Law in the Cathedral Photograph Collection

The Law in the Cathedral Photograph Collection highlights the University of Pittsburgh School of Law 40-year tenure in the Cathedral of Learning from 1936 to 1976. The school's move was prompted by the St. Patrick's Day flood of 1936 that left most of downtown Pittsburgh, including the school's quarters in the Chamber of Commerce Building, uninhabitable. That spring, the School of Law left downtown for higher ground and became the first school to fully occupy the Cathedral of Learning, housed on the 13th, 14th, and 15th floors, which Dean Thompson described as "one of the most beautiful and unique educational buildings in the world.". This collection showcases photographic material of students and faculty in classroom and law spaces, student groups from Law Review to the Student Bar association, and the growth of the school's library from its humble beginnings with 200 donated law books to a collection of 23,000 volumes.