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Pittsburghers of the Century

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Lou Mason:
Was elected first African-American president of Pittsburgh City Council in 1970.

Lorin Maazel:
Influential conductor of the PSO (1984-96), under whose direction, the PSO won two Grammy Awards for recordings with cellist Yo Yo Ma. In his earlier years, the Peabody High School grad was also a violinist with the Orchestra and its apprentice conductor while he was a student at Pitt.

George Magovern:
A pioneer in cardiothoracic surgery and research, Magovern, with the assistance of engineer Harry Cromie, developed in the early 1960s a sutureless heart valve to reduce the time needed for heart-valve replacement, increasing the survival rate for patients. He and Cromie founded Surgitool Corp., which became the leading U.S. company for heart-valve design. In the 1970s, he and engineer Gerald McGinnis helped found a medical respiratory-device company that today has evolved into Respironics. Magovern has been at the forefront of innovative surgical procedures and medical devices. He also was adept at getting grant money; in the 1970s he received a $100,000 grant—the largest single award in the history of the American Heart Association—for work on an artificial heart. He also helped develop a nuclear-powered pacemaker, which led to the creation of the Coratomic Pacemaker Co. In 1962, Magovern performed the world's second lung transplant; in the 1980s, he performed the first cardiomyoplasty procedure. He has had a longtime association with Allegheny General Hospital, where he served as the chairman of the department of surgery.

Henry Mancini:
OK, if we want big Oscar winners, Aliquippa's favorite son is it: He was nominated for 18 (he won four, plus 20 Grammys and two Emmys), made more than 50 albums and had 500 works published. In all, his music has been heard in 375 movies and TV shows. Mancini collaborated extensively with Blake Edwards, first on TV's "Peter Gunn," then on Breakfast at Tiffany's, which won him two Oscars (think "Moon River" was simply filling in for Mon River?); his other two Academy Awards were for the title song for Days of Wine and Roses and the score for Victor/Victoria. Probably, though, his most-played music (in cartoons and commercials, as well as the movie series) is the theme for The Pink Panther. Also a noted conductor, including outdoor "pops" concerts with the Pittsburgh Symphony in Three Rivers Stadium. Trivia: one of the greatest film composers of all time started in the movies in 1952, with a two-week assignment at Universal to work on an Abbott and Costello film.

John H. Manley:
Stepped into the lead role at CMU's prestigious Software Engineering Institute in 1985 with plans to strengthen the nonmilitary dimensions of the Pentagon's computer-research center in Pittsburgh. Engineer, considered one of the nation's top experts in software engineering, who spent 21 years in the Air Force helping to shape military-technology policies and held high-level positions in several companies, including ITT Corp. Manley received a doctorate in operations research and a master's degree in industrial engineering from Pitt, and was appointed chairman of the computer science department at CMU in 1979.

The Marcels:
When you think Pittsburgh and doo-wop, you think Marcels. Their "Blue Moon," released in 1961, was one of the biggest songs of the pre-Beatles rock era.

Michael Marcus:
The Squirrel Hill native and Taylor Allderdice grad is a bigwig in today's Hollywood; president and COO of MGM 1993-97; now a partner in MBST (he's the "M") Entertainment, a management firm with clients like Woody Allen, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal.

Dodo Marmarosa:
Born and raised in Pittsburgh's East End, the eccentric jazz pianist was one of the country's top players in the '40s and '50s, who soon thereafter willfully disappeared from public view. Marmarosa was spotlighted in an early 1947 Esquire magazine at the ripe old age of 21, joining Miles Davis, Sonny Stitts and Sarah Vaughan on the magazine's rising stars jazz poll.

