Page Text: Our College Town
Explore Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley
Located in the heart of the beautiful Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem is a vibrant city, rich in history and culture and known for its small-town friendliness and feel.
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Hallmarks & Traditions
From Spirit Week and “The Rivalry” to Founder’s Day and The Rally, the Lehigh community proudly celebrates its history through a number of annual traditions.
Our Mascot
Lehigh's first official mascot, the “Mountain Hawk,” debuted in 1995. Prior to that, Lehigh’s teams were known as the “Engineers,” reflecting the university's early ties to the railroad industry. While there is no species of bird officially known as the "mountain hawk," it is not uncommon to spot hawks sailing over South Mountain.
School Colors
The Lehigh family has been proud to wear the “Brown & White” since 1867. Nobody knows the precise reason for these colors, but Lehigh folklore offers up one suggestion: A woman wearing fashionable brown and white stockings crossed by as a group of men discussed school colors, and, as they say, the rest is history.
University Motto
Homo Minister et Interpres Naturae, which translates loosely to "Man, the servant and interpreter of nature," taken from the works of Francis Bacon, was the motto chosen to exemplify one of the core founding principles of Lehigh—the idea that the university would strive for a pragmatic curriculum combining scientific and classical education.
“Alma Mater”
The lyrics to Lehigh's Alma Mater were written by John J. Gibson, the then-editor-in-chief of the Lehigh Burr (the student magazine at the time) in 1894. The alma mater is sung to the tune of “Annie Lisle.” Listen to the Lehigh University Glee Club sing Lehigh's Alma Mater.
The Bed Races
As part of the annual Spirit Week leading up to the Lehigh-Lafayette football game, students form teams, decorate beds and drag race them down the length of Memorial Walk. In the early days of bed racing, students constructed their beds from scratch in an effort to demonstrate their engineering prowess.
Lehigh vs. Lafayette
Lehigh fans have two favorite teams: Our own Mountain Hawks, and whoever is playing Lafayette. The Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry is one of the most celebrated in all of college football. Located less than 20 miles apart, the schools began their rivalry in 1884 and have since played more times than any set of rivals in the nation.
Rally
Each class is represented by an official flag that is presented at “The Rally” by their “adopting class”—the class that is 50 years their senior—and the two classes’ flags will have the same colors and design. The oldest surviving original class flag is from the Class of '89—1889.
Eco-Flame
One of the great highlights of Lehigh-Lafayette Spirit Week is when the Marching 97 band members weave their way through campus serenading the campus community with all the traditional Lehigh fight songs. The “Eco-flame” name dates back to the 1970s, when Professor Rich Aaronson first asked the band to play for his ECO 001 class.
University Leadership
Lehigh’s leadership continues the important work of furthering the university's efforts to achieve excellence in teaching, research and service. Learn more about university leadership >
Diversity & Inclusion
At Lehigh we celebrate the fact that our faculty, staff and students hail from diverse backgrounds. Our commitment to inclusion has never been stronger. Learn more about diversity & inclusion >
Employment
Every Lehigh employee plays an important role in supporting an institution that impacts not only our students and our region, but the entire world. Learn more about employment at Lehigh >
Our History
A Proud and Enduring Legacy
Our founder, the industrial pioneer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Asa Packer, laid the foundation for a university that has since educated generations of students and served as a force of positive societal change.
About Lehigh
About
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