Frank Roth ‘80, General Counsel, will be retiring from Lehigh after 23 years of service at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prior to Roth joining Lehigh in 2001, the university sought needed legal counsel from outside law firms. But, according to Roth, former Lehigh President Greg Farrington (1998-2006) recognized the value and cost-effectiveness of bringing legal counsel in-house and asked Roth to take the role.
“I grew up right here in the Lehigh Valley,” said Roth. “My parents were both public school teachers. My dad, James, got his master’s degree at Lehigh in ’66, my brother James got his BS in ’79, and my wife, Helene got her BS in ’80.”
Roth also shared that his children, Emily (BS ’08) and son Andrew, (BA ‘11) are also Lehigh alumni. “I guess you could say, education has been our family business,” explained Roth. “So, in 2001, when Greg asked me to come be Lehigh’s first General Counsel, I jumped at the chance to practice at my alma mater.”
For more than 23 years, Roth has provided legal counsel and guidance to Lehigh’s board of trustees, president, officers, colleges, faculty, and academic and administrative departments on all legal matters relevant to Lehigh.
“In my role, I am a higher education law generalist and I love it,” said Roth. “I really like practicing in four or five areas of law at any given time. One day my focus might be on employment law. On the same day, I might also work with laws pertaining to students or real estate transactions or contracts and grants or tax matters and more.”
And, as Roth further explained, that list doesn’t even include his role as Secretary of Lehigh’s Board of Trustees, where he serves as an advisor on key strategic issues that support Lehigh’s mission.
“While it is easy to focus on the legal guidance Frank has provided to so many presidents for so many aspects of Lehigh’s growth the past 23 years, that is just part of his contribution to Lehigh. As someone who knows the institution and our history extraordinarily well, he was a key institutional counselor to the processes that led to the development of the University’s 10-year strategic plan, Inspiring the Future Makers, helping to advance Lehigh’s mission and vision," said Lehigh President Joseph J. Helble '82. “With his capable leadership and guidance, we were able to draft and begin the implementation of a plan that articulates a shared vision for new directions and bold possibilities for Lehigh and also leaves room to evolve so we can be responsive to our changing world."
Roth and his team have played a pivotal role in significantly advancing Lehigh's geographic footprint. He was a key player in the acquisition of Mountaintops Building’s B, C & G from Arcelor Mittal Steelton and ISG Steelton, respectively, to complete Lehigh’s ownership of the Mountaintop campus thus placing the University in a position to fully activate this campus as part of the Transform Mountaintop strategic plan initiative. He also oversaw the acquisition of the 755-acre Stabler campus as a gift from the Stabler Foundation. And, he provided legal advice and support for the construction of numerous Lehigh buildings, including Farrington Square, the Business Innovation Building (BIB) and the Health, Science & Technology (HST) building, to name a few.
Some of the many milestones achieved during Roth’s 23-year tenure include his visionary leadership that helped usher in the first amendments in Lehigh’s history to Lehigh’s 1866 Charter of Incorporation. As Roth points out, these amendments are designed to broaden Asa Packer’s original approach to governance to account for the expanded needs of a national research university. These amendments, as well as amendments to the accompanying University Bylaws, created a single category of voting trustees by eliminating the past trustee classes of corporate, appointed, and alumni trustees.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Frank for more than 20 years. Beyond his exceptional legal skills, he’s widely recognized by the university’s cabinet as our resident historian,” said Kevin Clayton ’84 ’13P, former chair of the board of trustees, interim president, and trustee emeritus. “As Frank often reminded me and many others, he has a remarkable knack for Lehigh trivia and historical anecdotes. He’d often share intriguing details and amusing stories, like the time he told us about Lehigh’s youngest trustee—Robert Packer, Asa Packer’s son, who joined the board at just 15 years old.”
“Frank has been an incredible administrator, colleague, and close friend during his time at Lehigh,” Clayton continued. “You can see his love for Lehigh in the way he approaches his work. He’s a teacher at heart and can create enthusiasm and interest in learning the legal components of any situation whether he is supporting faculty in their research efforts or representing Lehigh in a real estate transaction. Frank has always been the voice of reason, presenting a fair and balanced view no matter the focus of the legal issue. We all owe Frank a huge debt of gratitude for all that he has done for Lehigh over the last 23 years.”
Roth’s influence extends beyond the general counsel’s office, as exemplified by his participation in the National Association of College & University Attorneys (NACUA), the 5,000 member national-professional organization of college and university attorneys, as a member of the board of directors serving from 2021 to 2024. He also serves on the board of directors for the National Board of Pensions of the Lutheran Church and Liberty Lutheran Services.
Roth loves to teach and has spent the last 30 years teaching the law and higher education course as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. He also teaches the legal ethics course here at Lehigh.
As part of Roth’s gratitude to Lehigh, in 2022, he and his wife, Helene '80, established the Roth Family Endowed Scholarship Fund to provide need-based financial aid for undergraduate students with a preference for women studying in STEM fields.
“Frank’s leadership across the Lehigh community has been exemplary,” said Heather Hosfeld, deputy general counsel. “His unwavering advocacy for Lehigh along with his commitment to fostering an educational environment that supports the University’s mission and principles are a testament to Frank’s thoughtful leadership, dedication and personal integrity.”
Roth said he is grateful for the support of Lehigh’s leadership, his team, and the entire Lehigh community.
“I always struggle with accepting credit for the efforts of my office,” said Roth. “The reality is that nobody can do everything by themselves. I have a great team and we work hard to interact with our diverse clientele so we can meet the high level foundational principles and strategic priorities that support Lehigh’s mission.”
Roth’s retirement is effective at the end of the academic year on May 31, 2025.