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42-494: History of Magee goes back to the early 1900s when on January 19, 1911, Mrs. Alfred Birdsall delivered the first baby at a makeshift hospital in the former home of Christopher Magee . The hospital is built on the grounds of the home of legendary Pittsburgh political boss Christopher Magee and named in honor of his mother, Elizabeth Steel Magee. In 1931, Magee Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh created an agreement to establish

84-463: A 28-bed teaching unit at the hospital. In 1962 Magee Hospital merged with Pittsburgh Woman's Hospital, and became Magee-Womens Hospital. The hospital merged with UPMC in 1999. In 2011 the hospital undertook an expansion of its main facility which was completed in June, 2012. The expansion added six floors, increased the number of beds from 318 to 335 (including 14 additional intensive care rooms), and expanded

126-551: A Level III neonatal intensive care unit. As of October 2013, it also houses the Pediatrics wing of UPMC Hamot . In December 2015, UPMC Hamot Women's Hospital was renamed to Magee-Womens Hospital - UPMC Hamot Campus to reflect its alignment with Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC. In 2005 Magee-Women's was rated as the #17 best hospital in the United States in the field of gynecology on the U.S. News & World Report. In 2014 and 2017

168-504: A cousin of Magee's, was moved by public reform pressure to liberalize specifications for streets, which allowed competition. Flinn retaliated by having city council fire Bigelow. Bigelow's brother Thomas, who had a long grudge against Magee because of "bad" deals involving street car lines, enlisted the help of Matt Quay at the state level. A new bill was introduced in Harrisburg to amend the city's charter, and it passed, effectively dismantling

210-506: A member resigns, the Constitution states that the legislator may not be appointed to civil office for the duration of the term to which the legislator was elected. The General Assembly is a continuing body within the term for which its representatives are elected. It convenes at 12 o'clock noon on the first Tuesday of January each year and then meets regularly throughout the year. Both houses adjourn on November 30 in even-numbered years, when

252-438: A monument." Meanwhile, Edward Muller, a University of Pittsburgh history professor, said Magee was a classic machine boss who not only helped shape the city's growth when its industry and population were increasing rapidly, but also ensured his political future by taking care of the many new immigrants flowing into the region. Muller stated that, like other machine leaders, Magee figured out 'that by providing minimal services like

294-500: A partnership, as Flinn eyed a seat in the Pennsylvania General Assembly , and Magee had a natural enemy at the state level, the political boss Matthew Quay . So Flinn became Magee's man. In 1887 the two succeeded in changing the city charter at the state legislature that took the power of appointments away from city council and granted it to department heads. Magee and Flinn also consolidated Republican control within both

336-551: A stately home called the "Maples". Under ownership of the Magees, the house was renovated and became a local showplace, where they frequently entertained business and political associates. The house was at the corner of Forbes Avenue and Halket Street in the city's Oakland district. The couple had no children. The Magees were members of the First Methodist Church of Pittsburgh. However, prior to her husband's death, Eleanor became

378-627: A strong supporter of the Christian Science faith. Magee fell ill in 1899 and took a leave of absence for treatment and rest. During this time his partner Flinn became involved in a flap over the rigged bidding system the two had concocted for city contracts. The "lowest responsible bidder" scheme, as it was known, assured that Flinn's company, Booth and Flinn , won most large construction and paving contracts in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania . Edward Manning Bigelow, director of public works and

420-543: A term of four years. Representatives are elected for a term of two years. The Pennsylvania general elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years. A vacant seat must be filled by special election, the date of which is set by the presiding officer of the respective house. Senators must be at least 25 years old, and Representatives at least 21 years old. They must be citizens and residents of

462-421: A turkey in the pot at Thanksgiving or a load of coal when it was freezing or jobs in contracting companies that paved the streets and put in lighting and sewers, he could in turn get the voters' undying political loyalty." In the end, Muller said, Magee accomplished a tremendous upgrade of the city's infrastructure at the time, with roads, sewers, gas, lighting, the parks system being built. However, Muller states it

