Leaving a Legacy with Planned Giving - Lehigh University

Appreciation. Pride. Belief.

Those three themes defined the 2025 Tower Society annual meeting and breakfast, held September 6 in the Wood Dining Room at Iacocca Conference Center.

The event offered Tower Society members the opportunity to hear from President Joseph J. Helble ’82 as he provided updates on the university’s strategy and achievements, and Jeremy Gibson, Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics, as he shared his vision for Lehigh Athletics.

The morning kicked off with Carl Henzelman III ’82, executive director of planned giving, welcoming members and thanking Michael Caruso ’67 for his past 14 years of leadership as chair of the Tower Society. He then welcomed the new chair, Kevin Clayton ’84 ’13P, who has been a Tower Society member since 2003.

“Kevin's commitment of time and resources to Lehigh is well known,” Henzelman said. “He served as trustee for 23 years, board chair for five years, and was interim president during the 2014–15 academic year. Kevin and his wife, Lisa, have made numerous philanthropic gifts, including an endowed scholarship in honor of his parents, an endowed deanship in the College of Business, and the founding gift to lead the renovations of Clayton University [Center] at Packer Hall.”

Clayton used his time at the podium to reflect on what Lehigh had given him and the other alumni in the room: something more than knowledge, lifelong friendships, and professional success.

It was a legacy. 

“Around us are the names of alumni who didn’t just believe in Lehigh, they made Lehigh,” he said. “All of us here today understand the roles we play in sustaining the legacy of this institution.”

He put that into perspective by considering the success of the GO Beyond campaign.

Planned gifts represent approximately $400 million of the billion-dollar milestone that the campaign recently surpassed. Last year, planned gifts accounted for a little over $41 million of the more than $90 million raised.

After expressing his sincere thanks, he acknowledged that the success in planned giving was “proof of the energy and belief in Lehigh’s future.” 

Helble outlined the institution’s future and identified several key points to illustrate its trajectory and momentum.

In the third year of implementing the Inspiring the Future Makers strategy, Helble discussed the growth in research expenditures; the elevation to R1, the highest status by the Carnegie Foundation; and the three University Research Centers — the Center for Catastrophe Modeling, the Center for Advancing Community Electrification Solutions, and the Center for Community-Driven Assistive Technologies.

He shared the new intercollege majors and programs, including a pilot program for first-year students that provides them with broad exposure to curriculum across colleges and the ability to pursue any direction for their undergraduate education.

He pointed out that interest in Lehigh is at an all-time high; the university had another large applicant pool, more than 19,000 applications, and an admission rate of 29%. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of undergraduates receive some form of financial aid, and 18% are first-generation students. One hundred seventy-seven (177) students are benefiting from the Lehigh Commitment, which offers a full-tuition scholarship for anyone who comes from a household income of less than $75,000 a year.

“The message is that we are attracting the best and the brightest regardless of their socioeconomic background and regardless of whether or not their parents have gone to college,” he said. “We are attracting talent from around the commonwealth, around the country, and around the globe.”

Helble emphasized Lehigh’s recognition for student outcomes, noting its placement in outcomes-based rankings, including LinkedIn (#17) and The Wall Street Journal (#15). Payscale ranks Lehigh #12 nationally for salary outcomes and #1 for the College of Business.

Lastly, he highlighted the economic impact Lehigh makes across the Lehigh Valley. In 2023–24, Lehigh was responsible for $1.4 billion in economic activity.

He expressed his deep appreciation, followed by encouragement to remain active.

“Spread the word. Be a great ambassador. Share the story of all that is happening at Lehigh with everyone that you know. Mentor students. Open doors. Listen to alumni who look to you for guidance. Stay in touch. Come to lectures, arts, and sporting events,” he said.

Gibson then addressed the crowd, recognizing that Lehigh gave them a foundation and a set of principles to approach the world, principles that combine intellectual rigor with personal grit.

He sees that grit each day in the coaches and student-athletes as they lead teams with humility and heart. Lehigh competes across 26 Division I sports, including the newest varsity sport: women’s wrestling.

“Our athletes are not just representing Lehigh on the scoreboard,” he said. “They're reflecting Lehigh's values, integrity, teamwork, perseverance, and service on every stage they stand upon.”

Gibson, with his 27 years in college athletics, knows the power of competition. 

“We create moments of unity, emotion, belonging, and intense pride,” he said.

He acknowledged that Tower Society members’ support helps attract and retain student-athletes who choose Lehigh because they “want to win with character, pursue excellence in everything they do, and become ambassadors for this institution’s highest ideals.”

He said that belief in Lehigh will shape the future.

“Potential doesn't fulfill itself. It needs vision, it needs investment, and it needs leadership. Ultimately, it needs belief. And that's where your belief and support matter,” he said. “Your bequests and endowed funds give us the fuel to do what cannot be done with grit alone. Your support allows us to recruit and retain exceptional student-athletes, to invest in coaches who shape lives, to upgrade facilities that foster competition and community, and to expand the reach of Lehigh Athletics in ways that ignite engagement across generations.”

