Asa Packer establishes Lehigh University

Background. Asa Packer endeavored to found a university in the Lehigh Valley, an industrial region in eastern Pennsylvania. The university was located on South Mountain in Bethlehem, which was a Moravian religious community at the time. Packer's initiative focused on establishing a technical trade school for engineers, reflecting his interest in practical education within this industrial setting.

Establishment. Packer established Lehigh University on July 27, 1865, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He contributed $500,000 and 60 acres, later increased to 115 acres, for the establishment of a technical trade school. The university was chartered in 1866, the year following the end of the American Civil War, and began instruction.

Educational Goals. The university was founded as an all-boys institution with the express goal of providing a thorough education in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, mining engineering, chemistry, metallurgy, classics, and general literature. It was established as a technical trade school for engineers, reflecting Packer's focus on practical and scientific education in the industrial Lehigh Valley region.