(1) That the University of Pittsburgh derives its corporate existence under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by reason of the act of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth establishing an “Academy or Public School in the town of Pittsburgh” on February 28, 1787, Volume XII, Pennsylvania Statutes at Large, page 357, and from the act of February 18, 1819 (P.L. 61) incorporating the “Western University of Pennsylvania”;

(2) That the original Charter of Incorporation of the Western University of Pennsylvania was subsequently amended and supplemented by the following acts of the General Assembly: act of March 9, 1826, recorded in Laws of Pennsylvania (1825) (P.L. 74); act of February 9, 1855 (P.L. 24); and act of March 6, 1872 (P.L. 218);

(3) That the name of “Western University of Pennsylvania” was duly changed to “University of Pittsburgh” by order of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County No. Four at 425 Third Term 1908 on July 11, 1908, the change of name being duly recorded in the Recorder's office of the County of Allegheny in Charter Book Volume No. 43, page 446 and;

(4) That the Charter of the University of Pittsburgh was duly amended in accordance with the authority granted by the act of May 5, 1933 (P.L. 289), article IV, section 403 as amended by amendments duly approved by the board of trustees on December 13, 1949 and March 8, 1960;

(5) That the University of Pittsburgh owns and maintains land, buildings, and other facilities which are used, together with land and buildings owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, for higher education, which land, buildings and other facilities are under the entire control and management of the board of trustees;

(6) That the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognizes University of Pittsburgh as an integral part of a system of higher education in Pennsylvania, and that it is desirable and in the public interest to perpetuate and extend the relationship between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and University of Pittsburgh for the purpose of improving and strengthening higher education by designating University of Pittsburgh as a State-related university.

Therefore, it is hereby declared to be the purpose of this act to extend Commonwealth opportunities for higher education by establishing University of Pittsburgh as an instrumentality of the Commonwealth to serve as a State-related institution in the Commonwealth system of higher education.