“If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow.”

Rachel Carson was a writer and research biologist credited with establishing the environmental movement. Carson brought public attention to the need to regulate industry and protect the environment.

She was raised in rural Springdale, Pennsylvania, where she and her mother explored woods and springs, and enjoyed bird watching. She claimed her most enduring childhood memory was a desire to become a writer.

In 1929, Carson graduated from the Pennsylvania College for Women (now known as Chatham College) with a degree in zoology. She earned a master’s degree in zoology from Johns Hopkins University in 1932.

Carson is best known for her book “Silent Spring” (1962), a meticulously researched work about the dangers of the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Though the book sparked fierce opposition from the chemical industry, it succeeded at raising public awareness. President Kennedy ordered an investigation. As a result, the pesticide DDT was banned.

While battling cancer, Carson continued her efforts to bring attention to environmental issues. She spoke out on the need for an independent government regulatory agency to monitor environmental degradation and its effects on human health. Her activism led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Chatham College established the Rachel Carson Institute to promote “awareness and understanding of significant and current environmental issues.” In 1980, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor.

With his pioneering image-appropriating Pop Art, Andy Warhol is one of the most influential artists of the 20^th century.

Born Andrew Warhola in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he studied pictorial design at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University). He moved to New York City and worked in advertising for Tiffany & Co., Columbia Records, Vogue, NBC and The New York Times.

Galleries rejected his early drawings due to their overt homosexual content. In the 1960’s, Warhol appropriated images from popular culture to create his iconic "Campbell Soup Can," "Disasters" and "Marilyn" series. He made avant-garde films including "Sleep," "Chelsea Girls" and "Empire." Warhol’s studio, The Factory, attracted artists, art critics and celebrities.

In the 1970’s, he focused on celebrity portraits using screen printing and paint. Mick Jagger, Liza Minnelli, John Lennon and Diana Ross were among his subjects. Warhol founded the magazine Interview, dedicated to the "cult of celebrity." He wrote in "The Philosophy of Andy Warhol" (1975) that "Making money is art, and working is art and good business is the best art."

Following routine gall bladder surgery, Warhol suffered a heart attack and died. His will stipulated that his estate create a foundation for the advancement of the arts. The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts helps secure Warhol’s legacy and is one of the preeminent national funders of innovative contemporary art.

Warhol’s work is exhibited in modern art institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum, all in New York City, the Tate Museum in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh is the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single artist.