The Pioneers
Asa Packer (1802-1879), a successful 19th century pioneering industrialist, founded Lehigh in 1865. Packer possessed very little formal education but was widely acknowledged as a "self-made man." He respected education and during his lifetime had the vision to establish an educational institution not only to educate students in science and technology, but also provide a general liberal education. He sought the advice of Bishop William Bacon Stevens, a well-educated clergyman, to develop a curriculum that would enable students attending Packer's university to have a firm grounding in engineering practice. This concept of practicality was groundbreaking idea at the time and continues to be one of Lehigh's traditions of excellence. During his lifetime, Asa Packer "sowed the seeds" for a tradition of excellence that was emulated by many of Packer's family, friends, colleagues and alumni. Among the many engineering inclined people who followed Packer's example to endow the University during their lifetime, to name but a few are: Robert Sayre, John Fritz, James Ward Packard, Glenn Gibson, Lee Iacocca, Herbert Imbt and Donald Stabler.