Tartan Facts
Who founded Carnegie Mellon University?
Carnegie Technical Schools was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie. Twelve years later it became known as the Carnegie Institute of Technology. In 1967, the school merged with Mellon Institute and became what is known today as Carnegie Mellon University.
What is a Tartan?
The Carnegie Mellon athletic teams are nicknamed the "Tartans" as a nod to Andrew Carnegie's Scottish heritage. A tartan is often misrepresented as a fierce warrior from either the Asian tundra or Scottish highlands. In actuality, a Tartan is a twilled woolen fabric with a plaid design. It is of Scottish origin and consists of stripes of various colors and widths against a solid ground, denoting a particular family lineage. The school's founder, Andrew Carnegie, was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1835. Carnegie came to the United States in 1848 and founded Carnegie Technical Schools in Pittsburgh in 1900.
The Scottish terrier mascot performer sports Carnegie tartan attire, while the graphic mascot is wearing a plaid scarf around its neck. So what's the difference between tartan and plaid?
You'll know it's a tartan if...
• "It's a check or pattern in a variety of colours in woven fabric in which bands of colour are repeated in equal proportion in warp (running lengthwise) and weft (running across)."
• "Each stripe of the warp crosses every stripe of the weft, so when vertical and horizontal stripes of the same color cross, the result is solid color at the point of intersection."
• "The arrangement of colored threads is the same in the warp as in the weft."
You can find our official tartan on various items in the University Store.
Source: "Tartan: Romancing the Plaid," by Jeffrey Banks and Doria De La Chapelle
Official Mascot?
More than a century after Carnegie Mellon University opened its doors, an official mascot finally made its mark. Although students have dressed as a Scottish terrier — typically referred to as Scotty — for 50 years, it wasn't until 2007 that Carnegie Mellon officially welcomed the Scottish terrier as the university's first mascot.
In keeping with tradition, students, faculty, staff and alumni voted to name the new official mascot Scotty. But it's not just the costumed mascot that voters named. The live dog is also known as Scotty to the Carnegie Mellon community.
About Scotty | Celebrating Scotty | Performer Requests
Department Quick Facts
Name of School: Carnegie Mellon University
City/Zip: Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Founded: 1900
Enrollment (undergrad): 6,982- Fall 2021
Enrollment (graduate and doctoral): 7,062 - Fall 2021
Alumni: 102,577
Nickname: Tartans
Mascot: Scottie Dog
School Colors: Cardinal and Gray
Football Stadium and Track and Field: Gesling Stadium
Capacity: 3,500
Surface: FieldTurf
Basketball/Volleyball Gym: Wiegand Gymnasium
Capacity: 500
Soccer Stadium: CMU Soccer Field
Capacity: 250
Surface: FieldTurf
Affiliation: NCAA Division III
Conference: University Athletic Association | Presidents' Athletic Conference (Football Only)
President: Dr. Farnam Jahanian
Alma Mater, Year: University of Texas at Austin
Athletic Director: Dr. Josh Centor
Alma Mater, Year: Brandeis, 2004
Athletic Department Phone: 412-268-8054
Mailing Address: 5000 Forbes Avenue / Pittsburgh, PA 15213