Chronicling/An ongoing series highlighting University of Pittsburgh History

Sept. 12, 2001—“Yesterday, we all were reminded, in the most terrible way, of life’s fragile nature,” Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg writes in a statement to the University community following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Pitt had joined many local businesses and educational institutions in closing on Sept. 11 after the attacks, evacuating the Cathedral of Learning, canceling classes, and permitting non-essential staff to leave early.

Following the Sept. 12 Senate Council meeting, Nordenberg and other council members walk together to Heinz Memorial Chapel for a shared moment of silence—“quietly acknowledging a national tragedy, expressing respect for the victims and sorrow for their families, and reflecting on our shared future,” said the chancellor, who had proposed the impromptu gathering. On Sept. 14, Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs sponsors an open forum on the terrorist attacks, the first of many such events held here in the aftermath of 9/11.