Pitt Inducts 13 Donors Into Cathedral of Learning Society

The University of Pittsburgh celebrated the philanthropic spirit of 13 donors as they were inducted into the Cathedral of Learning Society on June 25 in the Commons Room of the University’s landmark Cathedral of Learning. Established in 1999, the Cathedral of Learning Society recognizes individuals who have given lifetime gifts to the University totaling $1 million or more.

“The Cathedral of Learning is an enduring symbol of our University’s most noble aspirations—the attainment of ever-higher levels of achievement and impact as a leader in education, a pioneer in research, and a partner in regional development,” said Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg. “The commitment and generosity of the members of our Cathedral of Learning Society reflect a belief in Pitt’s mission, in our inspiring 223-year record of progress, and in our ever-building institutional momentum. We are deeply grateful for their loyalty and trust and for their remarkable leadership support.”

This year’s Cathedral of Learning Society inductees are the late W. Harry Archer and the late Louise E. Archer, the late Betty Howard Brenneman and the late David E. Brenneman, Suzanne and James Broadhurst, the late Virginia Campana, Mariann N. Goldstein and Donald M. Goldstein, the late Virginia Kaufman, the late Thomas H. McIntosh, Cathy J. and John H. Pelusi Jr., the late Carl F. Poke, Marian and Harold A. Poling, Dorothy L. Raizman and the late Richard E. Raizman, Constance and E. Ronald Salvitti, and the late Elva S. Smith.

Chancellor Nordenberg also recognized Dick and Ginny Thornburgh at this year’s gala; the Thornburghs were unable to attend the Cathedral of Learning Society dinner when they were inducted into the society in 2008.

Brief biographies of all the honorees follow.

W. Harry Archer and Louise E. Archer

Although the late W. Harry Archer entered the dental profession at a time when it was unnecessary for dentists to hold an undergraduate degree, Archer earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Pitt in 1927, before receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University in 1937 and 1947, respectively. Archer went on to become a leading dental surgeon who pioneered the practice and training of dental surgery.

Archer joined the Pitt faculty in 1927, serving as both a professor and department chair before retiring in 1975. He is credited with forming Pitt’s Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, developing the first oral surgery master’s degree program, and championing the creation of the dental school’s Department of Anesthesia. A renowned authority who had lectured at universities throughout the world, Archer was asked by the Smithsonian Institution to help create its Dental Exhibition and Reference Collection.

The late Louise “Billie” Archer also earned a degree from Pitt in 1927. She received the Elisabeth B. McCullough Award from Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC for having served as a volunteer in the hospital gift shop for more than 50 years. The shop’s infant department—Billie’s Baby Boutique—is named for her.

Harry and Louise Archer together with their son, William H. Archer, demonstrated their commitment to Pitt by making contributions to the School of Dental Medicine in support of the Oral Surgery Education Fund, the W. Harry Archer Oral Surgery Scholarship Quasi Endowment, and the William H. Archer Fund in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Betty Howard Brenneman and David E. Brenneman

The late Betty Brenneman’s life took her far from her modest beginnings in Emporium, Pa. In the 1930s, she left the small manufacturing town in north central Pennsylvania to attend the University of Pittsburgh, where she was one of only seven women to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy in 1942.

Her marriage to the late David Brenneman, an executive at Bell Labs and AT&T before his retirement from Lucent Technologies, would take her even further from her home—to Connecticut, North Carolina, and Colorado. Betty and David Brenneman, who passed away in 2006 and 2004, respectively, also enjoyed foreign travel, often bringing back exotic gifts for the children of their friends and relatives.

Despite her international excursions and family obligations, Betty Brenneman followed closely the progress of her alma mater, and her fondness for the University of Pittsburgh influenced her godson Gary Borman’s three daughters to attend Pitt: Devon Borman Kleindienst received a BS in microbiology from Pitt’s School of Arts and Sciences in 2003; Catherine Borman earned a BS in nursing from the School of Nursing in 2006; and Christen Borman earned a BBA from Pitt’s College of Business Administration in 2009.

