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Lehigh University

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Lehigh University
File:Lehighlogo.gif
MottoHomo minister et interpres naturae (Man, the servant and interpreter of nature)
TypePrivate
Established1865
Endowment$844 Million USD
PresidentDr. Alice P. Gast
Undergraduates4,577
Postgraduates2,064
Location
Bethlehem
,
PA
,
USA
CampusUrban & Suburban,1,600 acres
AthleticsDivision I
25 Varsity Teams
MascotThe Mountain Hawk
WebsiteLehigh.edu
Map

Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States.

Established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, Lehigh maintains a national reputation as a leading academic institution, especially in the field of engineering. Since its creation, Lehigh has come to be recognized as a leader in other academic disciplines, including business, the arts and sciences, and education. The university is comprised of 4,600 undergraduate students, 2,000 graduate students, and almost 600 professors.

The university has four colleges: the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business and Economics, and the College of Education. The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest college, and is home to roughly 42% percent of the university's students. This is followed by the College of Engineering at 28% and the College of Business and Economics with 22%.

The colleges offer a variety of degrees, including Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, and Doctor of Philosophy.

History

Asa Packer

Beginnings

When Asa Packer founded Lehigh University at the end of the Civil War, he wished to provide a well-rounded education for young men that combined a liberal and scientific education with the necessary technical skills to increase the prosperity of the region. According to William Bacon Stevens, the first president of the board of trustees, Asa Packer's founding gift of $500,000 was the largest single endowment for a literary institution at that time.

Until a recession in the 1890's diminished the value of the Lehigh Valley Railroad stock, Packer's endowment allowed the institution to offer its education free of charge by competitive exam. This, plus its blend of engineering and liberal arts, attracted some of the nation's brightest students, many of whom went on to distinguished careers in industry and engineering. Their subsequent success established a legacy of excellence and alumni financial support that continues today.

Academic history

Unlike other engineering schools of the day, Lehigh was never envisioned to be an “Institute of Technology” but always a University, combining both scientific and classical education for its students. One practical application of this approach to education can still be seen in Lehigh’s requirement that all engineers and business students complete four semesters of English to be better able to communicate their ideas.

Initially there were five schools; four scientific (civil engineering, mechanical engineering, mining and metallurgy, and analytical chemistry) and one of general literature. Over time, additional areas of the arts and sciences were added and engineering curriculums were both merged and expanded.

Based on the experience of Lehigh engineers who went into industry, a College of Business & Economics was added in the early 20th century. Lehigh’s business curriculum was unique in that it combined both the abstract emphasis on Economics seen in the Ivy League with the practical skills of management seen in more common business administration degrees given by other universities. Combining business courses with engineering is also a common combination at Lehigh.

A similar emphasis on the well rounded graduate can be seen in Lehigh’s approach to education degrees. Lehigh’s well respected School of Education started as (and remains) a graduate only level program. This is based on the principle that you need to learn primary subject matter first before you can learn how to teach it to others. Thus future teachers at Lehigh often take a five year program earning both a Bachelors Degree in a specialized field and a Masters Degree in Education.

Today, others offer such interdisciplinary studies. But Lehigh was founded on the concept and continues providing a well-rounded education to produce “useful” graduates for the nation.[1]

Coeducation

Like many other leading academic institutions, undergraduate education at Lehigh was restricted to men until 1971. With the introduction of coeducation, class size was gradually increased from 800 men in 1970 to the mix of 1,200 men and women today. Lehigh's undergraduate population is now roughly 40-50% female and it recently appointed its first female President, Dr. Alice P. Gast, the former Vice President and Associate Provost of Massachussetts Institute of Technology. [2]

Living units

(Note: Lehigh collectively refers to groups of students that live together in a fraternity, sorority, residence hall or section as a "living unit")

Originally, students lived in boarding houses in town, but as the Greek movement reached Lehigh, fraternity houses were established near the campus. To assist freshmen in adjusting to academic life, campus dormitories for them were established separate from the fraternities. Initially this was Taylor Hall, followed by Drinker, Richards and Dravo that formed the Freshman Quad. McClintic-Marshall was constructed to provide a dormitory for non-fraternity upperclassmen. A living unit of selected upperclassmen called "Gryphons" was established to live with and act as mentors and counselors to the freshmen.

After World War II, the school's enrollment rose sharply due to the introdution of the GI Bill. As a result, Lehigh erected temporary barrack style student housing where the Trembley Park apartments stand today. In the 1950's and 1960's, Lehigh constructed new buildings in Sayre Park to move the 36 fraternities onto the campus. This helped ensure university control over the safety of the residences but also made "The Hill" a place to party on Saturday night.