George C. Marshall:
(1890-1959) This Uniontown native is probably best known for his plan to rebuild Europe after WWII, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army 1939-45, he afterward devoted himself to the cause of international peace and security. He first spent time in China as President Truman's representative, attempting to bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the nationalists and the communists. As Secretary of State 1947-49, he made the Marshall Plan a vehicle for the economic reconstruction of Europe. Actually, never called it that, but always referred to it by its official name, the Economic Cooperation Administration. Marshall made efforts to include the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, but the idea was rejected by Moscow. Marshall was also one of the leaders who created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In his last official position, as Secretary of Defense 1950-51, Marshall oversaw the formation of an international force, under the United Nations, that turned back the North Korean invasion of South Korea. Memorials include an institute devoted to world peace, his (Virginia) house museum and, in his hometown, a highway is named for him and funding is being gathered to build the George C. Marshall Plaza near his birthplace.

Marc Masterson:
Took over the ailing City Theatre (originally the City Players) in the early 1980s after it became a resident professional company at Pitt. Mounted an ambitious campaign in the late 1980s/early '90s to not only make the theater independent, but also provide its own leak-proof home with working plumbing (not dependable amenities at the Pitt site). That accomplished, the City has embarked on another campaign to renovate its South Side home (which has grown, and includes commercial rental space) and serve as a resource to the small arts groups (as it was once). Now producing director, Masterson still occasionally directs some shows, and has acted in a few. The City, whose mission is devoted to 20th-century American theater, has also commissioned new works. Trivia: Masterson, a CMU grad, began as a street performer, a juggler,

Marjorie Matson:
Civil libertarian whose name now adorns annual ACLU award; most famous case argued before the U.S. Supreme Court was NOW vs. Pittsburgh Press, which struck down sex-segregated job ads (i.e. "Help Wanted: Male; Help Wanted: Female) in late 1960s-early '70s.

Bill Mazeroski:
Pirates second baseman who in 1960 hit arguably the sport's most famous home run, still recalled every fall by fans listening to a re-created broadcast at "Mazeroski's Wall" (the only structure remaining from Forbes Field). His ninth-inning blast clinched the World Series over the heavily favored New York Yankees and brought the Pirates their first championship in 35 years. A Pirate for 17 seasons, during which he set the records for double plays in one season (161 in 1966) and in a career (1,706); seven-time All-Star who won eight Golden Gloves; hit winning home run in 1960 World Series; considered baseball's best fielder and the best player of his generation not yet inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The Rev. Henry J. ("Father Mac") McAnulty:
The ninth president of Duquesne in 1959, who embarked on a massive building program to expand the primarily "commuter" school into a major university by the time he stepped down in the late '70s. Under his tenure, Duquesne built several new dormitories (over capacity, actually; Duquesne rented dorm space to other local schools until its own enrollment needs caught up), and renovated two former industrial buildings into academic buildings, and built a new science hall (Mellon Hall, a Mies van der Rohe design), a student union and a business school. Many academic departments had had their offices in old rowhouses along Bluff Street when the building boom began.

Thomas McConomy:
Chairman of Calgon Carbon Corp., one of the top companies in the burgeoning environmental field. Also a major player in the current regionalism movement. He holds key board positions with the PRA and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Corp. board, in addition to serving as a vice chair for the Working Together Consortium, and is one of the people responsible in turning the old Alcoa Building into a regional headquarters.

David McDonald:
United Steelworkers president (1953-65), either the best thing since collective bargaining or the guy who started the industry onto the path of its ultimate collapse. Under his leadership, union steelworkers were the highest paid industrial workers in history, with a guaranteed annual wage, company-paid pensions and insurance, and extended vacations (with two strikes, one 116 days, in 13 years). Arguably one of the most powerful men in America; when President Johnson came to Pittsburgh to campaign, he called on McDonald to ensure a big turnout. In the early days a tireless union organizer, then longtime assistant to his predecessor, Philip Murray.

Frances McDormand:
Can't forget those local Oscar winners. This Monessen High School grad won hers with a Minnesotan accent in Fargo, creating a new sort of investigator: a pregnant small-town cop.

Gladys B. McNairy:
First African-American woman elected president of the Pittsburgh Board of Education in 1971, and first to head citywide PTA.