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504-422: Is equipped with 335 beds, an emergency room and ambulatory facilities on four floors which allows it to offer all possible services under one roof including family medicine physicians, gastroenterologists, dermatologists, rheumatologists, pulmonary specialists, orthopedists, urologists and neurologists. Magee-Womens has a staff of 2,500, of which 1,500 are medically licensed. It also operates a satellite hospital in

546-540: Is greater than I had any idea of". During the 19th century, the culture of corruption in the General Assembly got so bad that from 1866 to 1873, about 8,700 of 9,300 acts passed in that timeframe were local or special acts. The frustration of the people of the Commonwealth with its legislature finally boiled over in 1871 and resulted in a 1873 constitutional convention and a 1874 constitutional amendment. One of

588-700: The Schenley Park Casino , which had the first known artificial ice surface in North America, and was the first place in Pittsburgh where organized ice hockey was played. However the Casino was destroyed in a fire, just 19 months after it opened. Magee then purchased a trolley barn at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Craig Street in 1895, turned it into a 5,000-seat arena and named it the Duquesne Gardens . The building hosted its first hockey game in 1899, and became

630-509: The U.S. Census . They are drawn by a five-member commission, of which four members are the majority and minority leaders of each house (or their delegates). The fifth member, who chairs the committee, is appointed by the other four and may not be an elected or appointed official. If the leadership cannot decide on a fifth member, the State Supreme Court may appoint him or her. While in office, legislators may not hold civil office. Even if

672-741: The Magee-Flinn machine. Magee died on March 8, 1901, at the age of 52 and was buried in Allegheny Cemetery days later. According to University of Pittsburgh historian, Carolyn Carson, thousands of people lined the streets between Trinity Episcopal Church and Allegheny Cemetery, and women all along the route threw flowers and sometimes themselves onto the coffin. According to the Register of Wills of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, J.N. Mackrell, his personal property and real estate at his death exceeded $ 4 million. Like many prominent political leaders of

714-519: The Western University of Pennsylvania, today's University of Pittsburgh . When his father died, he became an office boy for the iron manufacturing firm of Park, McCurdy, and Company. By 1864 he took a job in the city controller's office, and in 1869 a better position in the city treasurer's office. Magee came from a large family which was prominent in local politics. His uncle, Squire Thomas Steele, had been president of city council and also had run

756-500: The amendment's reforms was to prohibit the General Assembly from writing statutes covering more than one subject . Unfortunately, the amendment (today found at Section 3 of Article III of the Pennsylvania Constitution) was so poorly written that it also prevented the General Assembly from undertaking a comprehensive codification of the Commonwealth's statutes until another amendment was pushed through in 1967 to provide

798-563: The archives of Magee-Women's Hospital , "he stood on the steps of the old Fidelity Trust Building and gave silver dollars to young newsboys." However a starkly different depiction of Magee's influence came from The Shame of the Cities , the landmark 1903 book by Lincoln Steffens on political corruption in American cities. In the chapter "Pittsburg: A City Ashamed", Steffens castigated Magee and his political ally, state legislator William Flinn, for

840-567: The city and Allegheny County . Finally, the two were successful in placing public monies into banks and financial markets associated with industrial Pittsburgh's phenomenal growth after the American Civil War . This won them untold favors from big business, especially allowing them to grant jobs to thousands and thus build their political machine. Magee did win two terms to the Pennsylvania State Senate , but his political influence

882-538: The city and he served on the boards of many banks and corporations. Magee's chief business partner was Joshua Rhodes, chairman of the National Tube Company, which later became part of U.S. Steel . Magee also served on the boards of nonprofit institutions such as hospitals and universities. In 1895 he donated $ 125,000 to establish the Pittsburgh Zoo . In the mid-1890s, Magee helped complete the construction of

