Hail to Pitt

Hail to Pitt is the most traditional fight song of the University of Pittsburgh, which is commonly referred to as Pitt. The saying "Hail to Pitt!" is also the most traditional and commonly used slogan of the University of Pittsburgh and its athletics teams. The slogan is frequently used in promotional material, printed on merchandise and souvenirs. It was also the title of a 1982 history of Pitt athletics by author Jim O'Brien. The slogan is often used among alumni as a statement of affiliation, including as a closing signature in conversation or correspondence between alumni, and is sometime abbreviated as "HTP" or "H2P".

The musical pageantry of the University of Pittsburgh began mostly under the initiative of various students and musical groups in the early twentieth century. It was during this period, around 1908, that the University began the process of moving from what is now Pittsburgh's North Side to its current location in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. At the time of this relocation, the university, then known as the Western University of Pennsylvania, also obtained an alteration to its charter in order to change its name to the University of Pittsburgh. These changes also corresponded with the celebration of the City of Pittsburgh's sesquicentennial and a rise in prominence of the university's athletic programs, exemplified by the undefeated and unscored upon football team of 1910, and led to crescendo and pride and optimism throughout the university. In this atmosphere, an abundance of music and chants extolling the newly renamed university appeared throughout student productions and publications. While some have faded into obscurity, among the most popular and pervasive of music and slogans, including "Hail to Pitt" and the "Alma Mater", were derived from the efforts of these students who were among the first to have "University of Pittsburgh" printed on their diplomas.

"Hail to Pitt" is the most traditional of various fight songs of the University of Pittsburgh. Lyrics were written by George M. Kirk (Col. 1913) and music by Lester Milton Taylor (Eng. 1912), both of whom were members of the Beta Theta chapter of Sigma Chi at Pitt. The first performance of this song was in a production of the Cap and Gown Club, a student musical theatre company, titled Here and There in the spring of 1910. Kirk himself sung the performance of his song during this production which took place in the Carnegie Music Hall, in what was the first school year that the university had relocated to the Oakland section of Pittsburgh and the second academic year after the university changed its name from the Western University of Pennsylvania. The lyrics subsequently appeared, along with other fight songs, prior to the 1910 football season in the First Annual Football Year Book and the words and music were printed by Volkwein's Music and the song was copyrighted. Kirk, who served as a Pitt cheerleader for three years, helped push for the song's use as the Pitt fight song. However, by the 1930s, the song's popularity led to issues with its use on radio broadcasts of games involving the school's successful football team. Because Pitt did not own the copyright to the song, permission for its use had to be obtained from the copyright owners prior to any broadcast. This led the university to commission and adopt a new song, the "Victory Song", to which the university owned the copyright and could freely grant permission for its use. However, "Hail to Pitt" continued to be performed and survived as the university's primary musical number.

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