John Fritz, 1822-1913
John Fritz, one of Lehigh's original trustees, shared with Asa Packer not only an interest in Lehigh University but an interest in railroading as well. Fritz, the world famous inventor of the three-high method for making railroad rails, was reputed to have driven a Baldwin locomotive from Parkesburg, Chester County to Downingtown. The Baldwin connection, as well as his appreciation for engineering, would become his legacy to Lehigh University.
From The American Society of Mechanical Engineers web site:[John Fritz] was a U.S. mechanical engineer and ASME's 15th president (1896-97). A pioneer of the iron and steel industry, he was an innovative iron master who designed machinery almost incapable of breaking down, introduced blast pressure as high as 12 psi, was one of the first to apply the Bessemer process in steel making, and also introduced open-hearth furnaces, the Thomas basic process, the Whitworth forging press, enormous steam hammers, and automatic devices [...] He was born Aug. 21, 1822, Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania, and died Feb. 13, 1913."