Betty Brenneman demonstrated her loyalty to Pitt by making numerous gifts to the School of Pharmacy, including a generous bequest to establish the David and Betty Brenneman Fund, which provides support for student and faculty research.

Suzanne and James Broadhurst

Suzanne Broadhurst

Suzanne and James Broadhurst may be more known for putting smiles on the millions of cookies made by Eat’n Park restaurants, but the many contributions the couple has made as philanthropists and community leaders have made many individuals throughout Western Pennsylvania smile.

As director of corporate giving for Eat’n Park Hospitality, Suzanne Broadhurst oversees the corporation’s programs that support a wide range of community, health, and educational organizations. Personally, she has made countless contributions to Pitt, including her service as vice chair and a member of various committees of the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees and as a member of the boards of visitors of the School of Nursing and the School of Education. She also was cochair of the University’s Fall 2000 Discovery Weekend, which launched Pitt’s current record-breaking fundraising campaign.

James Broadhurst is the chair of Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, a corporation that includes Six Penn Kitchen, Cura Hospitality, Parkhurst Dining Services, and the Eat’n Park restaurant chain. He earned his MBA from Pitt’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of the school in 1994.

The Broadhursts have provided exceptional support to the University, including their lead gift to the Broadhurst Science Center at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville and generous support of Pitt Athletics, including the establishment of the Broadhurst Basketball Excellence Fund, which provides scholarships for members of the women’s basketball team. They also have made gifts to the College of Business Administration, the Katz School, the School of Nursing, the Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg University Chair, the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pitt Ambassadors, the School of Medicine, and the School of Arts and Sciences.

Virginia Campana

Virginia Campana

The Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center is more than a beautiful gathering space for educational programs, artistic performances, and special events held on the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg campus. It also is a tribute by the late Virginia Campana to the memory of her beloved sister, Mary Lou. Virginia Campana, who together with sister maintained lifelong friendships with faculty members at Pitt-Greensburg, was inspired by those friendships as well as her religious beliefs to make a bequest to construct the chapel.

Throughout their lives, the sisters demonstrated that they shared their parents’ deeply held belief in the importance of service to others. In addition to Virginia’s longtime service to St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh, she supported numerous charitable organizations through the Caesar Puff Foundation. Mary Lou Campana established the Trixie Puff Foundation, named for a family pet. Among the many contributions the sisters made to the University was a generous gift to establish the Dr. and Mrs. Fred T. Campana Endowment Fund, which provides financial support to Pitt-Greensburg students.

The Campana Chapel also commemorates the Campana family’s devotion to the welfare of animals. The chapel’s stained-glass windows include images from The Peaceable Kingdom, a series of paintings by 19th-century painter and Quaker preacher Edward Hicks, who used animal imagery to convey the biblical message of peace.

Mariann N. Goldstein and Donald M. Goldstein

Mariann N. Goldstein and Donald M. Goldstein

Donald M. Goldstein, Emeritus Professor in Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), devoted his career to the study of World War II; he is considered one of the world’s foremost authorities on Pearl Harbor and other major events related to the global conflict. He has written extensively on the subject, including the two bestsellers he coauthored, At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor (McGraw-Hill, 1981) and Miracle at Midway (McGraw-Hill, 1983), both of which are considered definitive accounts of those momentous events. Goldstein received two Peabody Awards for the ABC-TV programs Pearl Harbor: Two Hours That Changed the World with David Brinkley and Turning Point at Normandy—D-Day: The Soldier’s Story, anchored by Peter Jennings.

Goldstein retired as a colonel from the U.S. Air Force after 22 years of service and went on to endear himself to generations of University of Pittsburgh students. While at Pitt, he served as associate director of the Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies and received numerous teaching awards, including the 2002 Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award.

Mariann N. Goldstein earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Pitt in 1978 and 1990, respectively. Throughout her career, she was a devoted nurse practitioner. The Goldsteins have demonstrated their exceptional commitment to Pitt by donating Donald Goldstein’s extensive collection of books, photos, and numerous other artifacts from the World War II era to the University Library System; they also have made other contributions, including generous gifts to GSPIA and the School of Nursing.

