A Gift of Belief

Philanthropy and the Forging of Pittsburgh

Kathleen W. Buechel

• Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
• Year: 2021
• Topic: Social Sciences
• eBook ISBN:
  9780822988328
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

Philanthropy has long been associated with images of industrial titans and wealthy families. In Pittsburgh, long a center for industry, the shadows of Carnegie, Mellon, Frick, and others loom especially large, while the stories of working-class citizens who uplifted their neighbors remain untold. For the first time, these two portraits of Pittsburgh philanthropy converge in a rich historic tapestry. The Gift of Belief reveals how Pittsburghers from every strata, creed, and circumstance organized their private resources for the public good. The industrialists and their foundations are here but stand alongside lesser known philanthropists equally involved in institution building, civic reform, and community empowerment.


Beginning with sectarian philanthropy in the nineteenth century, moving to scientific philanthropy in the early twentieth century and Pittsburgh Renaissance-era institution-building, and concluding with modern entrepreneurship, twelve authors trace how Pittsburgh aligned with, led, or lagged behind the national philanthropic story and explore how ideals of charity and philanthropy entwined to produce distinctive forms of engagement that has defined Pittsburgh's civic life.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Periods of the Arc of Philanthropy in Pittsburgh
• Introduction
• Part I. Sectarian Philanthropy and Particular Purpose Institutions, 1800–1889
• Part II. Classic Institution Building and Scientific Philanthropy, 1889–1945
• Part III. Postwar Expansion, Strategy, and the Challenge of Regional Relevance, 1946–1990
• Part IV. Entrepreneurism and Collective Action, 1990–Present
• Afterword | Weaving It Together
• Acknowledgments
• Contributors
• Notes
• Index