As Rivalry weekend begins, Lehigh community gathers in New York

A historic weekend of football, family and reunion kicked off for the Lehigh community on Thursday night, as alumni, students, faculty and staff converged on New York City for the 150th playing of the Lehigh-Lafayette game.

The Rivalry, as it is known, is the single most played rivalry game in all of college football, with a tradition dating all the way back to 1884. The 150th playing will take place on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. The game—which has drawn coverage from The New York Times, CBS Sports and other outlets—is completely sold out, and will be broadcast nationally at 3:30 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network.

But while the game is the centerpiece event of the weekend, it’s hardly the only one.

Lehigh is hosting three days of events, seminars, panel discussions and rallies in advance of the game, as the weekend has evolved into a one-of-a-kind celebration for the entire university community.

On Thursday night, Lehigh supporters gathered at Lehigh’s home base, the New York Marriott Marquis, and got ready for the big game by attending the Rally for the Rivalry. The event, hosted by both the Lehigh Alumni Club of New York and the Lafayette College New York City Alumni Chapter, brought rival fans together for an evening of food, cocktails and, of course, friendly banter about one of the greatest rivalries in all of college football.

At the same time, the Lehigh University Black and Latino Alumni Network for Community and Equity (BALANCE) presented its 2014 Alumni Banquet, which provided another opportunity for alumni, friends, faculty and students to reconnect and network. Among the special guests was former Lehigh President Peter Likins, whose tenure as president was marked by numerous milestones—including the establishment of the Patriot League, the opening of Goodman Stadium, the purchase of the Mountaintop Campus from Bethlehem Steel and more.

Finally, about 200 alumni and friends of Lehigh’s prestigious Martindale Center for the Study of Private Enterprise gathered on Thursday evening to honor J. Richard Aronson, the director of the Center who is celebrating his 50th anniversary at Lehigh. The Center was established in 1980 with a gift from Elizabeth Fairchild Martindale and Harry Turner Martindale '27 and has a stated mission of advancing educational and scholarly programs to increase understanding of the U.S. economy and its relationship with the world economy.

Aronson, the William L. Clayton Professor of Economics, has been director of the Martindale Center since its founding. He joined Lehigh as assistant professor of economics in 1965, was promoted to associate professor in 1968 and full professor in 1972.  During his illustrious career at Lehigh, Aronson has received the Lehigh University Award in 1968 for distinguished teaching by a junior faculty member; the Stabler Award in 1974 for demonstrating mastery of his field and superior ability in communicating it to others; the Deming Lewis Faculty Award in 1984, given by the Class of 1974 during their 10-year reunion to the faculty member who most significantly influenced their educational experience; and the Beta Gamma Sigma Award presented by the Business Honorary Society. Aronson has also won the Hillman Award for service to the university and the Libsch Award for research.

The weekend festivities will continue on Friday, as Lehigh hosts a series of events throughout the city. For more information about the entire weekend of events, visit our Rivalry 150 page at the Lehigh News Center or check back for continued coverage at LehighSports.com.

(Photos by Doug Benedict)