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WHEREAS, Oakland was first so named in 1839 by then leading local paper the Harris' Intelligencer. In the 175 years since that naming, Oakland has grown to become not only an academic, health care, and cultural hub for the City of Pittsburgh, but also the third largest economic center within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Oakland is home to over 20,000 residents, tens of thousands of employees, 50,000 students, three universities, two of which are nationally ranked top research universities, the Commonwealth's top ranked hospital system, nine museums and galleries, 35 works of public art, enterprising locally owned businesses, acres of public parks, and three historic districts.
WHEREAS, These residents, students, and employees comprise the City's most ethnically diverse neighborhood and have included many of Pittsburgh's most prominent figures.
WHEREAS, Oakland is a community of firsts, including the nation's first community-supported television station, WQED; the nation's first modern art museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art; the first successful simultaneous heart and liver transplant performed by Dr. Thomas Starzl on six-year-old Stormie Jones; one of the nation's first Carnegie Libraries; the first successful polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk at the University of Pittsburgh; the first educational skyscraper was built; and the world's first university robotics department, founded at Carnegie Mellon University.
WHEREAS, Oakland is where Mr. Roger's Neighborhood came to life; the world's largest collection of Jurassic dinosaurs walks through the “Dinosaurs in Their Time” permanent exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History; iconic artist Andy Warhol grew up; the Pirates won three World Series; and one of the world's greenest buildings, Phipps Conservatory Center for Sustainable Landscapes, opened in 2012.
WHEREAS, Oakland Forever is an annual community driven celebration presented by the Oakland Task Force to honor ...
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