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924-556: The city's northern suburbs as part as the UPMC Passavant facility as well as 9 metro area imaging clinics. 10,000 births are performed at Magee each year, which accounts for 45 percent of all births in Allegheny County . UPMC Hamot Women's Hospital is a five-story, 165,000 square-foot, 93-bed stand-alone hospital that opened in 2011. The hospital houses obstetrics, neonatology, and gynecology specialities of UPMC Hamot and includes

966-478: The costly chore of consolidating the city's trolley lines, Quinon said it was done mainly to benefit everyday workers. Better trolley service, he wrote, "induced those who dwelt in crowded quarters to find homes for themselves on the outskirts of the city, where there was pure air, a touch of nature and freedom from many temptations for both young and old." During the Christmas holidays, said another biography located in

1008-406: The era Magee is either viewed as a generous saint of a man or a corrupt scalawag, depending on whose view was being expressed. One of the positive opinions of Magee's legacy was written by Stephen Quinon, a journalist who worked for The Pittsburg Times , which Magee owned. According to Quinon, Magee was a benevolent visionary who improved the city and looked out for the underdog. When Magee took on

1050-613: The home of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League . When the Democratic minority party supported a sand filtration plant for Pittsburgh's water supply, Magee, Edward Manning Bigelow , and his brother Thomas Bigelow contended over different plans. Magee's maneuvers were in part responsible for the slow adoption of filtration, and the resultant deaths of Pittsburghers from cholera . He married Eleanor Louise Gillespie in 1878. Shortly after their marriage, they moved into

1092-429: The hospital was named to the "100 hospitals with great women's health programs" by Becker's Hospital Review. As of 2016–17, Magee-Womens ranked nationally as #12 nationally in gynecology and #32 nationally in orthopedics on the U.S. News & World Report. The hospital ranked nationally as #26 in orthopedics, high performing in cancer, and high performing in urology on the 2017-18 U.S. News & World Report. In 2020

1134-591: The hospital was recognized by Human Rights Campaign Foundation as a "Top Performer" in their forward thinking LGBTQ policies and initiatives. In 2020 Magee-Womens was awarded three Women's Choice Awards as top 7% in bariatrics, top 2% in cancer care, and a best hospital in patient experience. UPMC Magee-Women's Hospital was ranked nationally as #47 in gynecology on the 2020-21 U.S. News & World Report and ranked as high performing in hip and knee replacement. Christopher Magee (politician) Christopher Lyman Magee (April 14, 1848 – March 8, 1901)

1176-588: The necessary exception. This is why Pennsylvania remains the only U.S. state that has not yet completed a comprehensive codification of its general statutory law. Since 1970, Pennsylvania has been undertaking its first official codification process, resulting in the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes . With over 300 years of uncodified statutes to go through, the codification process is still not yet complete after over five decades of work. President Pro Tempore : Kim Ward (R) Speaker of

1218-578: The office of controller. Through Steele's influence, Magee obtained his first jobs in government. At age 22 Magee ran on the Republican ticket for city treasurer, but lost. In 1873, however, he won. He then helped to pass a bill revising property assessments upward, and another bill to collect from tax delinquents. Magee cut city debt in half during his term. In 1879, in the city's Sixth Ward, one of Magee's brothers ran for office against William Flinn, an upstart in local politics. However Magee and Flinn struck up

1260-483: The state for a minimum of four years and reside in their districts for at least one year. Individuals who have been convicted of felonies, including embezzlement, bribery, and perjury, are ineligible for election; the state Constitution also adds the category of "other infamous crimes," which can be broadly interpreted by state courts. No one who has been previously expelled from the General Assembly may be elected. Legislative districts are drawn every ten years, following

1302-447: The street between. In St. Louis the business man boodled for his street. In Pittsburg he went to Magee, and I have heard such a man praise Chris, 'because when I called on him his outer office was filled with waiting politicians, but he knew I was a business man and in a hurry; he called me in first, and he gave me the street without any fuss.'" Even as he condemned Magee's tactics, Steffens acknowledged his enormous popularity. "Chris, as he

