the founding years I n 1 8 8 7, I n d u s t r i a l i s t C h a r l e s P r att ’ s e xp e r i m e n ta l a n d u n t e s t e d i d e a s a b o u t e d u c at i o n l a i d t h e f o u n d at i o n f o r P r att I n s t i t u t e ’ s h i s t o r i c r i s e .
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arly in the 1880s, Charles Pratt, then a partner in the Rockefeller Standard Oil Company and generous benefactor of Brooklyn, turned his efforts and financial resources toward building an institution of higher learning. A progressive thinker deeply influenced by the educational reform movements of the late 19th century, Pratt wanted the institution to be open to all—regardless of class, color, or place of birth. Pratt also intended his institution to fulfill what he saw as an ethical obligation to encourage a love of work, strength of character, and clear sense of purpose within a community. Toward that end, Pratt crafted a set of pedagogic principles based on his interest in art and design that had few precedents in educational systems in the United States or abroad in the late 19th century. The venture, which the industrialist named Pratt Institute, was inspired by Pratt’s tenacious climb to success and his philanthropic interest in improving opportunities for the American worker. Born in 1830 in the factory town of Watertown, Massachusetts, Pratt rose from his early training as a machinist to ownership of one of the country’s largest oil refineries. Since his early youth, Pratt had endeavored to improve himself, first saving his salary to pay for a year’s schooling at an academy near Boston and then through a membership to a local private library. When he arrived in New York City in 1851, he became a clerk at an oil, paint, and glass shop on Fulton Street. From there, his ascent was swift. In 1867, he established the Pratt Manu-
1830 Charles Pratt is born in Watertown, Massachusetts. 1861 The American Civil War begins. 1867 Charles Pratt establishes the Pratt Manufacturing Company, producers of Astral Oil. 1879 Thomas Edison invents the lightbulb. 1882 The merger of Pratt Manufacturing Company and John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil is announced. 1883 The Brooklyn Bridge is completed. 1887 Pratt Institute opens. 1889 Vincent van Gogh paints The Starry Night.
125 anniversary pr attfolio
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