As an alternative to fraternities, six 44-man upperclass residences (Congdon, Emery, Leavitt, McConn, Smiley and Thornburg) were constructed for Lehigh's Centennial in 1965. These residences proved popular and each had their own elected officers, social dues and alumni associations. They rushed and selected freshman similar to fraternities, but without hazing and initiations. For a few years, McConn simultaneously led all upperclass living units in GPA while also placing second in Intramurals, and Thornburg eventually decided to become a national fraternity.

Because of their success, six more Centennial houses were planned and a new upperclass dining hall (Rathbone) was built for them in 1970. However, with the arrival of women on campus, the second set of Centennial houses became women's dorms instead.

Greek Life

Fraternities provided the bulk of the upperclass living units at Lehigh through the 1970's when about 60 percent of the students were members of the 36 national fraternities on campus. As more female undergraduates arrived and additional apartment style residences were constructed, the fraternities found themselves chasing fewer available men. As a result, about 15 former fraternities closed and their buildings have been converted to sororities and other living units.

Approximately 1/3 of the student body now belong to 21 fraternities and 8 sororities. While the sororities are popular, some fraternities are having difficulty attracting enough members to remain viable.[1] A university program to improve their effectiveness was implemented in 2003.[2] [3] Today, students still show affinity to their living units, but the Internet and other activities allow students to associate in other types of groups as well.

Physical education & intramurals

Prior to the 1970's, all freshmen took physical education unless they were on a varsity team, in the Marching 97 or in ROTC. In addition, all graduates had to be able to swim the length of the Taylor Gym pool. During freshmen orientation, a swim test was given. If a student passed, they completed their first graduation requirement. If they did not, they attended swim class instead of gym class.

Intramurals were a way to blow off steam on the all-male campus during the week and were a sense of pride between the living units. At one point, Lehigh's intramural program had the highest participation of any U.S. college. Intramurals continue today but with more emphasis on recreation instead of competition.

ROTC

Between 1940 and 1972, Lehigh students were subject to the draft upon graduation. Instead of being drafted, many enrolled in the voluntary Army and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs which occupied the upper floor of Grace Hall. Classrooms and offices surrounded the large drill floor, which was also used for dances and other events. In the sixties, Army ROTC had 300 members and Air Force ROTC had 150 members, representing 15% of the student body.

Army ROTC members learned to shoot on the rifle range beneath Lamberton Hall and rappelled down the front of Grace Hall. Patrolling was taught on the top of South Mountain and on weekends at Fort Indiantown Gap. Air Force ROTC members practiced in a Link Trainer and some earned their private pilots license at Queen City Airport in Allentown. An associated Civil Air Patrol Squadron assisted in searches for lost aircraft and people.

With the end of the draft, ROTC participation declined, resulting in the Air Force leaving in 1989. Army ROTC continues as the central ROTC program for all of the Lehigh Valley colleges. It is now located in the spaces formerly occupied by the radio station, The Brown and White and game room in the University Center basement. Upper Grace Hall now serves as the Ulrich Student Center, supplementing the University Center.

Social life

With heavy academic loads on an all male campus, studying was the primary activity from Sunday through Friday. (And through Saturday noon until 1968, as classes were held on Saturday mornings until then). However, Saturday night saw numerous parties hosted by the upperclass living units, especially on home football game weekends. These usually involved DJ's or local bands.

In addition to the Lafayette game weekend, which saw many alumni return to their living units for post game cocktail parties, Fall and Spring Houseparty weekends were especially notable. Every upperclass living unit had themed parties that night, and the freshman residents of Richards House had to find somewhere else to sleep as their rooms were used to host the female visitors for the weekend.

Today, parties continue on Saturday nights and the Lafayette weekend has supplanted Fall Houseparty as the big event of the fall.

Spirit & traditions

Lehigh students have a strong sense of school pride and many traditions, many of which evolve from the longstanding rivalry with Lafayette College.

Freshmen are traditionally inducted into the University in an invocation in Packer Chapel and informally welcomed at a rally where their class flag is given to them by the class from fifty years before.

