Mellon Institute of Industrial Research facts for kids

Mellon Institute
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Area	Schenley Farms Historic District
Built	1937
Architect	Benno Janssen
Architectural style	Neoclassical
Part of	Schenley Farms Historic District (ID83002213)
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	July 22, 1983

The Mellon Institute of Industrial Research was a special place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was a research center that later became part of Carnegie Mellon University.

It was started in 1913 by two brothers, Andrew Mellon and Richard B. Mellon. At first, it was part of the University of Pittsburgh. They had their first offices in a building called Allen Hall.

In 1937, the Mellon Institute became an independent research center. It moved into a grand new building on Fifth Avenue. Later, in 1967, it joined with the Carnegie Institute of Technology. This merger created what we know today as Carnegie Mellon University.

Even though it's not a separate institute anymore, its famous building still stands. You can find it at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Bellefield Avenue in Oakland. This area is known as Pittsburgh's university district. The building is close to the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute and the University of Pittsburgh's Bellefield Hall. Across the street are two other famous landmarks: the University of Pittsburgh's Heinz Memorial Chapel and the Cathedral of Learning.

The Mellon Institute building was designed by a famous architect named Benno Janssen. He lived from 1874 to 1964. The building has a neo-classical style, which means it looks like ancient Greek or Roman buildings. It has huge, single-piece limestone columns. These are some of the largest single-piece columns in the world!

Andrew Mellon, who was a very important person and even served as the United States Secretary of the Treasury, had a specific idea for the building. He wanted it to have a grand row of columns, like the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C.. The front of the Mellon Institute building looks very similar in size and shape to the famous Parthenon in Athens, Greece. The building was finished and dedicated in May 1937. This happened after the Mellon brothers had passed away.

Today, the Mellon Institute building is still very active. It holds the main office for Carnegie Mellon University's Mellon College of Science. It also has offices and labs for the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Chemistry. From 1986 to 2006, it was also home to the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center.

History of the Mellon Institute

The Mellon Institute of Industrial Research started as a department at the University of Pittsburgh. It was called the Department of Industrial Research. Its main job was to do research for companies. A company would pay the institute to solve a specific problem. Then, the institute would hire a scientist to work on that problem. The results of the research belonged to the company that paid for it.

In 1928, the institute became an independent, nonprofit research center. This meant it could operate on its own. Plans for a new Mellon Institute building began that same year. When the new building was finished in 1937, the institute moved in. It was built right across from the newly finished Cathedral of Learning. The original building, now called Allen Hall, was given back to the University of Pittsburgh.

The first design for the new building included two more columns than what architect Janssen finally decided on. These two extra columns were buried in the large lawn next to the Cathedral of Learning. They were planned to be dug up in 2014 when a new pipe system was installed under the Cathedral.

By 1967, fewer companies were using independent research institutes for their industrial research. Because of this, the Mellon Institute decided to merge with the Carnegie Institute of Technology. Together, they formed Carnegie Mellon University. The name "Carnegie Institute of Technology" was kept for the engineering part of Carnegie Mellon's "College of Engineering and Science."

In 2013, the American Chemical Society recognized the Mellon Institute. They named it a National Historic Chemical Landmark. This was to honor its important work in industrial research and training. This recognition covered its work from 1913 until it merged with the Carnegie Institute of Technology.

Researchers at the Mellon Institute created more than 4,700 papers and 1,600 patents. They made many other important discoveries. For example, George O. Curme Jr. found a way to make acetylene from petroleum. This led to the creation of ethylene. They also did research on organosilicones, which helped start the Dow Corning Corporation.

For many years, the grand columns of the Mellon Institute building have been a popular spot. People often take wedding photos there.

Mellon Institute in Movies and TV

The Mellon Institute building has appeared in several movies and TV shows:

• In the 2006 CBS TV show Smith, the outside of the Mellon Institute was used to show the made-up Tanner Museum.
• The 1990 film Citizen Cohn used the building's exterior. It was shown as a building in Washington, D.C., during the 1960s.
• The 1992 film Hoffa filmed scenes at the location. It was used to look like Federal Courthouses and other government buildings.
• In the 1992 film Lorenzo's Oil, you can see an inside shot of a lecture hall in the Mellon Institute.
• The 2002 film The Mothman Prophecies showed the building as a fictional institute for studying strange things in Chicago.
• The 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises filmed scenes at the location. It was used to represent "Gotham City Hall."