Jeff Parks '70 Collection

Collection — Box: 0388, Box: 0388

Identifier: SC MS 0388

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of an assortment of materials donated by Lehigh alumnus, Jeff Parks. It includes three Bibles of various origins. There are six manuscript Frakturs from the nineteenth century. Older documents also include photo albums and papers produced by Parks’ family in the early-twentieth century. The rest of the collection is items and papers which pertain to Parks. Many of the items are yearbooks from both his high school and Lehigh, as well as Lehigh memorabilia. Many of his personal papers cover topics like Musikfest and ArtsQuest, both of which were founded by Parks. The collection also includes notes for his 2018 book, “Stronger than Steel: Forging a Rust Belt Renaissance” about revitalization of the modern Rust Belt.

Dates

Creation: 1741 - 2021

Creator

Parks, Jeffrey A. (Donor, Person)

Access Restrictions

Collection housed remotely. Users need to contact 24 hours in advance.

Use Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Copyright Notice

Please inquire about copyright information.

Biographical / Historical

Jeffrey A. Parks (1948-) is a lawyer and promoter of civic engagement in Bethlehem, PA. Parks grew up in Bethlehem and attended Lehigh University as class of 1970. While in Lehigh, Jeff was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Sigma Alpha, Omicron Delta Kappa, Alpha Lehigh and Omega. Parks attended the University of Pennsylvania for law school. His current practice areas include business law and estate planning. He was one of the principle founders of MusikFest, a free-admission music festival which occurs in Bethlehem every summer. He later became the president of ArtsQuest a non-profit community-based arts initiative.

Extent

6 Linear Feet (20 boxes + 3 frames)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

A collection items, photographs, and documents donated by Jeff Parks, an attorney and community leader in Bethlehem. This includes Parks’ personal papers, particularly concerning MusikFest and Artsquest, both of which he was a founding member. The collection also contains memorabilia from his time at Lehigh. Parks also donated the research material for his book “Stronger than Steel” Also present are family items like Bibles, personal papers, and photo albums.

Arrangement

The collection arranged by chronologically and by format: Family genealogy - family bible, baptismal and confirmation certificates, military service records, photographs and albums; Mr. Parks’ personal history - newspaper articles, books, photographs; book manuscript records.