Bigelow Society We created The Bigelow Society in 2009 to recognize donors who have made legacy gifts. The Society is named for Edward Manning Bigelow (1850–1916), Pittsburgh’s first Director of Public Works. Bigelow created the Pittsburgh park system, persuading Mary Schenley to donate 300 acres to the City to be used  for a park. Bigelow then made other strategic purchases and established Schenley Park and Highland Park. His legacy is the transformation of Pittsburgh to one of America’s greenest cities.

“I've always lived close to one of Pittsburgh's parks and taken them for granted. I grew up playing in Highland Park and now walk regularly in Schenley and Frick. I became an annual donor long ago because I use the parks so much and appreciate the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy's work. Over the years, as so many friends, family, and colleagues visiting from across the United States and Europe exclaimed over our parks and said how fortunate we are to have them so close to home, I realized how exceptional our park system is and how important it is to Pittsburgh's future as well as its present. That's when I made a provision for PPC in my will, to help our parks remain as special to the next generations of Pittsburghers as they are to me.” - Dr. Millie Myers