Andrew W. Mellon:
Became head of T. Mellons & Sons Bank. With his brother Richard Beatty Mellon, combined interests in coal, steel, coke, aluminum, oil, railroads, etc., to become one of the world's great financial empires, incorporated as Mellon National Bank in 1902. He later served as Secretary of the Treasury, and was known as the greatest secretary since Alexander Hamilton. He was named ambassador to England in 1932. A.W. established the National Gallery Art, among the numerous public bequests that, at the time of his death in 1937, were estimated to be half a billion dollars. Father of Paul.

Paul Mellon:
Worked with father A.W. on designs for National Gallery, later serving as president and major benefactor, and oversaw additions to the gallery. Longtime devotion and benefaction to the visual arts. Lived most of life away from Pittsburgh, though he returned to engineer the merger of Mellon Institute and Carnegie Institute of Technology in the 1960s.

Richard Beatty Mellon:
Brother of A.W. and key player in helping him make Mellon a financial giant. Among his many philanthropic efforts, he helped establish the Mellon Institute for Industrial Research in 1913 and built the multimillion (in 1935!) East Liberty Presbyterian Church, still a local landmark. He was the father of Sarah Mellon Scaife.

Richard King Mellon:
"Partner" with David Lawrence in Pittsburgh's first "Renaissance". Presented downtown Mellon Square Park in memory of his father, R.B. Mellon, and uncle, A.W. Mellon. Among his philanthropies, he also gave the city the family's East End estate, now Mellon Park.

William Larimer Mellon:
A guiding force in Gulf Oil (where he developed the world's first drive-in gas station), influential in state politics, served as chairman of the state Republican party from 1926-28.

Dr. William Larimer Mellon Jr.:
Eschewing traditional Mellon paths, "Larry" Mellon earned a medical degree and devoted a large part of his life and fortune to helping the poor and destitute in Haiti, where he founded a hospital and has become known as the Haitian Albert Schweitzer.

Thomas H. Milhollan Jr.:
Saved and expanded a 110-year-old Aliquippa steel company by acquiring Kidd Drawn Steel Co. and combining it with Washington, Pa.-based Precision Industries in 1985. The company, Precision Kidd Steel Co., now employs 75.

Albert Miller:
Personally discovered in 1955 what is now the Meadowcroft Rockshelter archaeological site (near Avella, Washington County), now recognized as the earliest documented site of human habitation in North America. Co-founded (with brother Delvin) the Meadowcroft Museum of Rural Life to preserve the heritage of Western Pennsylvania's countryside.

Delvin Miller:
Besides being harness racing's "Man of the Century" (named by the U.S. Trotting Association), this noted breeder, trainer and driver of standardbred horses co-founded (with brother Albert) the Meadowcroft Museum of Rural Life.

Dennis Miller:
Castle Shannon native and Point Park College graduate who parlayed his stand-up act to a successful television and movie career. He started in Pittsburgh television at KDKA, hosting the kids' television show "Punchline" and as a frequent contributor to "Evening Magazine." After he left Pittsburgh in the mid-'80s, Miller moved to Los Angeles and was discovered at the comedy club The Comedy Story by Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michael and joined the cast. His current show on HBO, "Dennis Miller Live," fuses stand-up, talk and commentary and won an Emmy Award for Best Writing in A Comedy Series.

Antonio Modarelli:
Music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony (1930-37), after eight years in Berlin composing and conducting, and the only American composer to be elected to the Society of German Composers. Never fully accepted by Pittsburghers, in part because he was a local boy, born in Braddock.

Dudey Moore:
Legendary basketball coach at Duquesne with 144-44 record, including the 1955 National Invitational Tournament.

Dr. Richard W. Moriarty:
First director of (and instrumental in founding in 1974) Children's Hospital Poison Control Center and the "father" of Mr. Yuk, the now-universally recognized symbol of poisons and toxic materials. In just five years, the number of fatalities of small children in Allegheny County due to accidental poisonings went to zero, and the Center has kept close to those results. Now the center of the National Poison Control Network, the local Center not only maintains a 24-hour hotline for parents to deal with accidental poisonings, but also presses industry for more complete labeling of potentially dangerous materials and, of course, distributes all those green Mr. Yuk stickers for free.

