Remembering the Impact of the 1950s University Center Renovation
(Text and captions adapted from excerpts of the 1958 Lehigh Alumni Bulletin)
In 1955, a sign for “H.E. Stoudt & Son General Contractors” signaled the start of a significant renovation to the classic building that would meet the changing needs of the Lehigh community: more meeting spaces, access to technology of the era, and dining facilities to accommodate a more robust dining program.
Before construction began, there had been more than a year of conferences and committee work by students, faculty, alumni, and administration. The deans became tourists, inspecting other schools' unions and student centers, and most everybody had an opinion.
There was also the work of considering recommendations on how the building would best function. It was to be not just a university center but the center of the University's life, a place to build cohesiveness and a sense of belonging to the institution. The final plans were made at last, and construction began in late spring of 1955.
The transformation of Packer Hall into University Center was financed primarily by alumni through a capital gifts campaign that raised more than $2.5 million for its renovation and the construction of McClintic-Marshall House. Subsequent fundraising financed the furnishings.
Once again, Lehigh is embarking on a journey to renew the University Center for the modern Lehigh community — while retaining the history of the building and its legacy of bringing students, faculty, and staff together. Learn more about the current Clayton University Center renovations and how you can get involved.
In This Image: The university architect, Jens Fredric Larson of Reynolds, North Carolina, was in full accord with the idea to utilize Packer Hall, because of both the building's location smack in the middle of the campus and its historical associations.
In This Image: A sign for “H.E. Stoudt & Son General Contractors” signaled the start of a significant renovation to the classic building that would meet the changing needs of the Lehigh community.
In This Image: The construction was preceded by an examination of the building, which found the foundation to be in excellent shape.
In This Image: The work proceeded cautiously, perhaps more so than was really necessary, by tearing out the interior walls and woodwork in sections and inserting at once the new steel frame.
In This Image: A few surprises turned up during the construction. Demolition in some cases showed that not all was as it appeared, and occasionally such things as floor levels or the plumbing of the walls had to be adjusted.
In This Image: The major addition to the building extended to the west and across the rear to house a cafeteria and the kitchen for both the cafeteria and a more formal dining room. The kitchen would feature a small adjunct off its main section where steam tables and equipment would serve the two multipurpose rooms that shared the rear of the addition on the same floor.
In This Image: The new addition would also have rooms adaptable for conferences, concerts, dances, and meetings. The larger room would have a movie screen, two projectors, and sound equipment. The rooms would enable Lehigh to reopen its doors to many groups and to provide much new in the way of student and faculty activities.
In This Image: The center's basement was reimagined to accommodate spaces for activities such as The Brown and White, The Epitome, and student-run radio station WLRN. These were all first to move into the University Center when construction was complete. The rest of the basement area was taken up with storage with plans to make room for a student table tennis and billiards room.
In This Image: On the second floor, the student lounge was intended to offer a large but comfortable-looking room with a snack bar. Most agreed that students would find it easier to chat with professors over a cup of coffee in the snack bar than in the confines of an office or classroom.
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Reimagining the Heart of Campus
Clayton University Center at Packer Hall
More than a building, the Clayton University Center at Packer Hall is the heart of the Lehigh campus. Current renovations will reinvent the Clayton UC into a vibrant space that fosters collaboration and equips students with the skills to lead.