In the 1870s the University was organized by Departments. There was the Preparatory Department (the legacy of the Pittsburgh Academy) and the Academical Department (what we might think of as the College of Arts and Sciences), and these were supplemented by a Scientific Department and an Engineering Department, the latter two not requiring preparation in Greek and Latin. In 1872, there were 179 students in the university; 41 were in the collegiate departments (Academic, Scientific and Engineering). They were served by 9 Professors and 8 Instructors.
George Woods continued to serve as President throughout the decade, although in 1872 his title was changed to Chancellor. Edward P. Crane continued to serve as the Professor of Rhetoric, although in 1874 his title was changed to Professor of Rhetoric and Logic. Theodore Moses Barber joined the faculty in 1872 as an Instructor in Latin. In 1874 he was promoted to Professor of Latin Language and Literature. Barber also, however, taught courses in rhetoric and composition, and in the 1880s he will be named a Professor of English.
In 1875, Frank A. Barr was added as an Instructor in the “English branches,” which meant he taught a variety of courses in speaking and writing in the Preparatory Department. Barr left in 1877 and was replaced by Oscar M. Tucker. Tucker was to remain on the faculty through the 1880s.