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Champion wrestler, scholarship recipient, extraordinary volunteer, Hall of Famer, and alumni leader, Mike Caruso ’67 said it best at this year’s annual Tower Society meeting, held September 28 in the Wood Dining Room in Iacocca Hall.

“Lehigh’s focus then, as it is now, has always been on preparing students to lead lives of impact by providing them with a transformational educational experience,” says Caruso. “Think about that. Everybody in this room has been a beneficiary of that.”

Caruso, who has served as the chair of the Tower Society since 2010, ended his tenure and handed the reins to incoming chair Kevin Clayton ’84 ’13P. This transition was part of the focus at the annual meeting. 

“Without a scholarship, I couldn’t have attended Lehigh and benefited from an experience that changed the course of my life,” says Caruso. “I have lived a storybook life, and I credit Lehigh and Lehigh Wrestling.”

Caruso has passed that opportunity on. Over the course of his 32-year Tower Society membership, Caruso has created three scholarships, one honoring his father, one honoring his late wife and sister, and another honoring his wrestling coach.

“This list of extraordinary generosity does not even capture the full complement of what he has done for Lehigh,” says Lorraine Wiedorn ’84G ’13P ’17P, assistant vice president for planned giving and family philanthropy. “The depth and breadth of his commitment to the Tower Society illustrate his belief in making a lasting impact in the lives of students, both those on campus today and the students of tomorrow.”

The annual meeting offered a moment to hear more about today and tomorrow as President Joseph J. Helble ’82 discussed university plans and recent achievements, and Nathan Urban, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, shared an update on the strategic plan, Inspiring the Future Makers.

Helble began his remarks with a note of thanks. Like Caruso, he too was a scholarship recipient.

“Without a scholarship, I could not have attended Lehigh,” said Helble. “So your engagement and support as Tower Society members are deeply meaningful to me not only as Lehigh’s president but as someone who benefited directly as a student so many years ago from the generosity of the Lehigh community, without which my life and my career would not have been possible. So thank you.”

Helble went on to outline the extraordinary moments Lehigh has had over the past year: a record number of applications, the launch of the Lehigh Commitment to make the university accessible to all talented students, the growth in research funding and expenditure, and rankings.

“This is Lehigh’s moment,” he said. “And we remain committed to developing new interdisciplinary programs, focusing on educational innovation, and supporting student outcomes.”

Urban continued that discussion around the strategic plan and more specifically, research.

“Research is a key driver of institutional reputation,” says Urban. “That success and reputation are fundamentally linked to the idea that great universities make the future, hence our strategic plan, Inspiring the Future Makers.”

He explained how Lehigh is making the future in two ways: by educating and preparing students who go on to impact the world through their work and by supporting faculty-led research that prompts innovation and discoveries.

He cited the new Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience as an example that could address and possibly alter or prevent the terrible circumstances from Hurricane Helene and other large-scale environmental events.

Urban listed some work being done by Lehigh faculty like designing more efficient cities, advancing semiconductors, pioneering quantum computing technologies, teaching children with autism, and developing assistive technologies.

Of course, students are involved in that work as well.

“In an increasingly knowledge-driven economy, it’s important for students to see how knowledge is being created firsthand, how it’s being tested and propagated, and how they can participate in this process,” says Urban.

Those in attendance had a few questions for Urban, and then Helble returned to the podium for a special presentation in honor of Caruso’s service.

During his tenure as chair, $329 million was added to the principal of the endowment through philanthropy. 

“Mike, you had a storied career as a national champion wrestler, but the greatest accomplishments that you have made came after your graduation,” says Helble. “As the new president, you served me as an adviser, a counselor, and champion of fundraising. You stand as a pillar of our philanthropic community.”

Caruso then handed the leadership baton to Clayton, but he paused to thank a few people, including Clayton’s father, Bill ’51, who served as a mentor and an example of Lehigh dedication and leadership.

“In speaking about tradition, Kevin learned from his father, Bill, what it meant to serve Lehigh,” says Caruso. “Kevin’s been involved since his student days and has held every volunteer position as an alumnus. He and his wife, Lisa, have done so much for Lehigh by creating endowed scholarships as well as the College of Business deanship and the magnificent renovation of the Clayton University Center. Kevin represents the next generation of philanthropists who will take Lehigh to even greater heights.”

Clayton joined Caruso at the podium to accept his new charge.

“I had the great opportunity to grow up with some of the icons who have impacted this campus today,” says Clayton. “Names like Harry Martindale ’27, Donald Stabler ’30, and Theodore Diamond ’37. They’ve all had a huge influence on why I give back and why we love this institution as much as we do. This is a tremendous place, and it has unbelievable momentum right now.” 

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