Academic and Research Facilities
In the following list, the first date after the name of each building indicates the year of construction. The second date indicates the year of a major addition.
Building C (1968, 2013, 2018). Once Bethlehem Steel's 1960s-era industrial-research facility, Building C is now being transformed (high-bay by high-bay since 2013) into a 21st Century learning environment initiative where Lehigh student's pursue creative and innovative answers to challenges and open-ended questions. In 2018, a beautifully restored three-story crescent welcomed faculty from Computer Science and Engineering and Industrial Systems Engineering departments, Mountaintop Initiative, and the Institute for Data Science and Computational Intelligence. In 2019, the Department of Art, Architecture and Design moved into Highbays C1 and C3, as well as, a portion of the crescent.
Chandler-Ullmann Hall (1883, 1938, 2019). These adjoining buildings formerly were the William H. Chandler Chemistry Building (designed by Hutton) and the Harry M. Ullmann Chemistry Laboratory. Chandler served as acting university president, 1904 and 1905, and taught chemistry from 1871 to 1906. Ullmann served as chairman of the chemistry department. The building has been named a National Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society. A major renovation, completed Summer 2019, welcomes the Department of Psychology and the Department of Mathematics.
Christmas-Saucon Hall (1865 and 1872, respectively). Christmas Hall is the university’s oldest building. When Asa Packer acquired the South Mountain site for the university in 1865, a Moravian church was being constructed. The newly formed university took over the building and completed it for use in recitations and as a dormitory and chapel. The name Christmas Hall was chosen in keeping with Moravian religious tradition. In 1872, Saucon Hall was constructed a few feet to the east of Christmas Hall. The buildings were connected with the construction of a “hyphen” in 1926. The building is currently being used as a transitional space for Zoellner Arts Administration while awaiting their permanent location.
Coppee Hall (1883). The building was the original university gymnasium. It is named in honor of Henry Coppee, first president. The building was renovated in 2002 and houses the Weinstock Center for Journalism and Communication.
Coxe Hall (1910). Originally a mining laboratory, the structure is named for Eckley B. Coxe, pioneer mining engineer and trustee of the university. The building houses the office of the Vice President for International Affairs, Study Abroad, International Students and Scholars, and the Global Union.
Dialogue Center. This Victorian structure houses the University Chaplain, Muslim Student Life, and Jewish Student Life offices.
Drown Hall (1908). The building, designed by Furness and Evans, is a memorial to Thomas M. Drown, president from 1895 to 1904. It is headquarters for the English Department and the Writing and Math Center.
Fritz Engineering Laboratory (1909, 1955). The laboratory is named for John Fritz, pioneer in the steel industry in the United States and a member of the university’s original board of trustees. Fritz provided funds for the original section; a seven-story addition accommodates the university’s testing machine, which is capable of applying a five-million-pound load to tension or compression members up to forty feet in length. The hydraulic testing machine is the largest facility of its kind currently in operation in the world. The laboratory is used primarily by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Health, Science and Technology Building (HST) (2021). The new College of Health is the largest building Lehigh has ever built. It is a 200,000 square-foot innovative hub that features open-concept labs, integrated workspaces, and shared meeting spaces that allow faculty across disciplines to work side-by-side on interdisciplinary projects. On the first floor of HST is a community room that welcomes South Bethlehem residents to events, a "green roof" with native plants above the café, and windows that give pedestrians a view of the state-of-the-art research environment. At night, a 60-by-10-foot "Lehigh" sign is illuminated in LED lights at the top of the building.
Iacocca Hall (1958, 2003). Known as the tower building for its panoramic views of the Lehigh Valley, it houses the College of Education, the chemical engineering department, the biological sciences department, The Iacocca Institute plus a teleconferencing classroom. Additionally, this building houses the Iacocca Conference Center, which includes the recently renovated Wood Dining Room, Governor's Suite, and Stabler Observation Tower.
Imbt Laboratories (1958). This is primarily a high-bay research lab space where the ATLSS project was constructed, and where chemical engineering and Energy Research Center have major research facilities. It is also the headquarters of the “Fleet of the Future” program.
Johnson Hall (1955). The building houses the university health service, and counseling service. Earle F. “Coxey“ Johnson ‘07, a director of General Motors Corp. and university trustee, provided funding for the structure.
Jordan Hall (1958). One of the original Bethlehem Steel buildings, this facility now houses the Military Science and Leadership program (Army ROTC) and the Distance Education Department.
Lamberton Hall (1907). The structure served as the university commons and dining room until the renovation of Packer Hall in 1958. The building honors the memory of Robert A. Lamberton, third president. In January of 2006 it reopened as a late-night diner called the “Hawk’s Nest” and student programming facility in the Kenner Great Room.
Maginnes Hall (1970). The multilevel structure is headquarters for the College of Arts and Sciences, and also houses the departments of history, international relations, political science and ICAPE (formerly ESL). Classrooms opened on the ground floor in January 2004, and the Center for Career and Professional Development moved onto the fourth floor in 2019. The building is named for Albert B. Maginnes ‘21, who was a lawyer and university trustee.
Mart Science and Engineering Library (1968). This structure honors the memory of Leon T. Mart ‘13, and his son, Thomas ’51. It was incorporated into the E. W. Fairchild-Martindale Library and Computing Center in 1985.
Seeley G. Mudd Building (1975). This seven-story building houses the chemistry department. The late Seeley G. Mudd was a California medical doctor. The Seeley G. Mudd Foundation, of Los Angeles, made a major gift toward the building.
Neville Hall (1975). This building in the chemistry complex has three auditoriums used for lectures and events. The building is named for Dr. Harvey A. Neville, president from 1961 to 1964, who was a chemist.
