Inspired and motivated by his friend’s experiences at Lehigh, Manhattan native Norman Haft ’48 enrolled at the university and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations. Haft said his time at Lehigh prepared him for many facets of his life including earning his law degree from New York University and for a career that included practicing and teaching law.
“Lehigh represents a very important part of my life,” Haft said.
Reflecting on his education, he told of a time at Lehigh that was unique in comparison with what you would find today on campus. The average “freshman” was a bit older than normal as a result of the war.
“It was an interesting time at Lehigh,” said Haft, who was a member of the Mustard and Cheese Drama Society and Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. “There were many students at Lehigh who served in the war who were in combat – for whom I had great respect.”
Because Haft entered the army in 1944 and completed training in 1945 when the war was over, he did not serve overseas.
“My classmates had seen lots of things that many of us had not,” he said. “It made Lehigh a lot more mature than a typical freshman had been.”
During his educational experience, Haft felt able to grow and mature in a comfortable community. His fraternity, Pi Lambda Phi, was located across town from campus. Fond memories of trolley rides over the river to and from school flood his mind when thinking about his fellow fraternity brothers.
Having attended Lehigh reunions before, he is excited to return to campus this summer for his 70th Reunion. He learned that this was a milestone reunion through classmate Dave Larky ’48 who sent an incentive letter to all members of the class encouraging attendance. Larky offered to pay for ground transportation costs for the member of the Class of 1948 who lived the farthest away from Lehigh within the United States. The contest elicited a laugh and smile from Haft, who was eager to return to his alma mater to reunite with friends and classmates from nearly 70 years ago.
“I probably would not have thought of the fact it has been 70 years, if it were not for that letter from Dave Larky. You don’t get this opportunity very often,” Haft said and added that he got a big kick out of the letter.
Lehigh holds a special place in Haft’s heart and unites a common bond between his daughter, Wendy (Haft) Kuhn ’75, and his late brother, Robert Haft ’51. Kuhn graduated with the first class of women admitted to Lehigh and will be accompanying her father at Reunion.
Thinking fondly of his brother who passed away in November 2017, he said Robert was a great Lehigh fan and was also planning on attending Reunion with his family.
“He would have really enjoyed coming,” Haft said of his brother and shared that as a loyal Brown and White fan, Robert watched all of the Lehigh wrestling matches on TV, attended Lehigh wrestling national matches, and cheered in the stands at more than 60 Lehigh-Lafayette games throughout his lifetime.
Because of Lehigh
Norman credits his Lehigh education for preparing him for many segments of his life; including being accepted into a selective law school and passing the bar exam for the first time.
After graduation, he worked at a law firm in New York City. Later, he and his wife, Deborah, and their four children, moved to Adrian, Michigan, where he taught law and became mayor of the town. He was re-elected and served six two-year terms.
Norman and Deborah then moved to Bermuda where he started a small business administration for the Bermuda government in the city of Hamilton.
After Deborah’s passing at age 49, Norman married Mary Jane (Fuller). They have been married for more than 35 years and live on Jekyll Island, a small island off the coast of Georgia. Norman currently serves as a director both of the Jekyll Island Foundation and the International Seafarers Center of Brunswick, Georgia. He is also a director emeritus of the Charleston Preservation Society in Charleston, South Carolina.
“My life falls into segments, and all of them have made me very happy and worked out in every respect,” said Haft.