Laurie Moser:
The Squirrel Hill native founded Race For The Cure, a 5-kilometer race and fundraising event to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The Race, which is run each Mother's Day weekend, has been duplicated in more than 100 cities across the country since its inception in Pittsburgh in 1993. Locally, it has raised more than $3 million for breast cancer research.

Tom Murphy:
Pittsburgh mayor who, perhaps, launched "Renaissance III" before being elected mayor—as a state legislator, he got state funding for an ambitious and then-unprecedented project to transform an environmentally hazardous site (Herr's Island, a former slaughterhouse area) into a model mixed-use development. Not only has Washington's Landing been successful beyond prediction, but it also sparked greater popular interest in the beauty and possibilities of local riverfronts. Murphy's "Renaissance" also includes hiking/biking trails, as the big city most prominent in the national Rails to Trails movement has a mayor who regularly jogs.

Dr. John Murray:
The architect of Allegheny County's new government plan, ComPAC 21, which goes into effect in 2000. A nationally known legal scholar, since becoming president of Duquesne University in 1988, Murray led an expansion of the college that saw improved facilities, new schools (The Rangos School of Health Medicine) and national recognition, including being named one of the top 10 Catholic colleges in the United States.

Philip Murray:
First president of the CIO's Steel Workers Organizing Committee (which became the United Steelworkers of America, the largest union in the nation, under him), recognized by the steel companies in 1937. The Scottish immigrant and former miner (and mining union official) in Southwestern Pa. was autocratic but revered by later generations of union steelworkers. SWOC was actually organized by John L. Lewis (who hand-picked Murray to be president; the two later had a famous falling out when Murray succeeded Lewis as CIO president). Several attempts from within the ranks of steelworkers to organize a union failed, running into opposition from other labor leaders, government and of course the steel companies. SWOC greatly improved wages and conditions, and Murray ran the union unopposed until his death in 1952.

Danny Murtaugh:
One of the most successful managers in Pirates history. He managed the Bucs in four different stints during 15 seasons between 1957 and 1976. During that time he became one of only 36 managers to win 1,000 games, compiling a record of 1,115-950, his win total ranking second on the Pirates all-time list to Fred Clarke's 1,422. He led the Pirates to four Eastern Division Crowns and two World Series Championships (1960, 1971). He was named The Sporting News Manager of the Year in 1960 and 1970. Years with the Bucs as a player: 1948-51; as a manager: 1957-64, 1967, 1970-71, 1973-76. On a day in the 1970s, when it was pointed out to him that his starting lineup was the first-ever all-black starting lineup in Major League history, he said he didn't notice: "All I saw was that they all had Pirate uniforms on." Among the more unusual commemorations is an underground literary journal named Murtaugh (its symbol is a rocking chair), which included baseball-related poetry, cartoons and essays. Murtaugh's number 40 was retired by the Pirates in 1977.

Michael Angelo Musmanno:
A pro-labor firebrand in his younger days (pre-WWII). The McKees Rocks native worked in both a steel mill and a coal mine to get money for school (he earned seven degrees from five universities). He was one of the defense attorneys in the Sacco-Vanzetti case, and published a book about it, After Twelve Years, in 1939. He also wrote a novel, Black Fury (made into a movie), slamming the Coal and Iron Police, which helped to abolish that institution. In the 1940s he was elected to Pennsylvania's Supreme Court, and served as one of the judges at the Nuremberg war crimes tribunal. His subsequent causes included leading raids on Communist Party offices in Pittsburgh in the 1950s, leading rallies against presumed flag desecration in the 1960s, denouncing "obscene" movies and books, and insisting that Columbus was the true discoverer of America (he even died on Columbus Day, 1973). Favorite bit of trivia: He lived in the hotel that the then-new Point Park College took over on Wood Street, and did not relocate even when it became a dorm. A local highway is named in his honor.