Virginia Kaufman

Virginia Kaufman

The late Virginia Kaufman became a leading advertising executive in Pittsburgh long before women were established contributors to that field. Earning a teaching certificate at Clarion State Teacher’s College in 1937, she eschewed the more traditional career paths open to women at that time. Instead, she left Clarion, where her grandfather, the prominent businessman and civic leader Charles Kaufman, had established deep roots as one of the town’s earliest settlers. Virginia Kaufman relocated to Pittsburgh, where she worked for a short time in market research and promotions for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and in advertising and merchandising for Sears, Roebuck and Company.

Kaufman used those early experiences to establish her own firm; she enjoyed a long and successful association with business partner Robert Smillie. Together, they owned and operated Penn-Art Associates, a highly respected art, graphic design, and marketing agency, for more than 50 years. In 1964, the Pittsburgh Advertising Club named her Woman of the Year.

Kaufman was a generous supporter of numerous community and educational organizations, and she demonstrated a special commitment to the scientific study of methods to alleviate pain and promote healing by making bequests to the Virginia Kaufman Endowments to Pitt’s School of Medicine and School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences’ Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology. Kaufman passed away in 2008.

Thomas H. McIntosh

The late Thomas H. McIntosh’s studies at the University of Pittsburgh were interrupted by a call to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II, but he returned to Pitt in 1945 to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science. He later received the JD degree from the University of Michigan before launching what would become a long and distinguished career in public relations.

Early in his career, McIntosh worked as an account executive for Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove, Inc. and served as vice president of Reuter and Bragdon, Inc., His work captured the attention of Howard Heinz, who hired him as the first director of public relations for the H.J. Heinz Company. McIntosh later became Heinz’s corporate vice president for public relations and earned distinction within the field for transforming the global food company’s numbers-laden annual reports into content-rich, visually appealing documents that featured original illustrations, poetry, photography, and recipes.

McIntosh, who passed away in 2003, made numerous contributions to the University, including many gifts to the School of Arts and Sciences. His most generous contribution was a bequest to establish the Charles Crow, PhD, Chair in Arts and Sciences’ Department of English to honor the Distinguished Service Professor Charles Crow, whom McIntosh considered a “memorable and valuable teacher whose guidance to me as a freshman composition student was much appreciated then and later in my career.”

Cathy J. and John H. Pelusi Jr.

John H. and Cathy J. Pelusi

John H. Pelusi Jr. began his long and close association with the University of Pittsburgh as a member of the Panther football team; he is well known at Pitt for his role in delivering the 1976 national championship as the team’s starting center. Pelusi went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in economics from Pitt’s School of Arts and Sciences and a master’s degree in public administration from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

Pelusi has maintained close ties with the University by serving in numerous capacities, including as a member of the Board of Trustees and the School of Arts and Sciences’ Board of Visitors. He is the executive managing director and managing member of Holliday Fonoglio Fowler (HHF), L.P., and vice chair and CEO of HHF, Inc., one of the largest and most successful commercial real estate capital intermediaries in the country.

John and Cathy Pelusi have devoted themselves to their family as well as to numerous educational and charitable organizations, including the Holy Family Institute, the Hampton School District, and Meals on Wheels. Two of their children, Jamie Pelusi (SSW ’06) and John C. Pelusi (CBA ’09), also enjoyed successful careers as student athletes while at Pitt.

The Pelusis have demonstrated their extraordinary dedication to Pitt by providing life skills programs for Pitt student athletes, including those that honored John T. and Mary Lynn Majors and Chancellor Mark and Dr. Nikki Nordenberg. They also have made commitments to provide financial support for athletic scholarships with gifts to the Jamie C. Pelusi Endowed Women’s Soccer Scholarship, the Cathy J. Pelusi Endowed Women’s Soccer Scholarship, the John H. Pelusi Jr. Family Football Scholarship, and the John H. Pelusi Jr. Endowed Student Athlete Scholarship.

Carl F. Poke

Carl F. Poke

The late Carl F. Poke played a key role in developing outstanding academic programs at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. After earning three degrees from Pitt—a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate in political science—Poke became one of the first academic leaders appointed by Pitt-Greensburg’s inaugural president, Albert B. Smith.