Packard Laboratory (1929). The structure was the gift of James Ward Packard, Class of 1884, the electrical pioneer and inventor of the Packard automobile who served as a university trustee. The first Packard automobile (1898) is displayed in the lobby. The building is the headquarters for the P. C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. It also houses classrooms and laboratories for mechanical engineering and mechanics, for electrical and computer engineering, and computer science and engineering. An auditorium accommodates large classes and various events.
Philosophy Building (1879). This small building just below Packer Memorial Church was constructed as a porter’s lodge. Today it houses the philosophy department.
Price Hall (1899) This structure formerly was a brewery named Die Alte Brauerei. In 1912 it was remodeled to serve as a dormitory, and it was named in honor of Henry Reese Price, president of the university board of trustees. Price Hall is the current home of LU Facilities.
Rathbone Hall (1971). This building’s upper level is a major and recently renovated student dining facility, with window walls affording a panoramic view of the Lehigh Valley. The building bears the name of its donor, Monroe Jackson Rathbone ‘21, president of the university board of trustees from 1957 to 1973. Rathbone was chairman of the board, Standard Oil Co. (New Jersey), now Exxon Corp., and was a major innovator in the oil industry. The lower level houses the Residential Services Office and Conference & Special Housing Services.
Rauch Business Center (1990). Philip Rauch ‘33, L.L.D. ‘79, retired chairman of the board and director of the Parker-Hannifin Corp., made the principal contribution to build this facility. Lehigh’s Rauch Business Center was dedicated in 1990 as the state-of-the-art home of the university’s College of Business. The $17.8-million facility has 115,000 square feet of floor space on five stories and features a diverse array of classrooms, auditoria, conference rooms, as well as, The Common Grounds Café, and the Perella Financial Services Lab.
Sayre Building (1869). Originally known as the Sayre Observatory, the dome that once housed the telescope can still be seen.
Sherman Fairchild Center for the Physical Sciences (1892, 1976, 1986). The center, completed with help from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, houses classrooms and laboratories for undergraduate and graduate students in physics, faculty offices, and a 260-seat auditorium. The complex includes the Lewis Laboratory, the original five-story stone structure built in 1892, the Sherman Fairchild Laboratory for Solid-State Studies built in 1976, and the 1986 addition comprised of the Oberkotter Auditorium and research laboratories.
Sinclair Laboratory (1970). This facility houses Materials, Science & Engineering Department, Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics Department, The Center for Photonics and Nanoelectronics, The International Materials Institute, and other research laboratories. It is named for Francis MacDonald Sinclair, and was the gift of his widow, Jennie H. Sinclair. A 12,000-square foot research addition was completed in 2005.
STEPS Building (2010). This facility is the cornerstone of the new STEPS Initiative, which was founded to strengthen Lehigh’s commitment to collaboration, innovation, and scholarship in the areas of science, technology, environment, policy, and society. The new 137,000-square-foot building is at the corner of Packer Avenue and Vine Street on Lehigh’s Asa Packer campus. The building was designed to eliminate boundaries between the disciplines and features state-of-the-art teaching and research areas mingled with seminar rooms, study lounges, and faculty offices. The $60 million facility is the university’s first “green” building having been awarded LEED gold certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). It incorporates features such as heat recovery systems, a radiant-floor heating system, an abundance of natural lighting, an automated daylight harvesting system, an Energy Star roof membrane, and an 8,000-square-foot vegetated roof. It is home to the Earth and Environmental Sciences department and the Energy Systems Engineering institute (ESEI) and contains research labs for environmental engineering and teaching labs for biological sciences and chemistry.
University Police (2014). Located at 321 East Packer Avenue, the station operates around the clock throughout the year. The department is accredited by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.
Whitaker Laboratory (1965). This five-story structure with an adjoining two-level classroom-auditorium section honors the memory of Martin Dewey Whitaker, university president from 1946 to 1960. The building serves the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering. There are laboratories for high-pressure research and reaction kinetics, nuclear studies, analog computation, process control, optoelectronics, high-temperature thermodynamics and kinetics, and fine structures and metallography. The Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity, & Innovation is located on the first floor.
Wilbur Powerhouse (1908). During most of its life, the building served as a power plant with some early engineering laboratory use. Renovated during the 1970s, it provided performing space for student theatrical productions, until the Zoellner Arts Center was built. It is now the new home for student shops and project studios serving as the hub of interdisciplinary programs on campus that is designed to give students and faculty tools and resources to go from idea to physical concept.
Williams Hall (1903). This brick structure was the gift of Edward H. Williams, Jr., Class of 1875. Dr. Williams was a professor of mining and geology and the founder of the Tau Beta Pi engineering society. The building was extensively renovated and a fourth story added in 1956 following a fire. Summer 2015 brings a refurbished and repurposed historical Williams Hall that reinforces the integration of academic programs and student support. It is a global hub for the Lehigh community complete with a Global Commons, a Global Cafe, as well as departments of modern languages and literature, and political science. Williams Hall is the university's second "green building" and attained Silver LEED certification upon completion.
Zoellner Arts Center (1997). With major gifts from Vickie and Robert Zoellner ‘54, Dorothy and Dexter Baker ‘50, and Claire and Theodore Diamond ‘37, Dagit-Saylor Architects created a 105,000-sq.-ft. structure designed to showcase Lehigh’s rapidly growing programs in the performing and visual arts as well as the departments of music and theatre and 5,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space for the Lehigh University Art Galleries. Baker Hall has a seating capacity of more than 1,000, Diamond Theatre features a thrust stage and seating for 307; and a “black box” theater provides flexible space for experimental productions.
