How ‘orphan train’ origins informed CMU’s trailblazer — and brought diversity to Fox Chapel

(Photo illustration by Natasha Vicens)The late Richard Cyert is best known as one of the parents of Pittsburgh’s new economy. His daughters’ curiosity brought to light his roots, which may have informed his other role: a catalyst for desegregation.“PublicSource is an independent nonprofit newsroom serving the Pittsburgh region. Sign up for our free newsletters.”by David S. Rotenstein, PublicSourceRichard Cyert was Carnegie Mellon University’s sixth president and one of Pittsburgh’s most transformative figures. Less known was his role in breaking Fox Chapel’s color barrier.His daughters grew up with the blowback from their father’s pioneering role in that community, but only recently sleuthed into his background and discovered a formative experience that may have motivated their father: The CMU leader was the child of two Jewish orphans shipped from cosmopolitan New York City to small town Minnesota.Richard Cyert’s parents, Walter and Anne (also spelled Anna in historical documents), were moved as children to Winona, Minnesota, from New York City on “orphan trains,” which carried urban children westward to new homes in the 1800s. Walter and Anne’s story is distinctive in the annals of orphan train history.Richard M. Cyert (Photo courtesy of Carnegie Mellon University Archives)Curious about her family’s health history and ancestry,...