How the young Philadelphia congregation managed to snag one of the most sought-after firms of the day remains a bit of a mystery, according to a historic nomination written by Collette Kinane, a former student in historic preservation at Penn, and approved by the city in 2012. Carrère and Hastings were associated with the City Beautiful movement, which sought to transform cities with wide boulevards and stately classical buildings. Both men had studied at the famous École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and then landed jobs in the offices of McKim, Mead & White, the leading proponent of the classical style. With the success of the New York library, they became an architectural force in their own right.