The Nationality Rooms are thirty-one themed classrooms in the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning, created to honor the national and ethnic communities that helped build Pittsburgh. Begun in 1926 under Chancellor John Bowman and directed first by Ruth Crawford Mitchell, the program relied on community committees to fund and design historically authentic rooms while the university provided space and upkeep. Most remain active classrooms, while a few serve mainly as display spaces. Built under strict scholarly and nonpolitical rules, the rooms range from the first four dedicated in 1938 to additions completed as recently as 2019, and they continue to support tours, cultural programs, and scholarships.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · USA