I recently had the pleasure of visiting Mauch Chunk, a delightful small town with many interesting shops and eating places. It’s situated in a beautiful location, adding to its charms. The highlight of our day was a visit to the Asa Packer Mansion. This hidden gem was the home of Asa Packer, a titan of industry during a period when America had titans in abundance. Although Packer was as successful as any of them, he was not given to self-promotion. As a result, he is not as well-known as other “captains of industry” of the 19th century.

One of Packer’s many accomplishments was providing for the founding of what became Lehigh University. In 1865, he donated 115 acres and $500,000 to make the engineering school a reality. I expected to see, while touring the mansion, some evidence of Lehigh’s gratitude toward its founder.

When I asked a docent about this, I was told that Lehigh takes no interest, nor provides any funds toward the considerable upkeep the mansion requires. It’s notable that Packer’s generosity extended beyond the university’s beginnings; until 1891, no student was charged tuition. And at his death, per Wikipedia, Packer bequeathed the then-astounding sum of $2 million to Lehigh.

The Asa Packer Mansion, a National Historic Landmark, could surely benefit from some reciprocal generosity on the part of Lehigh, an institution whose very existence it owes entirely to the Man of Mauch Chunk.

William Low

New Hope