The University Libraries is proud to announce the installation of Associate Dean for Distinctive Collections Julia Corrin as the inaugural Michael and Lonna Smith University Archivist, an endowed position made possible through the generosity of two longtime friends and supporters of Carnegie Mellon University, Michael and Lonna Smith.
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Henry Hornbostel was an influential architect in the early twentieth century, who designed landmarks like the Williamsburg Bridge in New York City and the Harding Memorial, US President Warren Harding’s elaborate tomb. “Time Well Spent: An American Architect in Europe, 1893,” a new October 2025 release from Carnegie Mellon University Press, brings to life Hornbostel’s formative 1893 journey to Europe as a young man. This journey influenced him for the rest of his life, as he designed famous buildings across the country – and in Pittsburgh, where he built nearly half his works and designed Carnegie Mellon’s campus. “Time Well Spent” includes reproductions and transcriptions of Hornbostel’s sketchbook and journals, and contextualizes them with essays about the significance of travel in architectural education.
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On Thursday, October 9, Carnegie Mellon University Press celebrated the launch of “Time Well Spent: An American Architect in Europe, 1893,” a new book by School of Architecture Assistant Teaching Professor Francesca Torello that brings to life the extraordinary travels and experiences of young Henry Hornbostel. Hornbostel went on to become an influential Beaux-Arts architect, designing several bridges in New York as well as Carnegie Mellon’s original campus — including the College of Fine Arts building, where the book launch was held.
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From First-Year Writing support to workshops and consultations, the Libraries delivers instruction across campus in a variety of ways. In the University Archives, Collections Archivist Emily Davis, Community Collections Processing Archivist Crystal Johnson, and Robotics Project Lead Archivist Kathleen Donahoe have introduced students of all levels and disciplines to archival research through a variety of class sessions across CMU and the wider Pittsburgh community.
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Woodland Hills High School Library Media Specialist Kevin McGuire teaches a library science internship class, working with students in grades 9 through 12 to introduce them to a variety of library-related skills: cataloguing, processing books, and even archiving materials. Each spring, his students visit the Carnegie Mellon University Archives to dive into the materials and explore what archivists do during a day at work.
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On Sept. 9, more than 125 students gathered in IDeATe Studio for Hands-On: Pizza & Pennant Making, kicking off the University Archives' 125th Anniversary exhibit, “Room to Imagine.” Participants traded screens for fabric, glue guns, and plenty of pizza, diving into the tactile joy of creating colorful banners inspired by the vintage pennants, which are some of Crystal Johnson's favorite pieces in the archives.
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Julia Corrin knows Carnegie Mellon's impact on the world runs deep. As the university's archivist and associate dean for Distinctive Collections, she's spent years cataloging achievements and preserving institutional memory. But researching CMU's 125th anniversary exhibit continues teaching her something startling: she's still discovering innovations she never knew existed.
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Through the Carnegie Mellon University Archives, CMU students with a passion for primary sources and collective memory can dive into the intellectual, cultural, and administrative history of the university, exploring the past and investigating how it informs the present moment. We checked in with 2024 Dietrich College graduate Nicholas Mlakar, who worked as a student assistant in the Archives, to see where that passion has taken him post-graduation.
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Peter Berndtson and Cornelia Brierly were influential midcentury modern architects known for their work around Pittsburgh, apprenticing under Frank Lloyd Wright and working on several of his famous projects before going on to start their own private practice in Pennsylvania. Their papers are held in the Carnegie Mellon University Architecture Arc
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Through the Carnegie Mellon University Archives, CMU students with a passion for primary sources and collective memory can dive into the intellectual, cultural, and administrative history of the university, exploring the past and investigating how it informs the present moment. We checked in with 2024 Dietrich College graduate Nancy Zuo, who frequently interacted with the Archives during her time as an undergraduate, to see where that passion has taken her post-graduation.
Related: Archives and CMU History, About us