During his 40 years at Pitt-Greensburg, Poke served as director of admissions and student aid and dean of academic affairs, and he was instrumental in initiating the first four-year degree programs offered there. His enthusiasm for political science as well as his belief that administrators should remain connected to students prompted him to teach political science classes throughout his administrative career. He returned to teaching full-time in 1991 and earned the status of Emeritus Professor of Political Science when he retired in December 2005. He received the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service from the University of Pittsburgh in 2004.

An enthusiastic world traveler, Poke encouraged students to study abroad and made a financial commitment to helping them do so by underwriting international travel experiences with gifts he made to the University, as well as through a generous bequest to the Carl A. Poke and Florence R. Poke Endowed Fund for Student Travel. His passion for film also inspired another generous bequest, one that established the Carl F. Poke Endowed Fund for the Millstein Library in support of the Pitt-Greensburg library’s film collection and the purchase of audiovisual equipment.

Marian and Harold A. Poling

Harold A. “Red” Poling rose to the highest echelons of corporate leadership in the United States, retiring as board chair and CEO of the Ford Motor Company. In addition to possessing a strong work ethic, determination, and business acumen, Poling demonstrated an ability to recognize and develop talented leaders. As a Ford executive, he came to understand that Ford managers who graduated from Pitt’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business were particularly impressive, and he attributed their success to the superior education they had received at the University.

Poling’s desire to support the outstanding business education he valued inspired him to establish a unique and highly beneficial relationship between the automobile manufacturer and Pitt. He and his wife, Marian, have made a commitment to provide generous financial support to the Katz School that has resulted in improvements to Mervis Hall, as well as various forms of support for students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Poling, a fighter pilot in World War II before embarking on what would become a 43-year career at Ford, received the U.S. Navy’s Lone Sailor Award for his accomplishments at the automotive company. He also was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans in 1991 and was named Industry Leader of the Year by the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1993. In addition to having served as a director for the Kellogg Company, Rockwell International, the Shell Oil Company, and the Professional Golfers’ Association of America, he is an emeritus member of the Katz School’s Board of Visitors.

Dorothy L. Raizman and Richard E. Raizman

When the late Richard E. Raizman encountered people in need of better health care, he set himself on a course of finding innovative ways to help them. After earning his MD from the University of Pittsburgh, Raizman established a private gastroenterology practice. He soon realized that his patients from Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs could be better served by a facility closer to their homes. This led to the establishment of the Monroeville Surgery Center, the region’s first outpatient surgical center.

Raizman, who died in 2009, was a member of the Pitt School of Medicine Board of Visitors and a part-time member of the faculty. He will be remembered for the compassion and concern he had for people around the world who lacked adequate health care. His experiences as a medical student while on a public health fellowship in Jamaica inspired him to travel regularly to India and other developing nations to donate equipment and his services to the underserved. He also supported efforts to train and encourage others to donate their time and skills in the developing world.

Dorothy Raizman, who earned her JD from Pitt’s School of Law, is a founding partner in the law firm of Raizman, Frischman & Matzus, P.D. She shared her husband’s commitment to helping others as well as his dedication to their alma mater. Together, the couple made numerous gifts to the University, including contributions that established the Dr. Richard E. and Dorothy L. Raizman Vaccine Research Discovery Laboratory, which enables Pitt researchers to study new and better ways to eradicate infectious disease through improved prevention practices.

Constance and E. Ronald Salvitti

Constance and E. Ronald Salvitti

When E. Ronald Salvitti became the chief ophthalmology resident at Pittsburgh’s Eye and Ear Institute in 1972, he began a long and close association with the University of Pittsburgh.  An esteemed ophthalmologist devoted to helping people with vision problems, Salvitti shared the innovative techniques he developed in his practice, including the use of intraocular lens implants in cataract surgery and service as a volunteer faculty instructor at Pitt. He has also shared his expertise as a guest lecturer at other U.S. universities and in two foreign countries. Salvitti founded and serves as medical director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Eye Center in Washington, Pa., a medical practice, ambulatory surgery center, and refractive center that provides highly specialized care.