Until the 1970's, freshmen wore small brown hats with their class numbers called "dinks" from the beginning of the fall semester until the Lafayette football game. The week leading up to the big game was full of festivities created to unite the students and fuel spirit. In one of these events, "The Pajama Parade", the freshman were led across the penny toll bridge in their pajamas singing "We Pay No Tolls Tonight" to the Moravian College dormitories where they would serenade the women. The week before the game still involves decoration of the greek houses, a bonfire, parties, rallies and the Marching 97 performing unexpectedly during classes the Friday before the game.

While the riots to rip down the goal posts in Taylor Stadium are a thing of the past, many alumni return for the Lafayette game (which is usually sold out a month in advance) to root Lehigh on, to attend parties at their former living units, and to see old friends.

Lehigh-Lafayette Rivalry History

Although they did not meet on the football field until 1884, an anecdote from David Bishop Skillman's history of Lafayette College reveals that bad blood existed between the two schools even before Lehigh was founded. When Asa Packer first moved to Mauch Chunk (now Jim Thorpe) as an uneducated carpenter, he joined the congregation of a local Presbyterian Church following his family's footsteps. However, he did not fit in well with the other more strait-laced members of the congregation, and so left and joined an Episcopalian congregration that welcomed him.

One day, after Asa Packer had risen into affluence and before he founded Lehigh University, Ario Pardee, a coal baron from Easton, approached Judge Packer in connection with the addition of an engineering wing to Lafayette College. While eager at first in the proposition, Judge Packer's enthusiam turned sour when Pardee mentioned that the school would be under the control of the Presbyterian Church. Judge Packer let him know that he would have nothing to do with any school run by the Presbyterians.[4]

Campus

Lehigh's picturesque campus comprises three contiguous campuses encompassing 1,600 acres. It is built into the side of "South Mountain" in historic Bethlehem, PA. Altogether, Lehigh has 150 buildings with more than 4 million square feet of floor space. See Lehigh University Buildings.

Asa Packer Campus

Alumni Memorial Building

The Asa Packer Campus is the center of Lehigh's academic and cultural life. It adjoins the city of Bethlehem and encompasses 360 acres on the north slope of South Mountain. A highly wooded area, the Asa Paker Campus contains the original location of the university. Most of the buildings from its first century are of the Collegiate Gothic style, including Packer Hall, The University Center (1868). Beginning with the 1965 Centennial complex, newer buildings are of modern design using brick construction and are located east and north of the original cluster. Recent additions include the Rauch Business Center (1990) and the Zoellner Arts Center (1997) where the Taylor Football Stadium once stood.

Packer Chapel

Lehigh's Asa Packer Campus is currently undergoing major renovations, including a new parking garage, renovation of Linderman Library, and several new walkways. A new September 11th memorial, including trees dedicated to each Lehigh alumnus killed in the attacks, is under construction outside of Lehigh's Alumni Memorial Building.

Mountaintop Campus

Bought from Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1986, the Mountaintop Campus contains 670 acres of woods and a 72 acre research site with 8 buildings. The Mountaintop Campus houses the College of Education; the departments of Biological Sciences and Chemical Engineering; programs in biochemistry, biotechnology, and bioeneering; the Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems center; the Energy Research Center; and Ben Franklin incubator companies.

Murray H. Goodman Campus

Located just south of South Mountain in the Saucon Valley, PA, the 500-acre campus includes the Murray H. Goodman Stadium and other athletic fields, as well as the 6,000-seat Stabler Athletic and Convocation Center. The campus is named for major benefactor, Lehigh alumnus Murray H. Goodman.

Athletics

Lehigh University Mountain Hawks logo
Lehigh University Mountain Hawks logo

Called the Engineers until 1995, Lehigh's teams are now officially known as the Mountain Hawks (though still often referred to as the Engineers). They mostly compete in the Patriot League as part of NCAA's Division I.

Lehigh competes in 25 different NCAA sports and its 2006 student-athlete graduation rate of 97% ranks 12th among all 326 NCAA Division I institutions. In 2002, it won the inaugural USA Today/NCAA Foundation Award for having the nation's top graduation rate of all Division I institutions. Lehigh student-athletes' success on the field and in the classroom has resulted in Lehigh being included in U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best College Sports Programs". Lehigh graduates have gone on to professional careers in the National Football League, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association as players, scouts, coaches and owners. Lehigh graduates have even competed in the Superbowl.

Baseball and softball

Lehigh has very successful programs in both Men's Baseball and Women's Softball, having won both Patriot League titles in 2006.

Basketball

Lehigh is also competitive in Men's and Women's Basketball. The men's team won the Patriot League in 2004 and was third in 2006 with an 11-3 record. Coach Billy Taylor was Patriot League coach of the year in 2003 and 2004.

