Upon his death in 1919, Heinz's three surviving children (Howard, Irene, and Clifford) added to his bequest to memorialize their grandmother and honor their father.

Their choice of a chapel for a memorial was guided by the concepts of education and religion which Anna Margaretta Heinz imbued in her children.

Howard Heinz, Chancellor John Gabbert Bowman, and Joh Weber, business manager and university secretary, were some of the passionate workers behind the chapel's concept and execution.

Working with them were other members of the Heinz family, and two well-known clergymen, Dr. Hugh Thomson Kerr, pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian Church, and Dr. Henry Sloane Coffin, president of Union Theological Seminary.

"Chancellor Bowman commented at the cornerstone laying: "The chapel is designed as a fitting center of worship which in various ways will rise at the University.

In 1996, an addition to the chapel's north side containing an elevator provided a permanent structure that allows complete accessibility for those with disabilities.

The chapel's form is that of a modified cruciform plan, stone vaults, high ceilings, repeated arches, and extensive use of glass that were typical of American academic and religious architecture of this period.

In 1996, a $1.3 million elevator housing was added to north side of Heinz Chapel in order to bring in into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

[10] The tympanum, or recessed arch over the main portal, reflects both the medieval craft of pictorial instruction and the interest of Henry Heinz in the spiritual teachings of his church through his own Sunday school experiences, thus setting the theme for the entire chapel.

Beneath Moses, entwined within the branches of a Tree of Life design, are medallions with portraits of the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, the Patriarchs Abraham and Jacob, the Priests Aaron and Melchezedech, and King David .

These represent St. Luke's and Jesus' spiritual progeny: in charity, St. Francis of Assisi; in imagination, Leonardo da Vinci; in understanding, Newton; in healing, Pasteur; in eloquence, Wordsworth; in leadership, Lincoln; in thought, Emerson.

In the gables and balustrade circling the transept at its highest point and signifying the chapel's dedication to education, are shields bearing the insignia of the twelve oldest European universities in order of their founding.

On either side of the doors leading into the ambulatory are shields representing the four Major Prophets: Isaiah (tongs and burning altar coal), Jeremiah (star-tipped wand), Ezekiel (tetramorph), and Daniel (ram with horns).

At the base of the clerestory windows, between the small arches of the triforium gallery are fourteen shields which represent the seven liberal arts and the seven medieval crafts and trades.

The reredos, choir stalls, chancel rails, pulpit, lectern, and narthex screen are of English pollard oak.

All the wrought iron work, including the lanterns, door fittings, stair railings, altar cross, and candlesticks, were created by Samuel Yellin of Philadelphia.

The chapel's 23 windows were designed by prominent stained glass artist Charles Connick and created at his Boston studio.

The windows, which have been regarded by many as Connick's most important commission,[11] total approximately 4,000 square feet (370 m2) and contain nearly 250,000 pieces of glass.

There are 391 identifiable people in the windows, a large supporting cast of anonymous individuals, and an extensive variety of flora and fauna.

Connick was an artist once on the staff of the Pittsburgh Press, and author of Adventures in Light and Color, a work which he has modestly subtitled An Introduction to the Stained Glass Craft.

Heinz Memorial Chapel has the distinction of having all its windows by Mr. Connick, a practice unusual in most churches which prefer to represent in their sanctuaries as many kinds of stained glass artistry as possible.

In his Divine Comedy, Dante set forth the traditions of this symbolism, and Mr. Connick used this language in Heinz Chapel to express emotions beyond the reach of words.

There are a tremendous variety of individuals depicted in these windows drawn from religion and all aspects of secular history, music, science, philosophy, poetry and literature.

Secular figures range from Beethoven and Bach to Clara Barton; from Da Vinci to Daniel Boone; from Charlemagne to Chaucer to Confucius; from Emily Dickinson to Keats to Sir Isaac Newton; form Napoleon to Ben Franklin and George Washington; from Rousseau to Shakespeare to Florence Nightingale; from Pocahontas to Pasteur and Edgar Allan Poe; from Tennyson to Thoreau, and a myriad in between including Johnny Appleseed.