds $2 Billion Continued from page 1 largest prior fundraising initiative, the The campaign attracted gifts of such student life initiatives, faculty enrichment have on students: As a Pitt undergraduate, Campaign for the Third Century, which was historic size that they led to the naming of funds, and support for designated programs. she studied political science and then won a launched during Pitt’s 1987 Bicentennial. two key schools in honor of their benefac- The chair of the campaign through its first scholarship to attend Pitt’s law school. “Exceeding our record-setting $2 billion tors, the John A. Swanson School of Engi- $1 billion was Pitt Trustee Thomas J. Usher “Because my own life was changed campaign goal is a momentous milestone neering and the Kenneth P. Dietrich School (ENGR ’64, ’66G, ’71G), the chairman of by Pitt, it has been a true honor to work made possible by the extraordinary gener- of Arts and Sciences, named to recognize the Marathon Petroleum Corporation and retired with literally hundreds of other dedicated osity of University supporters, who have father of the late Trustee and donor William chair and CEO of U.S. volunteers, as well as demonstrated their commitment to Pitt and S. Dietrich. The campaign also enabled Steel. All of his three the capable profession- its longstanding mission of building better Pitt to construct buildings that physically earned Pitt degrees, als at Pitt, to make this lives through the power of education and transformed all five of our campuses. Some including a PhD, are campaign a success,” research,” said Chancellor Nordenberg. of the best-known construction projects are from the Swanson said Eva Tansky Blum. “More important than that extraordinarily here in Pittsburgh, including the John M. School of Engineer- “As a former scholar- large dollar amount is the impact that these and Gertrude E. Petersen Events Center, ing. Among their many ship recipient, I have funds will have—on the lives of our hard- the McGowan Institute for Regenerative contributions to Pitt, always felt that I have working and high-achieving students, on Medicine, the William R. Baierl Student Tom Usher and his wife a responsibility to help the ambitious and often trailblazing work Recreation Center, the James J. and Helene endowed the Sandra ensure that students of our world-class faculty, and on the eco- Barco Duratz Football Complex, the John J. and Thomas Usher coming after me also nomic strength and vibrancy of our home Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, Chair in Melanoma as would have access to the region. These well-targeted investments in and the Petersen Sports Complex.