A Heartfelt Thank You

I must admit that when I first sat down to write this letter—the last that I’ll write for the Bulletin as president of Lehigh—I struggled to figure out just how, or where, to begin.

I have had the honor and privilege of serving this institution for six years now, and those six years brought with them so many milestones and memories, landmark occasions and great achievements. I have much to reflect on, and finding the words to express it all has been quite a challenge.

So I suppose the best solution here is to keep it simple, and to start in the most honest way possible: Thank you.

Thank you for so warmly welcoming me and my family into the Lehigh community six years ago, and thank you for all of your kindness and support in the years since. We have achieved so much together, and this is a testament to the wonderful people who make this university such a special place.

Thank you to everyone who, in my earliest days on campus, sat down with me and shared their honest perspectives on what Lehigh was as a university—and, perhaps more importantly, what it could eventually become. Those conversations, and the deep insights that accompanied them, were incredibly valuable to me as I worked to chart out a new path forward for this proud institution.

Thank you as well for embracing my vision for that path forward, and for joining me as we worked to achieve all the goals of the Path to Prominence plan. From the launch of our innovative College of Health to our continued investment in our research programs, from the opening of the Hitch, Maida and Singleton houses to the ongoing construction of the Health, Science and Technology building, we have propelled this university forward and positioned Lehigh for continued success for decades to come.

Thank you for your amazing support of GO: The Campaign for Lehigh, through which we have already raised more than $705 million en route to our ultimate goal of more than $1 billion. This groundbreaking campaign will allow Lehigh to continue to evolve and grow as an institution, empowering the university and its future leadership to further invest in our most successful programs while always seeking out new opportunities as well.

Thank you for your collective efforts to help build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive Lehigh. We have come a long way as a university, and we have much to be proud of. We also understand that our work is not yet done, and that we must continually strive to create a stronger Lehigh—one that embraces and supports every single member of our community.

Thank you for the small moments that have made my experience at Lehigh so special: games at Goodman and matches in ‘The Snake Pit’; the performing arts events and exhibits that brought such vibrancy to campus; Bed Races and road races; morning cups of tea at Saxby’s; friendly hellos on the UC Lawn; dinners with various student groups; conversations about issues large and small.

Thank you, mostly, for being Lehigh—and for allowing me to be a small part of this university’s proud history. My family and I will always treasure our time here, and everything that we achieved together.

Sincerely,

John D. Simon ’19P, President