Westinghouse Fountain

Pittsburgh is known as Andrew Carnegie's steel city, but it is important to note that the city was also the home base for George Westinghouse who invented air-brake system for trains and initiated the AC-based electrical power distribution. There are still many places in the Pittsburgh area carrying Westinghouse's name.

While I was a student at CMU, my dormitory room was within a comfortable walking distance from the Westinghouse Fountain, and I used to go there for relaxation. As you can see from my photo at the fountain, I was a very skinny boy at that time. Of course, I was curious about this person whose name is associated with Westinghouse Electric Company and the compressed-air brake system for railroad trains.

Please click here for a more detailed story about him.

In order to write a story about Geroge Westinghouse, I visited Pittsburgh last week to study more about him and the companies he established. I was particularly interested in how he was able to use the concept of alternating current to transform this world.

Click here for a full view of the fountain.

Click here for a photo of my recent visit to the fountain.

CMU's Business School is about 50 meters away from the fountain. There I met two ladies taking a coffee break. I became their favorite boy when I told them I was a CMU freshmen 49 years ago. The bare-footed lady on my right is the assistant dean of the School of Business and Management, who does all the work in dean's office. I am very happy to introduce to the world two truly American-looking American ladies from my American hometown. I am of course mighty proud of being in a position to introduce George Westinghouse to you.

Y.S.Kim (30 June 2003)