The University of Pittsburgh at Titusville was established in 1963 in response to a long-recognized need for higher educational opportunities in the Oil Creek Region. Following a successful fundraising campaign, UPT opened its doors n the fall of 1963 with classes being held in McKinney Hall. Joe M. Ball, a University of Pittsburgh administrator, was named the first president and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1986.

The first entering class numbered some 75 students. McKinney and the adjacent Carriage House were remodeled for classroom, office, and library space.

TITUSVILLE...At a Glance

Titusville is a small city in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains. Holding a distinctive place in world history, Titusville boasts the first commercial oil well. Colonel Edwin L. Drake drilled this oil well in 1859, making Titusville the birthplace of the oil industry.

Located about 45 miles south of Erie and 90 miles north of Pittsburgh, Titusville is a gateway to outdoor recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, boating, swimming, canoeing, skiing, golfing, hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Just minutes from campus, for example, is Oil Creek State Park which cover 6,400 acres and offers a 10-mile bike and cross-country ski path. Titusville also offers a variety of stores, banks, churches, restaurants, and lodging facilities.