Stan Musial:
Stan the Man, a 24-time All-Star and three-time league MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals, was born in Donora in 1921. Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. TOP

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Eric Namesnik:
A Butler County resident who won a silver medal for swimming in Olympics in the 1990s.

Chuck Noll:
The Steelers were the perennial losers of pro football, never winning a title of any kind until Chuck signed on as head coach in 1969, helping the Steelers win first-ever championship (AFC Central) in 1972. Steeler coach till 1991, Noll is the only coach to win four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, XIV—1975, '76, '79 and '80). 23-year record: 209-156-1 in all games. Won nine AFC Central titles, and is sixth in all-time wins. Enshrined in Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. The AFC titles and Super Bowl wins in the 1970s led to Pittsburgh's being crowned "The City of Champions." (The Pirates won two World Series in that decade, but championship play was not new to the Bucs.) The Cleveland native was also guard-linebacker for the Browns, 1953-59.

Joe Namath:
Beaver Falls native who brought credibility to the fledgling American Football League, forcing a merger with the more established National Football League. After a stellar college career at Alabama, Namath quarterbacked the New York Jets to one of the great upsets in football history in Super Bowl III. But off the field is where he had the most effect as the first and most famous to link athletics and sexuality, notably in his pantyhose ads and brief attempt at a movie career.

Evelyn Nesbit:
The dark-haired beauty from Tarentum first gained fame as a model, notably in the then-new realm of art-photography (the extant images are still stunning). But the one-time Gibson Girl will be forever known as "The Girl in the Velvet Swing," who figured prominently in the sex-and-murder trial of her husband, Allegheny rich boy Harry K. Thaw. Nesbit, like many an enterprising young woman, had a fling with prominent architect Stanford White (while she was still single; she was only 15 at the time); but unlike most women, she told her husband about it. He obsessed about it, then publicly shot White and famously got off in the "trial of the century" (where the 19-year-old bride's testimony was salaciously appreciated) for the "crime of the century." Even after most of the century (and its crimes) have passed, this one still captures the imagination. Most recent incarnations are the musical Ragtime (still a current hit) and an award-winning series two years ago in Mount Lebanon magazine about Nesbit's post-trial/post-divorce life in that South Hills suburb.

William Newlin:
The president and CEO of downtown Pittsburgh law firm Buchanan Ingersoll PC has been instrumental in negotiations affecting regional economic development. In 1983, he was a founding director of the Pittsburgh Technology Council and co-founder of the CEO Venture Fund established three years later. He played important behind-the-scenes roles in keeping both the Pirates and Penguins in Pittsburgh. Newlin has also been recognized nationally, being named Inc. magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year in 1991 for his service to emerging companies in the region.

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Rebel Oakes:
Managed Pittsburgh's baseball team in the defunct Federal League, 1914-15. He also served as the inspiration for the name of the team, The Pittsburgh Rebels.

George T. Oliver:
Less was not more for most Pittsburg(h)ers. In 1894, the U.S. Geographic Board of Names decreed that Pittsburgh should be Pittsburg—an unpopular decision with locals. In 1911, Sen. George Oliver (1848-1919), a local newspaper publisher and real-estate developer, appealed and won, restoring the traditional Scottish spelling of the city's name.

John Oliver III:
The longtime conservationist became the first secretary of Pennsylvania's new Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in 1995. The DCNR oversees river conservation efforts, state parks, management of more than 2 million acres of state forest land, and other resource issues. For 25 years, Oliver, a Sewickley Heights native and descendant of major local industrialist families like Oliver and Hillman, was associated with the Pittsburgh-based Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, a private, nonprofit land-conservation organization that has helped acquire more than 200,000 acres of wild lands and natural areas, including five state parks. He became president of the group in 1978. Oliver, 59, oversees an agency with nearly 1,300 full-time and 1,400 seasonal employees and a $177 million budget. Oliver has promised to protect fragile ecosystems in state parks and forests; promote recreation, education and economic opportunities; improve park and forest infrastructure facilities; promote conservation partnerships with urban and rural communities to protect greenways, open spaces, rail trails, river corridors and natural areas; and encourage tourism and economic development by promoting the state park and forest system.

