John Fritz – friend to Asa Packer, an original Lehigh trustee and a steel industry pioneer – loved Lehigh so much that at the age of 87 he funded, designed and supervised the construction of the research laboratory that bears his name.

In 1991, the lab was declared a national landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. A Pennsylvania historical marker also notes Fritz’s contributions.

Fritz Lab thrived by supporting the testing needs of the steel industry.

The original lab, which opened in 1910, had state-of-the-art machines, including an 800,000-pound Riehle universial testing machine, that allowed for testing of many bridge components, including pieces of the George Washington Bridge. Tests also were run on structural pieces used in the Panama Canal and the Golden Gate Bridge.   A seven-story addition, which accommodated a 5-million-pound testing machine, was dedicated in 1955.

The lab is active daily.