From This Mountain: Visions of Lehigh University

Coffee table book celebrating the history and 150th Anniversary of Lehigh University. Lehigh University was born in post- Civil War America, a period when the United States was both rebuilding from the turmoil of war and flexing its muscles as a new economic power. The growth of the period was driven by the dramatic increase in the utilization of iron and coal in industry, brought about by improved transportation on the nation's waterways and railroads.Asa Packer, founder of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, was one of the men who both pushed along and benefited from the dynamics of the day, and by 1865, he had acquired both the vision and the financial clout to give back to the region that had helped him amass a fortune. He would give $500,000 to create a new university, "for the intellectual and moral improvement" of the young men of the Lehigh Valley. The new institution would be called, simply, Lehigh University. Packer's Lehigh welcomed its first class in the fall of 1866, and in the the years since, Lehigh has evolved into one of the most highly regarded institutions of higher learning in the nation, educating thousands of students each year and consistently turning out graduates who go on to enjoy remarkably successful careers--and make an impact in the world.Lehigh graduates have led both the Ford and Chrysler Corporations; orchestrated the construction of the giant locks along the Panama Canal; invented the escalator; and stood as leaders in the worlds of business, engineering, politics, the arts, education, space exploration and countless other fields. Rich in traditions that date back more than a century, Lehigh also boasts a legacy of success in athletics. One of the most storied football rivalries in the United States pits Lehigh against its down-the-road neighbor Lafayette College, a spirited competition that has been played more times than any other rivalry series in the nation.