Information & history on rear of plaque:
The William Pitt Union was formerly the Hotel Schenley,  dubbed the "Waldorf of Pittsburgh" at the turn of the century.   Opened in 1898 as the city's first steel-framed skyscraper hotel (10 stories),  the Schenley developed a glamorous history:  Lillian Russell married Alexander Moore there,  Enrico Caruso once rented an entire floor,  Eleonora Duse died there,  Maude Adams danced in its ballroom,  Spencer Tracy called on Katherine Hepburn there,  and Andrew Carnegie,  Woodrow Wilson,  Theodore Roosevelt,  William Howard Taft,  and Diamond Jim Brady all ate there at different times.
The Schenley was bought by the University for $1.8 million in 1956.   All major student activities were moved into what was renamed Schenley Hall.   In 1983,  the University began a $13-million restoration and modernization of its student union.   This 18-month renovation resulted in the William Pitt Union,  a masterful blend of elegant 1890's architecture and the most functionally modern recreational and social facilities,  with office space for student organizations.
The grand ballroom is probably the most spectacular room of any college union in the country.   Its Louis XV architecture,  vaulted ceiling,  mirrored walls,  two grand crystal chandeliers,  and detailed moldings and artwork are a faithful restoration of the Hotel Schenley Ballroom.   The union's other recreational facilities include lounges,  food service areas,  billiards and table tennis materials,  an arcade area,  a television room,  a multipurpose assembly room with a sophisticated sound-stage system,  and a media center with state-of-the-art equipment for use by the Pitt News and WPGH radio.

Information & history on rear of plaque:
Drums thunder in the darkness,  whistles sound,  and the crowd pauses as smoke begins rolling onto the field through the open gates of the 'hole'.   First one ghostly form appears in the cloud,  then a multitude,  and the crowd roars as the announcer proclaims:  "Presenting your University of Pittsburgh Varsity Marching Band!"   The Pitt Band takes to the gridiron,  and another home game has begun!