Lehigh University - Epitome Yearbook (Bethlehem, PA)

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i dfo F8T0 gfO ]) The Founder of Lehigh l pjll IS r;ii- of 11)1 (i will round (lUt ;i lial l-rciitury of thi ' wofk of tlic Lcliigh Tui- vrrsity. .lust now, rvery event in its histoi-v. every nmne interwoven with its progress, must ehiini oiir s]ieei;il interest. l-Jnek of ;ill its stii ' riny: stoi ' y. Iiaek of all its illustrious names, must always ajipear the strong, ilomiiuint ligiire. the ipiiet, I ' csolute charaeter of its founder. Asa Packer The linuts of a papei ' such as this can gi -e hut the merest outline of his career. He Was horn in jMystic, Coniieetieut. on Deeemher 21). IcSOo. Compelled to work as a hoy. his school advantages were extr ' Miiely limited, and. at seventeen he iel ' T home, and walked all tlu ' wa. ' to Sns(|neliainia ( ' ouiity in Pennsylvania, where he learneii the carjienter trade with his nnide. and was thus emjiloyed until lS;io. when, learning that men were wanled to run coal hoats on the newly-opened Lehigh Canal, he remo ' ed to Maneli ( ' hnid . hudi a eanal-lioat. and engaged in the hnsiness (d ' carrying coal to i ' hiladelphia on the Lehigh Cainil Ahout 1SIJ() he opened a store in Mauch Chunk and also, associating with his hrother Hohei ' t. huilt canal hoats. engaged in the nnning anil shipping of coal from

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i (ifo F8TS gfO 3) Board of Trustees Henkv K. I ' kick Rt. Rev. Ethelbeut Talbot Rembrant Peai e Warren A. Wiliu ' r . Charles L. Taylor . Albert X. Cleaver , Charles M. Schwab David J. Pe. rsall . Samuel D. Warriner Eugene 6. Grace lirnnLJim, .V. r. South B( tlili Ik II), I ' ll. . Nnr Yorh. N. Y Smith III thli III III, I ' ll. J ' itt.sliiiri lr, I ' ll. Smith Hithtihi III. I ' d. Smith Bi tlili III III, I ' ll. . Minicli Chiinl:, Fa. . I ' hilaililphiii. I ' ll. Bethlehem. Pa. Rev. Marcus A. Tolmax Honorary Trustee Bethlehem, Pa Franklin I aker, 95 . Alfred E. Forstall, ' 88 Schuyler B. Knox, ' 93 Francis R. Dravo, ' 87 . Honorary Alumni Trustees Term Expires 1916 1917 1918 1919 I ' liilaili Iphia, Pa. New York, N. Y. X( w York, X. Y. Pittsburgh, Pa, Officers of the Board of Trustees Henry R. Price Warren A. Wilbur . E. P. Wilbur Trust Co. President Secretary Treasuret '

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gfO (S(F(iT0 (i O ]] the nearby Xes |uehoniiig and otlier mines, and entered upon a period of great pros- perity. It was at the age of about forty-six that a great vision came to him — a vision destined to lead to the distinguishing work of liis life, it was yet tlie day of small things in the anthracite coal trade, liut he carefully noted the steadily expanding market, and his keen, business foi ' esight suggested that witii an inexhaustible supply of coal at one end of tiu ' valley of the Lehigh, and a jji ' actically unlimited markei at the other, the one tiling needed to connect the two was a railroad. Some years before, a charter had been granted to a corporation under the very geiiei ' al name of tlie Delawai-e. Leliigh. Schuylkill. Susipiehanna Railroad Co. The time limit of this charter had almost expired with nothing done. On Oct. 1. 18-11. with charac- teristic promptness lie bought up nearly all the stock and proceeded at once to pro- cure additional sul)sci ' iptions. In 1853 he changed the name of the old coi-poration to the Lehigh Valley Railroad Co. and began the work of building with great vigor. P ormidable and unforeseen obstacles were encountered, not only difficult prob- lems of engineering. l)Ut. that y-ai-. the advance in labor, materials, and provisions, and especially the epidemic of cholera which visited the region, enoi ' mously increased the difficulties in his way. It was said that at one time his entire fortune was ser- iously imperiled. With almost su]ierhuman courage and determination the great work was com- RIGHT REVEREND WILLIAM BACON STEVENS, D.D.. LL D. pleted and on .Jiiiii ' 11. 1.S. ).5. the road was opened for passenger travel from South Easton to Allentown. On the 12tli of September of the same year the first passenger train was run to Mauch Chunk, the train being operated with rolling stock bori ' owed from the Central Railroad Company of Xew Jersey.