Salk Hall

Jonas Salk Hall at the University of Pittsburgh is a Pennsylvania state [http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/DOH/markerresults.asp?secid=31&namesearch=Salk+Polio+Vaccine&Submit=Search+by+Marker+Title] and Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark. [cite web | url = http://web.archive.org/web/20070127092030/http://www.phlf.org/plaques/locallist.html | title = Internet Archive: Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation: PHLF Plaques & Registries| date=2007-01-27 | accessdate = 2008-02-25 ] The Art Deco building is named after Jonas Salk who conducted his research on the first polio vaccine in a basement laboratory while on faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. [ cite book | url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;cc=pittmiscpubs;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=Municipal%20hospital;rgn=full%20text;idno=00c50130m;didno=00c50130m;view=image;seq=0231
last = Alberts
first = Robert C.
title = Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787–1987
pages = book Three; pp. 211
year = 1987
id = ISBN 0-8229-1150-7
location = Pittsburgh
publisher = University of Pittsburgh Press ]

History

The main structure of Salk Hall is the former city owned Pittsburgh Municipal Hospital for Contagious Diseases constructed in 1941 on land the university had given to the city. It was designed by Richard Irving and Theodore Eicholz. [ cite book |
last = Kidney
first = Walter C.
title = Oakland (Images of America)
pages = pp. 105
year = 2005
id = ISBN 0-7385-3867-1
location = Charleston, South Carolina
publisher = Arcadia Publishing] The 225 bed hospital was originally part of the Medical Center associated with the University and was intended to be used primarily to treat communicable diseases. However, when antibiotics virtually eliminated the need to quarantine patients, the building had become a financial burden on the city. Therefore, in September 1949, work began on remodeling the building, and it temporarily housed Pitt's School of Public Health. [http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;cc=pittmiscpubs;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=Municipal%20hospital;rgn=full%20text;idno=00c50130m;didno=00c50130m;view=image;seq=0226] In October 1957, the Municipal Hospital was formally acquired from the city for $1.3 million and renamed Jonas Salk Hall. For a time, the upper floors of the building served as a residence for students. Pitt remodeled it to house the School of Dental Medicine and School of Pharmacy in 1961-1962. [http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;cc=pittmiscpubs;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=Municipal%20hospital;rgn=full%20text;idno=00c50130m;didno=00c50130m;view=image;seq=0283]

Annex

The Salk Hall Annex, a major renovation and addition designed by the architectural firm Deeter, Ritchey, and Sippel [http://ryan.library.cmu.edu/fmi/xsl/AA/browserecord.xsl?-lay=Layout+%231&-recid=6196&-find=-find] for the Dental School, was completed the Terrace Street side of the building in 1967 [http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittfact;cc=pittfact;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=annex;rgn=full%20text;idno=1974a073698;didno=1974a073698;view=image;seq=19;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset] . Today, it serves as a main entrance for Salk Hall and the dental clinics.

Dental Museum

A dental museum is housed in the first floor reception area of Salk Hall. The museum contains a variety of original dental artifacts, including a circa 1910 dental chair, and x-ray machine and instrument cabinet from the 1920s. [http://www.dental.pitt.edu/sdm/story4.php]

Pharmacy Museum

Also contained in Salk Hall is the Elmer H. Grimm Sr. Pharmacy Museum which opened in the fall of 1996. Located on the fourth floor, the museum holds pharmacy memorabilia such as drug products, equipment, and sundry products dating back to the early 20th century. Among the museums possessions are two hand-carved finials, which were often found over the door or partitions that separated the main art of the pharmacy from the back room where pharmacists did most of their work, an old-fashioned powder mill, and a konseal machine. [http://www.pitt.edu/commencement/visitors/campus_tour.pdf] [http://www.chronicle.pitt.edu/media/pcc020128/pharmmuseum.html]

External links

* [http://www.umc.pitt.edu/tour/tour-160.html Pitt Virtual Tour - Salk Hall]
* [http://www.dental.pitt.edu/ Pitt School of Dental Medicine]
* [http://www.pharmacy.pitt.edu/ Pitt School of Pharmacy]

References