This page is intended to provide you with quick links to pages that organize medals by certain criteria, for example by the people that are shown on them or the organizations that issued them. Bold entries lead to sub-indices that help organize the index into a more useful hierarchy; Italicized entries represent aliases for other index entries.
Keyboard NavigationAs on all pages you can use SPACE to scroll down and Shift-SPACE
to scroll up. Up and down arrows also work. In addition, you can use a single letter to
scroll to the glossary section of terms starting with that letter.
The medal's obverse bears seal of the University of Pittsburgh. Around, SIGILLUM CANCELLARII UNIVERSITATIS PITTSBURGHENSIS
The reverse bears incuse legend, WORN FIRST / BY / EDWARD HAROLD LITCHFIELD / AT HIS / INAUGURATION AS / TWELFTH CHANCELLOR / OF THE / UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH / MAY 11. 1957
The medallion measures 76mm in diameter and was strucki n gold-plated bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Gold-plated bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. / BRONZE |
| diameter | 76mm |
| weight | 178.2g |
| mintage | unknown |
The medal's obverse shows University of Pittsburgh's "Cathedral of Learning." Around, to left and right, UNIVERSITY OF - PITTSBURGH; to left and right, 1787 - 1937
The reverse bears an inscription that reads THEY SHALL / FIND WISDOM HERE / AND FAITH - IN STEEL / AND STONE - IN CHARAC / TER AND THOUGHT - THEY / SHALL FIND BEAUTY - AD / VENTURE - AND MO / MENTS OF HIGH / VICTORY
In 1937 the University of Pittsbrgh celebrated both its 150th anniversary and the long-awaited completion of its 42-story "Cathedral of Learning." The impressive tower had been under construction for ten years and is still the tallest educational building in the Western Hemisphere (only the University of Moscow's main building is taller).
The building's construction evoked public support rarely seen for college construction projects. Local industries donated steel, cement, elevators, glass, plumbing and heating elements. In 1924, 17,000 men and women and 97,000 school children made individual cash contributions to help fund the project. Today, many adults still have the certificates they received as school children upon contributing 10 cents, which they had earned themselves, to "buy a brick" in the Cathedral of Learning.
The inscription on the reverse is a quote of Dr. Bowman, at the time the University's Chancellor:
"THEY SHALL FIND WISDOM HERE AND FAITH - IN STEEL AND STONE - IN CHARACTER AND THOUGHT - THEY SHALL FIND BEAUTY - ADVENTURE - AND MOMENTS OF HIGH VICTORY"
The medal bears neither a maker's mark nor a signature. Please contact me if you know the sculptor or have additional information on this medal.
The medal measures 76mm (3in) in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 76mm |
| mintage | unknown |