The women's team struggled and was 5-9 in Patriot League play in 2006.

Football

The varsity football team is a Division I-AA team that competes in Goodman Stadium. Football games are well-attended, and Goodman Stadium is often voted the best place to watch a Patriot League game. Tailgate parties are a big part of the experience, attracting many students and alumni who attend the games.

Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry

Lehigh University's athletic program is notable for its rivalry with nearby Lafayette College. The two football teams have met 144 times since 1884, making this matchup the most played rivalry in college football. Lafayette leads the all-time series 74-62-5. However, for the past two years, the Mountain Hawks have fallen short to rival Lafayette College, despite having winning seasons otherwise. See also Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry

Wrestling

Lehigh's wrestling team competes in the EIWA. Lehigh has a strong tradition in wrestling, and often wins the league and places in the top 10 at the NCAA championships. Along with EIWA rival Cornell University, Lehigh is one of the two best private schools in the country for wrestling. Its last national champion was Troy Letters.

In 2006, the Lehigh wrestling team marked their fifth straight EIWA championship. The current head coach is Greg Strobel and the team's home in Grace Hall is often referred to as "The Snakepit".

Music

Marching 97

Lehigh University's marching band is known as the Marching 97, referring to ideal number of members on the field. The band is structured into subunits, known as ranks, consisting of eight members each. Each rank is usually composed of instrumentalists of the same type, or at least from the same section. Ideally, there would be twelve ranks, making the band 96 musicians strong. Due to Lehigh's engineering influence, the band traditionally performed intricate geometric programs. 96 has the mathematical advantage of being evenly divisible by 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32 and 48 thus facilitating the patterns. Outside the formation and directing the band is the Drum Major, bringing the total number to 97. In recent years there have been between 55 and 70 members[3].

The marching band was originally formed in 1908. In the 1960's the band thrived under the direction of Jonathan Elkus, and commissioned pieces from distinguished composers including Sir Arthur Bliss and Richard Franko Goldman. It was during this time that the 97 adopted the name 'The Marching 97' and became known as "The Finest Band in the East". The band is famous among students for their spirit and pride, and for the onfield maneuver known as the 'Marching LEHIGH'. In this maneuver, the band forms a 'box' centered on the 50 yardline, marches in formation towards the endzone, countermarches, and forms the word 'LEHIGH' letter by letter out of the ensuing chaos of colliding ranks.

Lehigh University is one of only two schools in the Patriot League, the other being the College of the Holy Cross, to have a true marching band representing them at football games. The rest of the Patriot League schools have pep bands, which remain in the stands or stand motionless on the field while performing.

Many songs have been written for Lehigh, as was common among graduating seniors in the early part of the twentieth century, and are part of the tradition at football games. Their lyrics can be found at the Marching 97 Website.

Wind Ensemble

The Wind Ensemble at Lehigh University is a group made up of around 50 instrumentalists. They perform music written for woodwinds, brass, and percussion spanning from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. In 1999, Downbeat Magazine honored the Wind Ensemble by bestowing them the award for the most outstanding college classical symphonic band. The Wind Ensemble has recorded eight CD's of music from their concerts as well as Lehigh fight songs. In the Fall of 2006 they will be recording the official CD for the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown.

Philharmonic Orchestra

Choral Arts

Rankings

US News & World Report

The 2006 issue of US News & World Report's Best Colleges ranked Lehigh in its "Most Selective" admissions category and # 33 in the "National Universities (Doctoral)" category. The magazine also included Lehigh in its "America's Best College Sports Programs" list [4].

BusinessWeek

BusinessWeek ranked Lehigh's undergraduate College of Business & Economics 18th in the nation in 2006. The school was ranked 8th in median starting salaries for its graduates.

The Princeton Review

In 2005, Lehigh was included by the The Princeton Review in the following categories:

  • "Best Northeastern Colleges".
  • "Most Selective" admissions".

It was also ranked highly in the following categories:

  • # 3 in the "Party School" category.
  • # 3 in the "Town-Gown Relations are Strained" category.
  • # 6 in the "Lots of Beer" category.
  • # 6 in the "More to do on Campus" category.
  • # 12 in the "Lots of Hard Liquor" category.
  • # 15 in the "Homogenous Student Body" category.
  • # 16 in the "Major Frat and Sorority Scene" category.

Other

  • Lehigh ranks 7th in the nation in the percentage of alumni making donations, which is a measure of how graduates value the education they received.
  • Lehigh's overall endowment of $844,672,000 ranks 66th in the nation [5].

