William Pitt Union

The William Pitt Union, which was built in 1898 as the Hotel Schenley, is the student union building of the University of Pittsburgh main campus, and is a Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark. Designed by Pittsburgh based architects Rutan & Russell in the Beaux Arts style of architecture, the Schenley Hotel catered to local and visiting well to do people. The University of Pittsburgh acquired the property in 1956.

This historic building, which was originally known as the Hotel Schenley, and designed by architects Rutan & Russell, opened in 1898. It became the keystone of entrepreneur Franklin Nicola’s dream of Oakland as a center for culture, art and education. Nicola had been instrumental in the formation of the Bellefield Company with the help of Andrew W. Mellon, Henry Clay Frick, Andrew Carnegie, George Westinghouse and H. J. Heinz, who were among the first stockholders to share Nicola’s vision for Oakland. Nicola and his supporters oversaw construction of this beaux arts structure on land that was once owned by fellow stockholder Mary Croghan Schenley. The Schenley Hotel was Pittsburgh's first large, steel framed "skyscraper hotel." It was described as "Pittsburgh's class hotel of the early 20th century".

On July 12, 1950, a hotel night guard shot and killed two men and wounded another. A ghost story passed down among students begins with the tale of a visit by the Russian National Ballet, which booked accommodations in the historic Schenley Hotel prior to opening its tour of the United States in Pittsburgh. The prima ballerina, tired from travel, decided to rest before the premiere performance, drifted off, and slept through her curtain call and the whole of the performance. The company's director, either so incensed by her missing the premiere, or so impressed by the stage presence of her understudy, decided to replace the prima ballerina with a younger dancer for the remainder of the tour. Distraught by the change, the prima ballerina took her own life that night. It is now said that, if students fall asleep in the Tansky Family Lounge, also known as the Red Room, they always wake up just in time for whatever exam, class, meeting, appointment, etc. they may have missed because the prima ballerina's ghost makes sure they never succumb to her same fate. Another tale tells of a haunting in the Lillian Russell Room, room 437 within the offices of The Pitt News, near Lillian Russell's former residence.

The William Pitt Union now serves as the student union and hub of the University of Pittsburgh and contains a variety of lounges, ballrooms, reception, performance, and meeting spaces. One of the most notable facilities is the Louis XV style William Pitt Union Ballroom on the main floor, which features vaulted ceiling, mirrored walls, two grand crystal chandeliers, and detailed moldings and artwork that are faithful restored to the condition of the Hotel Schenley. Other formal rooms include the Kurtzman Room and lower atrium of the Tansky Family lounge on the main floor, as well as two dining rooms on the first floor. The Tansky Lounge itself is the restored grand lobby of the hotel. In addition, the William Pitt Union Assembly Room, the largest room on the main floor at , contains a stage with theatrical lighting and serves as the facility's primary multi purpose event space. The William Pitt Union is also the home to the International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame (dedicated in 1984), the C. M. Kimbo Art Gallery, a dance studio, meeting and conference rooms, university offices, and, on the lower level, a food court. The upper floors of the union serve as the primary location for the offices for more than three hundred student organizations, including the student newspaper, The Pitt News, the student radio station, WPTS and the student government. The fourth floor is the site of the Lillian Russell Room of The Pitt News. It contains a portrait of Russell, a fireplace, stained glass fanlight and decorative moldings. In 2007, the recreation room on the ground floor of the union was renovated and by resolution of the Pitt Student Government Board, and was then renamed "Nordy's Place" in honor of Chancellor Mark Nordenberg. Gigs Game Center, outfitted with videogame hardware and software, is also located on the lower level. In 2009, renovations to the second floor improved the accommodations of the student careers center and renovations to the fifth floor were completed to provide six new meeting spaces for student organizations, four of which with hard surface flooring enabling groups to practice dance routines and other activities. In addition, a formal area was created for student organizations to host workshops and award presentations. In 2010, a $2 million project was undertaken to renovate of space on the ninth floor. The renovation, completed in 2011, created a new student study and lounge area, a twenty person conference room, a kitchen/coffee area, file/storage areas, and new offices for Residence Life, Pitt Arts and Student Volunteer Outreach. A $1.93 million renovation of the Assembly Room, which included uncovering three large windows to allow in natural light, as well as a stage extension and technology upgrades, was completed in 2013. In addition, a $390,000 renovation of first floor restrooms and $1.85 million renovation of the lower levels of the union, including its food court and dining spaces, was completed that same year.