Lehigh University:

Elizabeth and Harry T. Martindale 1927
Elizabeth F. and Harry T. Martindale were special members of the Lehigh family. The Martindales’ funded endeavors including the E.W. Fairchild Chair in American Studies; the E.W. Fairchild Visiting Writer; the E.W. Fairchild Fellowship in American Literature; and the E.W. Fairchild Library Fund. In 1980, they funded the Fairchild-Martindale Center for the Study of Private Enterprise and established the Wight Martindale Memorial Scholarship.

Harry Martindale, a devoted Delta Tau Delta fraternity brother, made a challenge gift in support of the chapter house renovations in 1985. In 1987, the Martindales established the Paul J. Franz, Jr. Chair in University Administration in honor of long-time vice president of development, the late Paul Franz. The Martindales also provided the major gift for the E.W. Fairchild-Martindale Library and Computing Center and endowed the Elizabeth and Harry Martindale Scholarships.

Martindale received his bachelor’s degree with honors in business administration from Lehigh in 1927. As a student, he was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Sword & Crescent, Cyanide and Scimitar. In addition, he was active in the inter-fraternity council and Arcadia, was senior class treasurer, and was manager of the football team his senior year. He started his career with Lord & Taylor in NYC and later became a buyer for the Cavendish Trading Corp. He joined the War Production Board in 1941 and the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps in 1942. Leaving the military as a major in 1945, Martindale joined Fairchild Publications. In 1970, he retired as vice president and continued on the board of directors.

Martindale also served Lehigh as regional vice president of the Alumni Association and a member of the national annual giving committee. He was a recipient of the New York Lehigh Club’s prestigious L-in-Life Award in 1986. He served as the first chairman of Lehigh’s Tower Society. In 1984, the Martindales were both awarded honorary degrees by the university. Harry quietly passed away on Dec. 29, 2004 at age 99. Elizabeth died in June 1997. They had no children.