Founder’s Weekend 2025: Celebrating Past, Present, and Future

By Lehigh Marketing & Communications November 07, 2025

With the scaffolding down and the doors open, Founder’s Weekend 2025 featured the dedication of the Clayton University Center at Packer Hall, drawing alumni, donors, faculty, staff, and students to the revitalized building. The event included a ceremony recognizing the contributions of Kevin L. Clayton '84 P'13 and Lisa A. Clayton P'13 and all the donors that made the renovation possible.

A large construction of Legos designed as the Lehigh shield, many signed with names.

For students, there was something at every turn: face painting, a brick-building competition, and a 360-degree photo booth. Outside, students painted pumpkins on the patio of the Clayton UC, and there were games, music, and food well into the night as attendees stayed for the Founder’s Festival.

The celebrations extended into the weekend, installing two new faculty chairs in the College of Health. Michael Gusmano, the inaugural Iacocca chair, will serve a five-year appointment named in honor of Lee Iacocca ’45. Also installed was Vinod Namboodiri, assuming a new appointment shared by College of Health and P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. This position was made possible by an endowment from Ellen and Vincent A. Forlenza Jr. ’75.

In addition, the athletics community gathered for a tailgate and for the installation of Jeremy L. Gibson as the Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics. In the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, Stephen P. DeWeerth was named as the Lewis Hay III ’77 ’08P ’11P and Sherry A. Hay ’78 ’08P ’11P Dean, recognizing the Hays’ impact on engineering innovation and education.

The legacy of Asa Packer shined at Founder’s Weekend 2025, toasting Lehigh’s past, present, and future.

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On the walkway running along the front lawn of the Clayton UC, the Marching 97 parades in their full regalia.

In This Image: Marching into the future

In front of the Clayton UC, a woman holds a large LU sticker inon hand and a photobooth printout in the other.

In This Image: A historic snapshot

A student wearing a long brown jacket and a backpack squats next to a large, blanket-style chess set on the lawn of the UC with the flagpole in the distance.

In This Image: A brain break on the front lawn

A man with a long white beard leans over a table covered with colorful boxes of legos and a brown shield project in progress.

In This Image: Eric Hunter constructs a Lego shield to be displayed in the Clayton UC’s Club Hub.

Lego creations are lined up on a long, white table against a wall, with one in the foreground that shows a green hill with a truck jumping off the end.

In This Image: Lehigh’s Lego Masters showed off their skills.

All dressed in denim pants and matching kelly green shirts, an acapella group sings on stage under a brown Lehigh banner, as one girl stands center holding a microphone.

In This Image: Music from students and local performers kept the energy high into the night at the Founder’s Festival.

A man extends one hand to point to a recognition wall of names, hung on a stone wall with a crowd of people gathered around it.

In This Image: At the entrance of the Clayton University Center at Packer Hall, a donor wall recognizes those who contributed to the historic renovation.

Kevin L. Clayton stands with his arm around his wife’s shoulders as they look at one framed piece of art and another stained glass window art piece resting on a table.

In This Image: Kevin L. Clayton '84 P'13 and Lisa A. Clayton P'13 admire the commemorative art presented to them in thanks at the building’s dedication.

A student wearing a light blue button down shirt stands at a podium with a table of time capsule items to his right and a large wooden door propped open behind him.

In This Image: Lucas Koranda '26 spoke from the heart, saying the Clayton UC “sustains the pulse of student life.”

A crowd of people gather in the entry of the Clayton UC, listening to a woman speak at a podium with a table of time capsule items in front of her.

In This Image: A time capsule ceremony sealed iconic Lehigh items behind an ornate wooden door for the next 50 years.

Three women wearing sweats and backpacks hold up photo booth props and pose in front of an open air photo booth ring light at night.

In This Image: Making memories into the night!

On a bar height round table with a white cloth, a stack of large jenga blocks are piled with five students posing for a photo behind it.

In This Image: So many ways to come together at Founder’s Festival!

Two female students with their faces painted sit at a table with a pink table cloth, each painting pumpkins.

In This Image: For creative types, face painting and pumpkin art brought joy to the Founder’s events.

Jeremy Gibson, holding a coffee cup, leans in to talk to a table where a family of different ages is seated under a large white tent.

In This Image: Jeremy Gibson, Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics, greets his family visiting for his installation as Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics.

Standing at the edge of a white tent, six men pose for a photo wearing different style Lehigh track and field tshirts and athletic pants.

In This Image: Track and field represented at the tailgate event.

Under a large white tent, members of the Lehigh men’s soccer team sits at a white clothed round table, wearing matching gray pullover hoodies.

In This Image: Team spirit from the Lehigh men’s soccer team!

Dean DeWeerth stands at a podium wearing a gray suit and tie, speaking with his arms motioning up.

In This Image: Stephen P. DeWeerth, Lewis Hay III ’77 ’08P ’11P and Sherry A. Hay ’78 ’08P ’11P Dean of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science

A view of the Clayton UC from the front lawn at twilight with a pink and blue sky sunsetting behind it.

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.

Explore the Building