Heinz Memorial Chapel

Open to campus religious groups of all denominations, as well as the public, Heinz Memorial Chapel is a popular site for religious and memorial services, concerts, guided tours, and weddings. Each year, the chapel hosts between 170 and 190 weddings, which are restricted to Pitt students, alumni, and other affiliates, as well as employees of H.J. Heinz Co. Among the musicians who perform regularly at the chapel are the Heinz Chapel Choir, an a cappella choir consisting of Pitt students. The chapel itself was a gift of company founder, Henry John Heinz, and his three children in honor of H.J.’s mother. The architect was Charles Klauder, who also designed the nearby Cathedral of Learning. The chapel’s 23 exquisitely detailed stained glass windows, designed by Charles J. Connick, depict 391 sacred and secular figures representing religion, history, medicine, science, and the arts. The 73-foot transept windows are among the tallest in the world and depict an equal number of women and men. All of the visible wood in the chapel, including its two 800-pound entrance doors, is oak. All of the wrought iron work, including lanterns, door fittings, stair railings, candlesticks, and alter cross, were created by Samuel Yellin, who also designed the metal work in the Cathedral of Learning (including the massive Commons Room gates) and most of the metal work in Pitt’s Nationality Classrooms.