Pratt Institute
The Pratt Institute is a specialized, private college in New York City with campuses in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Pratt is one of the leading art schools in the United States and offers programs in art, architecture, design, creative writing, library science and other areas.
Charles Pratt (1830-1891) was an early pioneer of the natural oil industry in the United States. He was founder of Astral Oil Works in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, New York. He joined with his protégé Henry H. Rogers to form Charles Pratt and Company in 1867. Both companies became part of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil in 1874.
Pratt is credited with recognizing the growing need for trained industrial workers in a changing economy. In 1886, he founded and endowed the Pratt Institute, which opened in Brooklyn in 1887.
References
- Elbert Hubbard, 1909, Little Journeys to the Homes
- Tarbell, Ida M. 1904, The History of Standard Oil
- Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) website, Pratt Institute page
- Pratt Institute official website, History page