Lehigh University - Epitome Yearbook (Bethlehem, PA)

Page 22 text:

J i: J ' HENRY STURGIS DRINKER HOUSE the Civil Engineering School, and the School of Mining and Metallurgy, to the present setup which was introduced in the fall of 1918. Dur- ing this evolution several curricula, among them a School of Law and an Evening School of Business, were given trial runs and discarded for one reason or another. The wisdom of the decisions which brought Lehigh s curricula under a College of Engineering, a College of Business Administration, a College of Arts and Science, and a General College Division can he demon- strated, to some degree, by the increase in grad- uating seniors from five in the class of 1869 to rive and six hundred during the past few years. Closely connected with academic offerings is tuition, the price the University asks from its stu- dents to complement its return on invested funds. From an initial tuition of $90 per year for under- classmen and $100 per year for those enrolled in the Special Schools, tuition underwent a series of changes until it was completely done away with lor the period 1871-1892 when large addi- tional gifts were received from the founder. The Presidents of Lehigh University 1865 1875: Henry Coppee 1875 1880: John M. Leavitt 1880 — 1893: Robert A. Lamberton 1895 190-4: Thomas M. Drown 1905 1920: Henry S. Drinker 1922 1935: Charles R. Richards 1936 19-13: Clement C. Williams 1946 : Martin D. Whitaker nationwide depression which hit the nation in 1 893 left Lehigh in poor financial condition. Since 20

Page 21 text:

place in the year-by-year life of Lehigh and have maae their real contribution toward shaping the L niversity s influence on its students. While students and student activities were evolving here, the University ' as a whole was go- ing through a series of monumental advances which were destined to provide us students of 1952 with the advantages we now enjoy. Many of these changes vere brought about by far-seeing men in whose hands the guidance of the L niver- sity had been placed; others were the result of economic, cultural, and world conditions. One of the most profound effects of Lehigh s original organization under the educated hand of Bishop Stevens is the religious influence that has become a welcome part of Lehigh. A clergy- man of the Episcopal Church has served on the Board of Trustees almost without interruption since 1865. So important to early Lehigh was this factor that several catalogues, beginning w ith the 1871 edition, included the phrase, under the auspices of the Protestant Episcopal Church on its title page. idespread misunderstanding of this statement plus the fact that University chapel services were of an Episcopalian nature led the Board to clarify Lehigh s status regarding church affiliation with the statement, issued about the turn of the centur ' , Lehigh L ' niversitv ' is not and never has been under denominational control. Apparently Lehigh, which is now explicitly de- scribed as non-denominational, merely wished to state the influence of the church upon the formu- lation of its policies by its auspices statement and not to indicate any sort of control. The Board of Trustees still includes a clergyman of the Epis- copal Church among its members and chapel ex- ercises are oi the order of those conducted in Episcopal churches. Religious organizations among students have also had their effect on student life and thinking, beginning with a very active YMCA group be- fore the turn of the century and culminating in the present organization where students of the three faiths which comprise QQ9 of the under- graduate fjody, Protestant. Jewish, and Roman TA LOR GYMSASIi ' M Catholic, are distinctly separate and yet com- bined under one Interfaith Council. A tangible accomplishment of this group is the Conference on Religion, first held in 1951, which proved to be a great success in helping students re-evaluate the place and effect of religion as it pertains to daily living. While such factors as religion and student activities play a vital part in making a L ' niver- sity truly an institution of learning, one most easily oljservable feature of any college is its cur- riculum. It is this criterion on which many people base their estimate of such an institution. Guided by capable educators, Lehigh s curricular offer- ings expanded from the first two classes in evi- dence at the opening in 1866 through such Spe- cial Schools as the School of General Literature, 19

Page 23 text:

a large traction ot the L niversit - endowment was invested in stock according to the provisions of Asa Packer s will, the recession cut deeply into Lehigh s operating capital. Around 1896 an ap- peal for S200,000 directed toward the state legis- lature of Pennsylvania resulted in a grant of 8150,000 which pulled Lehigh through the diffi- cult days. Since 1892. however, students have paid tuition. At present time tuition fees are S550 per semester for the College of Engineering and $512.50 for students in the College of Arts and Science, the College of Business Administration, and the General College Division. In addition to serving her students to the best of her ability ' . Lehigh has not hesitated, in times of national emergency, to offer her facilities and her aid to the cause. Her first real opportunity- to do this came during the year 1917 when Lehigh made her resources available to the government. In the fall of 1918a unit of the SATC (Student Army Training Corps) literally took over the campus; all physically fit students eighteen or over were inducted into the Corps. The campus became an armed camp with sentries watching each or the entrances and demanding passes from student and [jrofessor alike. The SATC lasted on campus until shortly after the war: financially. Lehigh lost very little during this period as the government reimbursed her for tui- tion and depreciation costs. The Reserve Officers Training Corps was a natural outgrowth of the SATC. Although the first delegation from Lehigh that went to a simi- mer training camp for civilians left in 1915, it was not until 1919 that ROTC was really estab- lished at Lehigh and not until the following year was it made compulsory for freshmen and sopho- mores. The second world conflict did not find Asa Packer s polytechnic college unprepared to make her contribution to national defense. A fjacklog of ROTC graduates was certainly one of her most signihcant contributions, but she also wished her facilities and staff to be put to the best of use. Accordingly her laboratories and engineer- ing know-how were utilized by the government and her general academic setup was taken over for government sponsored ' programs. And. CHEMISTRY Bl ' lLDl G