Thomas O'Brien:
Chairman and chief executive officer of PNC Bank Corp. (13th largest bank in the U.S.), which is building a major new structure downtown, perhaps the largest construction project in the city in the past 10 years. The $100 million customer-service building on the site of the former B&O Railroad Station will provide 500 new jobs. The PNC name will also be a big one on the North Side, when the new home of the Pirates, PNC Park, opens in 2001. The banking giant's $30 million commitment is a big factor in keeping Pittsburgh a major league city.

Madalyn Murray O'Hare:
America's most famous contemporary atheist was born in Pittsburgh, nee Mays, and grew up in Brookline and Mount Lebanon. Her 1963 lawsuit against the city of Baltimore led to a Supreme Court decision banning school-sponsored prayer and Bible readings in American public schools. She initiated several other lawsuits based on the principle of separation of church and state. She founded the American Atheist organization and disappeared mysteriously several years ago with her son and granddaughter.

Paul O'Neill:
The current chairman of Alcoa preaches a new paradigm of business that is more responsive to shareholders' concerns, but does not dismiss community interests. Thus the century-old local company ceased its sponsorship of the Mount Washington time/temperature sign (since adopted by Bayer) because "there was no value added for the shareholders." But when it came time for Alcoa to move to new headquarters, the often-largest aluminum company in the world did not forsake its hometown. Not only did Alcoa assist in North Shore development by building its new glass-walled headquarters there, but the firm also donated its downtown landmark to provide a home for local economic development groups, including the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, the Chamber, the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Regional Industrial Development Corp., among others.

Tony O'Reilly:
CEO of H.J. Heinz Co, 1979-98 (also the first non-Heinz to be chairman, president and CEO), heading era of unprecedented profitability and global growth, expanding into Africa, China, Eastern Europe and the Pacific Rim. Among key acquisitions was Weight Watchers International, now the largest weight-loss program in the U.S. Also responded to environmental-market demand with the world's first "dolphin safe" canned tuna (Starkist) and fully recyclable ketchup bottle. The former Irish "footballer" is commemorated by the new theater that opened in downtown Pittsburgh in December 1999.

Frederick J. Osterling:
After he remodeled Clayton for the Fricks, he produced a masterpiece via another Frick commission: downtown's Union Trust Building (today's Two Mellon Bank Center).

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David M. Pahnos:
Original director of the CMU Robotics Institute, founded in 1995 to commercialize the mobile robotic technologies NASA has developed and to send viable technologies back to NASA for use in space projects. The Institute received a $2.5 million grant in 1994 from NASA to establish the consortium. The consortium is also working on: with New Holland North America Inc., a robotic harvester (a prototype has been developed); with Caterpillar Corp. to automate surface mines and quarries; and with Boeing Corp. to develop advanced controls for high-speed, off-road, autonomous driving.

Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige:
This Negro League legend (he played 22 years, part of that time starring for the championship Pittsburgh Crawfords) became the oldest "rookie" of all time when on his 42nd birthday he was sold by the Kansas City Monarchs to the Cleveland Indians, where he pitched a 6-1 record, mostly in relief, as Cleveland won the 1948 pennant. He also pitched three innings for the A's in 1965 at the age of 59; voted into the Hall of Fame in 1971.

