A century after the Cathedral of Learning began rising above Oakland, its story remains one of awe, aspiration and people. Pitt Chancellor John Bowman envisioned more than a building. He wanted a tower that would inspire Pittsburgh’s immigrants and working families to see higher education — and a different future — as within their reach. Drawing on archival research and the insights of Pitt architectural historian Drew Armstrong, this story travels back to an Oakland alive with streetcars, baseball, music and culture — exploring how an unprecedented university 42-floor skyscraper grew from that landscape. The Cathedral was built to reach toward the sky. Its deeper purpose was to lift people with it. #CL100