This collection is composed of three series: the Library Series, the Institute Series and the Miscellaneous Series.
Biographical / Historical
Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland on November 28, 1835. Carnegie immigrated to America in 1848 at the age of 13. In America, Carnegie worked as a telegraph operator and, in 1853, was employed by Thomas A. Scott of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Scott took Carnegie under his wing and Carnegie rose quickly through the ranks of the company. After the Civil War, Carnegie became involved, and invested, in the Steel industry. Keeping close associations with the Railroad, Carnegie's iron and Steel industries flourished. In the 1870's, Carnegie founded Pittsburgh's Carnegie Steel Company which, by the 1890's, became the largest and most profitable industrial business in the world. Needless to say, Carnegie amassed a large amount of wealth and in the later years of his life he used this wealth philanthropically.
In 1895, Carnegie opened a public library in Pittsburgh. The functions of the Library, which not only included books but concerts and art exhibits, quickly expanded beyond the means and the size of the building itself. In 1907, Carnegie expanded the Library and the Carnegie Institute was opened. The Institute grew to include a museum and art gallery. In 1900, Carnegie established the Carnegie Technical School which later became Carnegie Mellon University. Carnegie's philanthropy continued until his death on August 11, 1919. The libraries, museums, and colleges that he founded have continued to expand and they remain vibrant and active institutions in the communities in which they reside.
Content Description
This collection is composed of three series: the Library Series, the Institute Series and the Miscellaneous Series.
The strength of the collection is its research value. This collection would be extremely useful for anyone seeking research material pertaining to Andrew Carnegie, his philanthropy, or the founding of his Pittsburgh institutions. The weaknesses of the collection are that several of the documents are undated, the creator of the collection is unknown, and the original order of the material was compromised by archivists in the past.
The collection consists entirely of correspondence with the exception of a few newspaper clippings that were attached to letters of correspondence. The documents and materials are contained in twelve five -inch thick acid free boxes and take up approximately twelve cubic feet. The documents were created between the years 1890 and 1920. The bulk of the materials were created between 1890 and 1911. There are no file restrictions.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no access restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
There are no use restrictions.
Preferred Citation
The Andrew Carnegie Correspondence Collection, the William R. Oliver Special Collections Room, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