Arnold Palmer:
This Latrobe native has won more than $4.4 million from all sources in pro golf, including 92 championships of national or international stature from the '60s to the '90s. Sixty-one of the victories came on the U.S. PGA Tour, starting with the 1955 Canadian Open. He won the Masters Tournament four times, in 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964; the U.S. Open in 1960 and the British Open in 1961 and 1962. Immensely popular and credited by some observers with making golf more popular with the non-elite, Palmer was followed and idolized by "Arnie's Army." Has designed more than 200 golf courses around the world, and owns various golf facilities (including Latrobe Country Club). Also owns a sporting goods company and the Golf Channel, a new cable network. Has won many golf and athletic awards. He's also a pilot, and the airport in Latrobe is named for him.

Lord Gerald Palumbo:
This wealthy British aristocrat bought Frank Lloyd Wright's "other" local commission, Kentuck Knob, and has opened it to the public for tours, a complement to the nearby Fallingwater.

Lou Pappan:
Restaurateur and philanthropist whose "pet projects" include his annual Senior Citizen Picnic, donating unlimited paper products to any church function, and involvement with the Special Olympics, M.S. Readathon, Make-A-Wish, Toys for Tots, and the QED Great TV Auction. The Beaver County resident (a native of Greece) heads conglomerate that included 16 Pappan's Family Restaurants and 18 Roy Rogers fast-food outlets.

Mildred Arbutina Pappas:
When she was living in Washington in the 1970s, this Beaver County native heard that the historic Vicary House in Freedom was to be razed for expansion of Route 65. PennDOT had already purchased the stone mansion built by sea captain William Vicary around 1826. However, her aggressive campaign and dogged persistence over several years finally succeeded in having alternative plans drawn up and the landmark was saved. Today it is being restored by Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation and is open for tours. Malcolm Parcell. Born in Claysville in 1896, this painter and Carnegie Tech grad eschewed a life in New York and remained in Washington County, becoming one of the region's pre-eminent portrait painters. He also painted romantic landscapes and paintings he termed "mythologies," sparked by legend or his fertile imagination. His work can be found in local collections as well as nationally, including the Butler Institute of Art in Youngstown and the U.S. Naval Academy. His life and art were the subject of a 1985 book, Malcolm Parcell: Wizard of Moon Lorn, by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's then-art critic Donald Miller.

Thomas V. Pastorious:
Pittsburgh beer king. Upon returning from a trip to Germany in 1985, Tom had the idea for a microbrewery, Penn Brewery, which he operates with his wife, Mary Beth Pastorious. The first (and still best) of the local micro-breweries, Penn has won significant national and international awards, and high praise from the guru of beerdom, Michael Jackson. The brewery has also acted as an economic spark, inspiring others to try their hand at microbrews and brewpubs, and as a social spark, opening (and thriving) during what was supposed to be Pittsburgh's "depression" of the 1980s. Now also sponsors the Pennsylvania Microbrewery Festival, celebrating good beer and the people who make it and drink it.

Philip Pearlstein:
Pittsburgh native (1924), CMU grad and contemporary of Andy Warhol. He has established a solid reputation in the contemporary art world, particularly with his signature neo-realist nudes, painted with a bright and often harsh intensity of light. Considered one of the pioneer realists, he opened up new possibilities for representational imagery in 20th-century art.

Paul Lawrence Peeler:
Started work as the first African-American teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools in 1937.

Duncan Phillips:
This pioneer in recognizing the significance of modern art and collecting it was born in Pittsburgh in 1886, a grandson of James Laughlin, a co-founder of J&L Steel. The family moved to Washington, D.C., in 1896. In 1918, Duncan and his mother opened two rooms of their D.C. home as an art gallery, which eventually expanded to include the entire mansion. Phillips has been lauded for his "eye" for art, and during his lifetime, Phillips had the vision to collect artists not yet fully recognized such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Milton Avery and Mark Rothko. On his death in 1966, his wife succeeded him as director, a post filled by their son Laughlin, who remained as director until 1992.

Lester A. Pierce:
The 15-voice male singing ensemble he began 62 years ago at Duquesne University to preserve and celebrate Eastern European music grew into one of the most famous, and certainly the most traveled college performing ensemble. The Duquesne Tamburitzans today combine singing with dancing and authentic instruments (centrally the tamburitza, a stringed instrument) and costumes. They tour all over the country (around 80 bookings per year), and occasionally have been unofficial "ambassadors" of the U.S. State Department, taking American music programs to other nations.