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1344-455: The surgical and ambulatory facilities. UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital is a UPMC specialty hospital that serves as its primary facility for women's health. While primarily a women's hospital, it has offered some services for men since the 1960s. The hospital is located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh near UPMC Presbyterian, a location it has been at since its fourth year in 1915. It currently

1386-649: The terms of all members of the House and half the members of the Senate expire. Neither body can adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other. The governor may call a special session in order to press for legislation on important issues. As of 2017, only 35 special sessions have been called in the history of Pennsylvania. The Assembly meets in the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg , which

1428-425: The way they ran the city. "Minneapolis was an example of police corruption," Steffens wrote. "St. Louis of financial corruption. Pittsburg is an example of both police and financial corruption." Steffens wrote about the alleged Flinn-Magee collusion: "Magee wanted power, Flinn wealth.... Magee spent his wealth for more power, and Flinn spent his power for more wealth.... Magee attracted followers, Flinn employed them. He

1470-509: Was unicameral . Since the Constitution of 1776 , the legislature has been known as the General Assembly. The General Assembly became a bicameral legislature in 1791. The General Assembly has 253 members, consisting of a Senate with 50 members and a House of Representatives with 203 members, making it the second-largest state legislature in the nation, behind New Hampshire , and the largest full-time legislature. Senators are elected for

1512-582: Was a powerful political boss in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , United States. Along with William Flinn (1851–1924), his political partner, the two ran the Republican Party machine that controlled the city for the last twenty years of the 19th century. He was also a leading philanthropist and hospital patron. He was born in Pittsburgh and was educated in the Pittsburgh Public Schools and

1554-495: Was called, was a charming character," Steffens wrote. "I have seen Pittsburgers grow black in the face denouncing the ring, but when I asked, 'What kind of a man was Magee?' they would cool and say, "Chris? Chris was one of the best men God ever made." Steffens concluded. "Magee did not, technically speaking, rob the town. That was not his way, and it would be a carelessly unnecessary way in Pennsylvania. But surely he does not deserve

1596-734: Was completed in 1906. Under the Pennsylvania Constitution , the Assembly must meet in the City of Harrisburg and can move only if given the consent of both chambers. The Pennsylvania General Assembly has a lengthy history as one of the most openly corrupt state legislatures in the United States, going back over two centuries to the era of the Thirteen Colonies . In 1794, while visiting western Pennsylvania , Alexander Hamilton wrote to Rufus King : "The political putrefaction of Pennsylvania

1638-562: Was done at a cost, a degree of inefficiency, a degree of corruption. Magee is honored with several monuments throughout the city of Pittsburgh, including one on Schenley Plaza created by the sculptor Augustus Saint Gaudens . His home "Maples" became a maternity hospital in 1911, which continues today as Magee-Women's Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center , a hospital for women and their babies, envisioned by Magee in his will. As stipulated, it opened after his wife's death and

1680-479: Was largely limited to Pittsburgh. Magee made his early forturne in the local street car industry. He began as president of Transverse Railway Company, secured franchises through his political maneuverings, and eventually gained control over competing lines. He then merged the street car companies into the Consolidated Traction Company, of which he served as president. He also owned much real estate in

1722-542: Was named Elizabeth Steel Magee Hospital in honor of his mother. Pennsylvania General Assembly Minority Minority The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania . The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg . In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly and

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1764-519: Was useful to Magee, Magee was indispensable to him.... Molasses and vinegar, diplomacy and force, mind and will, they were well mated." Reformers eventually reined in Flinn by passing legislation to curb corruption and kickbacks. As just one example, Steffens wrote about how the Magee machine did favors for businessmen who wanted to expand their plants. "A foundry occupies a block, spreads to the next block and wants

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