Carnegie Mellon University (also known as Carnegie Mellon or simply CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.
The university began as the Carnegie Technical Schools, founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1900. In 1912, the school became Carnegie Institute of Technology and began granting four-year degrees. In 1967, the Carnegie Institute of Technology merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research to form Carnegie Mellon University. The university's 140-acre (0.57 km2) main campus is 3 miles (4.8 km) from Downtown Pittsburgh and abuts the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Schenley Park, and the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the city's Oakland and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods, partially extending into Shadyside.
Carnegie Mellon has seven colleges and independent schools: the Carnegie Institute of Technology (engineering), College of Fine Arts, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mellon College of Science, Tepper School of Business, School of Computer Science, and the H. John Heinz III College.
Carnegie Mellon students come from all 50 U.S. states and 93 countries. It consistently ranks among the top 25 universities in the United States and was named one of the "New Ivies" by Newsweek in 2006.
Carnegie Mellon alumni have had success in Hollywood, Broadway, television, and the music industry. They include:
- Best Actress Academy award winner Holly Hunter (1980)
- ten time Emmy Award-winning TV producer/writer Steven Bochco
- actor Patrick Wilson
- actor George Peppard (1951)
- actor René Auberjonois (1962)
- actor Jack Klugman (1948)
- actress Carol Channing (1943)
- actor Robert Cummings (1930)
- actress Mariette Hartley (1965)
- actor Zachary Quinto (1999)
- actor James Cromwell (1964)
- Get Smart actress Barbara Feldon (1955)
- actor Ted Danson (1972)
- actor Robert Brooks (1969)
- actor Michael McKean (1969)
- actor David Lander (1969)
- actress and stunt woman Patricia Tallman
- legendary horror director George A. Romero
- actor Van Hansis
- actor Rhys Coiro
- actor Blair Underwood (1988)
- Broadway actress/singer Megan Hilty (2004)
- actress Cote de Pablo (2000)
- actress Jean Carson (1945)
- actress Cherry Jones (1978)
- actress Nancy Marchand (1949)
- actress Sada Thompson (1949)
- actress Jill Eikenberry (did not graduate)
- actor Gaius Charles (2005)
- actress Patina Miller
- actor G. Wood (1945)
- baritone opera singer Liam Bonner
- actor Josh Gad (2003)
- actor Joe Manganiello (2000)
- actor Matthew Bomer (2001)
- and actor Gabriel Macht (1994)
- artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol (1949)