Renovations to the iconic Clayton University Center (UC) at Packer Hall will create a dynamic environment for student life while preserving the building’s historic grandeur. Thank you to all the generous donors who are helping to make the Clayton UC a vibrant space for everyone in the Lehigh community.
For Catherine Hovey ’87, Lehigh University and the Clayton University Center mean family and community. A marketing major and daughter of the late Ralph J. Jaccodine ’87P, a professor of solid-state studies in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, Hovey wanted to create connections for future students when she made her recent gift to the Clayton UC renovation. Fueled by her support, the updated building will strengthen the student experience by providing a modern, welcoming place for all students to eat, learn, make friends, and share ideas. To recognize Hovey's generosity, a plaque with a tribute to her father will be placed outside a meeting room, which will be used for student collaboration and community building.
A new life at Lehigh
For most of Hovey’s childhood, her father worked for Bell Labs in Allentown as head of research, holding the patent for a trench capacitor dynamic memory cell that was used by most semiconductor manufacturers in making advanced memory devices. “I remember him always being very stressed during that time,” she recalls.
Then one day during her freshman year of high school, her parents told her that her father would be starting a new career in academia. “It was a big move for him, going to Lehigh. From that moment on, he was a changed man. It was like he got a new lease on life. He was so happy with his colleagues and the graduate students he taught and advised.”
Fond Lehigh memories
When it came time to go to college, Hovey says Lehigh was “a natural choice. I already had such good memories of being on campus with my father.”
After graduation, Hovey landed a job in Macy’s management training program, launching her initial career in fashion sales marketing. After receiving an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, she moved into media, eventually rising to managing director/vice president with Condé Nast Publications. When her son and daughter entered middle school, she left her full-time career to spend more time with them and take an active role in their schools. She now serves on the board of several New York charities as well.
The next generation
As high school students considering colleges, Hovey’s children toured Lehigh’s campus and the UC with their mom. Hovey says, “It was always my favorite meeting place when I was at Lehigh — a hub of activity where we got our mail back then. It was great to show it to my kids when we were there.”
Hovey’s daughter, Mia ’28, has been accepted to Lehigh and will come to campus in the fall to study marketing, following in her mother’s footsteps. “I didn’t want her to do it just because of her mom and grandfather, so we looked at schools all over the country,” Hovey says. “And Mia said, ‘You know what? I love Lehigh!’ It fits everything she wanted. So when it came time to apply for early decision, there was no question in her mind where she wanted to go.”
The heart of the campus
“It’s remarkable how different Lehigh is than when I went to school there. There are so many incredible offerings now,” Hovey says. One thing that hasn’t changed is the strong network of friends she has from her days as a student. “I still get together with so many of them, even 36 years later.”
Hovey is excited about the renovations being done to the Clayton UC to “bring it up to speed. I know it’s going to be the center and heart of the campus, as it was when I was there as a student. And my siblings are so happy that I’m honoring our dad this way — they know how important Lehigh was to him.”
The gift is part of GO Beyond: The Campaign for Future Makers, a $1.25 billion effort fueling the university’s strategic plan, Inspiring the Future Makers, and its top priorities, which include endowed scholarships, the Clayton UC renovation, and other building projects. For more information about the campaign and its progress, visit the campaign website.
