William Nimick Frew was born in Pittsburgh on July 10, 1854 and died in 1915. He was a lawyer and prominent businessman in Pittsburgh who was closely associated with Andrew Carnegie. Mr. Frew was very active with Pittsburgh's cultural and educational concerns at the turn of the twentieth century. Frew served as the first president of the board of trustees for the Carnegie Institute, the Carnegie Library, and the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh during the late 1890s. Through his work on these boards, he was partly responsible for bringing Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic visions to life. Frew was also president of the Pittsburgh Orchestra Committee from 1897-1902, member on the board of trustees of: the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carnegie Hero Fund Committee, Pennsylvania College for Women, State Library Committee of Pennsylvania, Union Trust Corporation, Mellon National Bank, Union Savings Bank and City Deposit Bank of Pittsburgh. He also belonged to the Pittsburgh, Duquesne, Union and Allegheny Country Clubs.
These scrapbooks contain press clippings from Pittsburgh newspapers relating to the arts, golf, Carnegie libraries and museum, and social events. These scrapbooks were mounted by the Central Press Bureau of Pittsburgh and comprehensively document Mr. Frew's activities, the activities of related organizations and his family's activities at various times between 1899 and 1911. Since Mr. Frew was the president of the board of trustees of the Carnegie Institute, most of the articles relate to the events taking place at the different Carnegie organizations. Of note are the listings and critiques of the free organ recitals and Victor Herbert and the Pittsburgh Orchestra concerts that were held at the Carnegie Music Hall. These scrapbooks also document numerous exhibits that were held at the Carnegie Museum of Art including its annual international art exhibit, which at that time was the only museum in the United States that held such exhibits. These scrapbooks also document Pittsburgh's growth during the 1890s including numerous articles discussing the plans for the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic work is documented through numerous newspaper clippings documenting money he donated for the construction of public libraries in Western Pennsylvania and throughout the country and the Carnegie Hero Fund that gave money and awards to heroes around the United States and the world. Included throughout these clippings are results of local golf tournaments at Oakmont Country Club and the Pittsburgh Golf Club, including those where Frew played. Items relating to Women's history in Pittsburgh include documentation of the Women's Industrial Exchange of Pittsburgh in 1911 and the meeting of the State Federation of Women's Clubs that was held in Pittsburgh in 1899.
The William Nimick Frew Scrapbooks are housed in one archival box and are arranged chronologically.
This collection is open for research.
Unknown. Donated to the Historical Society prior to 1988.
Papers of William N. Frew, 1898-1911, MSS# 218, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
This collection was processed by Renee Savits on May 13, 1995.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Doug MacGregor on May 24, 2001.
Property rights reside with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the curator of the Archives.