John Pople:
His 1998 Nobel Prize for chemistry depended heavily on his 30-plus years of research at CMU.

Cumberland Willis "Commodore" Posey:
Born 1858 in Homestead he became a prominent businessman (very rare for African-Americans back then); a builder of steamboats (42) and flatboats, general manager of a coal company, small steel company, and president of the Pittsburgh Courier for 14 years. Friend of Andrew Carnegie; built a fleet of flatboats for Carnegie to haul iron ore from the Great Lakes region to Homestead.

Cumberland Posey Jr.:
The Homestead native (and son of local entrepreneur/boat-builder Cumberland "Commodore" Posey) put together one of the greatest baseball teams of all time, the Homestead Grays. He started with the team as an outfielder in 1911, and became the club's owner, manager and promoter in 1920. He built it into a top club by 1930, adding stars like Oscar Charleston and Smokey Joe Williams to solid local talent. The Grays, the most powerful and nationally recognized team in the Negro League, won eight national titles, survived the Depression and sent five members to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Mildred Posvar:
Celebrated former mezzo-soprano with the Metropolitan Opera who founded the Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, a student/professional group known for staging significant, but often under-performed works, in intimate settings. Also helped to "discover" Renee Fleming and encouraged her career growth.

Wesley W. Posvar:
Rhodes Scholar; studied at Oxford and earned his Ph. D. at Harvard (Littauer Fellow) before being named chancellor (the title was changed to president in 1984) of the University of Pittsburgh in 1967; credited with "successfully guiding Pitt through the years of student unrest, and bringing it back from the brink of financial disaster to a position of prominence among major American universities." Also helped the School of Medicine's organ transplant program make Pittsburgh a world center for such surgery; in his 20th year at the school (in 1987), he was the longest-seated head of any major American university. A building at Pitt was recently renamed in his honor.

Andre Previn:
The one-time Hollywood composer brought glamour and an appreciation of modern music to the Pittsburgh Symphony when he was music director in the 1970s and '80s. He introduced a composer in residence (thus fostering an atmosphere for new music), and co-created (with playwright Tom Stoppard) Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, a play for orchestra. Since its world premiere in Pittsburgh, it has been a favorite with smaller orchestras around the English-speaking world. He also performed in a jazz combo with several other PSO musicians and produced many recordings with the PSO. In 1977, the PSO and Previn made their national debut on PBS with eight specials, "Previn and the Pittsburgh," an award-winning, Alcoa-sponsored series, which ran for three years and was one of the most popular PBS shows on classical music.

Bob Prince:
Schenley High and Pitt grad, as the long-time "voice of the Pirates," The Gunner came up with many popular nicknames for the players and such famous slogans as "chicken on the hill with Will" (a home run by slugger and former chicken-restaurant owner Willie Stargell). Invented the "green wienie" gimmick. Inducted into the broadcasters' wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986.

Karl Probst:
As the so-called "Father of the Jeep," he gave Butler, where it was created, bragging rights for the nickname "Home of the Jeep." Probst designed the vehicle in just 18 hours in 1940, and it took the Bantam company 49 days to make the original, which was cloned for use by the U.S. Army.

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Pittsburghers of the Century

Introduction

PAGE 1: A | B | C

PAGE 2: D | E | F | G

PAGE 3: H | I | J | K | L

PAGE 4: M | N | O | P

PAGE 5: Q | R | S

PAGE 6: T | U | V | W | Y | Z

 

Pittsburghers of the Century

Introduction

1: A | B | C

2: D | E | F | G

3: H | I | J | K | L

4: M | N | O | P

5: Q | R | S

6: T | U | V | W | Y | Z

 

George C. Marshall

 

Andrew Mellon

 

Richard King Mellon

 

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