Faculty and class size

Faculty information

  • 597 total instructional faculty; 432 full-time faculty
  • Undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio: 9.9:1
  • Percentage of faculty with Ph.D. or highest terminal degree in their field: 99%

Faculty are required to have a minimum of four office hours per week.

Class statistics

  • Average class size 25-30 students
  • Over 80% of classes have fewer than 30 students

Engineering Highlights

Please see Lehigh university engineering highlights.

Notable alumni

Trivia

  • Many buildings on the Packer campus are heated by steam from a central power plant. The steam pipes run through underground tunnels connecting the buildings. Before WLVR obtained an FM transmitter, WLRN and WLVR transmitted using carrier current on 640 KHz and 690 KHz AM. The cables carrying the signals ran through the "steam tunnels". Learning how to navigate the campus underground by flashlight was a rite of passage for the radio stations' engineering staff.
  • The Centennial houses originally employed female housekeepers who even made the the students beds each weekday morning (The beds folded to become couches during the day). They also acted as surrogate "Mom's" and were well regarded and respected by the residents.
  • Students had to wear a jacket or tie to be served dinner until 1968.
  • Prior to security locks, "Greekers" (essentially a hot dog with everything), hoagies and cheesesteaks were sold in the evenings by hawkers roaming the dorms shouting "Hoagie Man!"
  • When leather-soled shoes were common, Lehigh students' shoes developed a characteristic upturned toe and worn heels from walking uphill and downhill so often. Lehigh students still tend to become physically fit as a result of the terrain.
  • The "Hawks Nest" is a group of fanatic students who cheer on the sports teams in a special section. It's also the name of a new extended hours restaurant in Lamberton Hall.
  • When physical education was required, all freshmen had to buy a brown and white gym suit. In deference to engineering, the area that contained the uniform's number was shaped like the head of a T-square! In addition, it had a unique blue and yellow reversible jersey for intramurals.
  • Roger Penske, former SCCA champion, supposedly holds the downhill driving record from the top of the hill to the Packer Chapel. The road from Taylor Gym to the Chapel is now a pedestrian walkway.
  • Laundry service was an option in the 60's through the Mary MacIntosh company. Dirty laundry was turned in Sunday night and would come back from "Mary Mac" all clean, pressed and folded on Thursday.
  • "Flames" are attacks of music against classes and other events by members of the Marching 97. In Lehigh parlance, "flaming" is goofing off with intensity and "tooling" is studying. Thus students can also be referred to as "flames" or "tools" depending on their study habits. "To punt" is to give up on something, as in "I don't get this O-Chem problem, so I'm just going to drop back and punt".
  • The powerplant building has a large glass wall, revealing the boilers.
  • The concept of "Student-Athlete" even applies to the coaches. Basketball coach Billy Taylor is a CPA and Softball coach Fran Troyen holds a law degree!

See also

  • Jeanne Clery, a Lehigh student whose murder in 1986 led to the Clery Act.
  • Greg Hogan, a former Lehigh student whose online gambling debts drew national attention.[6]
  • Packard Laboratory, home of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science
    Packard Laboratory, home of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science
  • Rauch Business Center
    Rauch Business Center
  • Linderman Library (Before Renovation)
    Linderman Library (Before Renovation)
  • The Fairchild-Martindale Library
    The Fairchild-Martindale Library
  • Memorial Walk
    Memorial Walk
  • Packard Windows
    Packard Windows
  • Characteristic Street Lamp
    Characteristic Street Lamp
  • Christmas Saucon Hall, Home of the Department of Mathematics
    Christmas Saucon Hall, Home of the Department of Mathematics
  • Stairs Leading to Alumni Memorial Building
    Stairs Leading to Alumni Memorial Building
  • A Statue of Founder Asa Packer, By the Admissions Building
    A Statue of Founder Asa Packer, By the Admissions Building
  • Above An Entrance to Packer Memorial Church
    Above An Entrance to Packer Memorial Church

References

  1. ^ Yates, Dr. W. Ross. "An Institution is Born, A Tradition Begins". Lehigh University. Retrieved August 14, 2006. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ McLoughlin, Kate (May 8, 2006). "MIT associate provost to be next president". The Brown and White. Retrieved August 14, 2006. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ "System-Wide Assessment Report" (PDF). Lehigh University Greek Life. Retrieved August 14, 2006. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ Whelan, Frank (1990). The Diaries of Robert Hersham Sayre. Lehigh University. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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