Reuniting with UC Memories

The Clayton University Center is remembered as Packer Hall by many alumni, and their memories of their time spent there as students is vivid, as the historic building has been the backdrop for so much of student life through Lehigh history.

At Reunion 2023, alumni returned to campus and stole their first glances at their beloved University Center under construction. We took the opportunity to reminisce with a few about their most memorable UC moments and consider the possibilities for future students with the renovations made possible by the extended Lehigh community and their gifts of all sizes.

“They had a little coffee shop up in there, and I used to like to grab a breakfast sandwich and an unsweetened iced tea. And I would sit and eat it out here on the UC front lawn, which was always very nice, because it was always quiet. After graduation, I worked in an oil refinery. I would be sitting there, looking at distillation comps, and I would look at my watch and think about how six months ago, I was sitting at the UC with my breakfast sandwich and the New York Times and think, ‘This isn't quite the same.’”  
— Bobby Gower ’12

“The University Center was a great gathering place. We played many pinball machines down there. That was entertainment at the time. The University Center was especially great our freshman year. It was the one gathering place we had. There weren’t any separate game rooms or anything else at Richards or Drinker or anything, so you'd come to the University Center, have something to eat, and then spend a lot of time playing pinball.” 
— Thomas Fisher ’73 ’79G

“On the left behind the post office was Neville Lounge. That's where we had all of these jazz band concerts, and they were always well attended. We used to put up posters all over the place, and we had a famous guest artist once — Buddy Rich.” 
— Cory Ackerman ’79 ’11P

“There was a huge seating area [in the Red Lounge], and we’d push all the seats back, and the university would put up a stage. We would turn down the lights because we thought that was very cool, and we would get a sound system. We'd have an open mic night, and people from all over campus would come and play guitar or perform poetry or sing, and a couple of bands would show up, and that's what we did upstairs.” 
— Kristin Coville-Wildermann ’96

“After marching band practice in the fall on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we'd end right around six o'clock. So we would come down to the upper UC where they had a food court, and everyone would get their dinner. We’d move the long tables together, making shapes with them however we could so we could all be sitting at the same table … even though it was, you know, 50 or 60 feet long. The whole band would basically be there, all at once, having dinner together. It was fantastic.” 
— Philip Trackenberg ’14

“There was also a mailroom attached to part of the bookstore, with all the little boxes. And right across the hall was the sweet shop. I remember freshman year they had milk machines for both white milk and chocolate milk. We used to borrow the trays, and on a snowy, icy day, we would use the trays as toboggans and come down the hill.” 
— Fred Braun ’63

Learn more about the Clayton University Center renovations, the vision for each space, and how to impact the next generation of students by giving your support.