Constance Salvitti began her career as a physical therapist. She has supported her husband’s medical practice and devotes herself to various charitable organizations, including the Washington Women’s Shelter and the Washington County Community Foundation’s Women of Philanthropy program. Together, the couple has established the Salvitti Family Foundation, which provides financial support to various organizations, including The Washington Hospital, which led to the establishment of the Dr. E. Ronald and Constance Salvitti Center for Emergency Care.

The Salvittis’ generous gift to the University has endowed the E. Ronald Salvitti, MD, Chair in Ophthalmology Research in Pitt’s School of Medicine to support innovative teaching and clinical and scientific activities related to retina and glaucoma care.

Elva S. Smith

In 1901, the late Elva S. Smith left Pasadena, Calif., a city her father, Franklin Horatio Smith, helped establish. After earning a certificate from the Los Angeles Public Library Training Class, Smith, like many of the nation’s leading librarians at that time, was drawn to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, known for its modern facility, well-financed collection, and innovative children’s services.

Smith went on to enjoy a long and productive career as a teacher in the Training School of the Carnegie Library and wrote many professional articles. She also was a cataloger in the Boys and Girls Department and authored numerous poems, stories, and histories for children, including the landmark The History of Children’s Literature. The Training School, along with the Carnegie Library’s notable collection of historical children’s books, was eventually transferred to the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Library and Information Science, now Pitt’s School of Information Sciences.

Before she died in 1965, Smith established a trust that has for more than 40 years made regular contributions to both the Elva S. Smith Scholarship Fund and the Elva S. Smith Endowed Scholarship. These scholarships continue to provide financial aid and tuition support for students in the School of Information Sciences.

Chancellor Nordenberg also recognized Dick and Ginny Thornburgh at the June 25 Cathedral of Learning Society dinner because they were unable to attend the event when they were inducted into the society in 2008.

Dick and Ginny Thornburgh

Dick and Ginny Thornburgh

Dick Thornburgh has devoted his long career to public service as the U.S. Attorney for Western Pennsylvania, Governor of Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney General, and the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Administration and Management. An emeritus member of Pitt’s Board of Trustees, Thornburgh received an engineering degree from Yale University in 1954 and his law degree from Pitt’s School of Law in 1957.

Ginny Thornburgh has been a tireless advocate for people with disabilities. As the vice president and founding director of the Religion and Disability Program of the National Organization on Disability (NOD), she has worked for the past 19 years to ensure that congregations of all faiths welcome children and adults with disabilities.

Ginny Thornburgh is also the coauthor and editor of NOD’s award-winning publications That All May Worship (NOD, 1992) and From Barriers to Bridges (NOD, 2001) and editor of Loving Justice: The ADA and the Religious Community (NOD, 1995). In 2005, she was the recipient of the prestigious Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award, widely recognized as the highest honor bestowed on Civil Rights advocates.

In Dick Thornburgh’s three years as attorney general in the cabinets of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, he mounted an unprecedented attack on white-collar crime and established strong ties with law enforcement officials around the world to help combat drug trafficking, money laundering, and other white-collar crimes. Thornburgh played a leading role in the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act and prosecuted racial, ethnic, and religious hate crimes.

In April 2007, at the dedication of the Dick Thornburgh Room in Pitt’s Hillman Library, he established the Dick Thornburgh Forum in Law and Public Policy, which provides programs and activities based on Thornburgh’s papers, contributions, and interests. Pitt’s University Library System houses the Dick Thornburgh Archive Collection, a comprehensive set of documents, thousands of photographs, and many hours of audio and video that encompass Thornburgh’s career. The collection includes family mementos, his law school textbooks, and a well-documented account of his experience as governor during the historic nuclear accident at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in 1979.

Dick and Ginny Thornburgh were corecipients in 2003 of the Henry B. Betts Award presented by the American Association of Persons with Disabilities. With those proceeds, they established the Thornburgh Family Lecture Series on Disability Law and Policy at Pitt.

Pitt has honored Dick Thornburgh as the recipient of the Bicentennial Medal of Distinction, as a Legacy Laureate, and as a Distinguished Alumni Fellow.