Michael “Mickey” Yonkovig previously visited the campus that provided him with the foundation for his successful career. He will return in June to attend his very first Lehigh Reunion and celebrate with the Class of 1948.
After flying 23 missions as a radar operator on a B-24 Liberator plane in the Pacific Theater, Michael “Mickey” Yonkovig received an honorary discharge from the United States Army Air Force and enrolled at Lehigh with his G.I Bill. He wanted to be an engineer his entire life, and he began taking courses on South Mountain in 1946.
Yonkovig’s experience overseas greatly impacted his time at Lehigh and his life.
Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result from his two years in the service, he does not recall much of his Lehigh experience, but he still has a special place for his alma mater in his heart.
“I don’t remember too much about my time at Lehigh, except I would automatically eat after class, then go back to bed in Richards House,” said Yonkovig.
Because of military experience with radar and radio operations, Yonkovig started with electrical engineering classes. However, he always knew he wanted to build highways or buildings and expanded his engineering curriculum at Lehigh. Because of issues with PTSD, he only stayed a student at Lehigh for two years and entered the meat business because it was a “family thing that we did.” He began his career in the industry at a local butcher store where there were only 50 employees, but he knew that his Lehigh education prepared him for something bigger.
It was not long before Yonkovig began working for Shamokin Packing Company in Shamokin, Pennsylvania. He began his career at the meat packing company in the late 1960s and rose to become a managing partner that included overseeing the financials at the company. He retired in 1986.
Playing an instrumental role in the establishment of the company at a national level, Yonkovig credits his Lehigh coursework with providing him the knowledge and experience he needed to take the company to the next level. His knowledge played a significant role in the transition to federal inspections, ultimately establishing Shamokin Packing Company as the national company it was at the time.
“The experience of engineering at Lehigh stayed with me,” said Yonkovig. “I learned how to make blueprints that was needed to change [the company] from state to federal inspections.”
Because of Yonkovig’s modifications, Shamokin Packing Company was able to ship all across the United States, growing the company to an annual revenue of $40 million.
This June, he will return to the university that provided him with the foundation for his successful career and will attend the Class of 1948’s 70th Reunion. It will be the very first Lehigh Reunion he has ever attended.
Among the many things Yonkovig is excited about is, hopefully, hearing the Marching 97 band play. Yonkovig played the clarinet in his hometown band from third until twelfth grade, and he was also a drum major. Through his years of music marching on the field, he has learned all of the marches and looks forward to hearing the Marching 97 play this summer.
This would not be the first time Yonkovig has heard the tunes of the Marching 97 triumphantly play across campus. In November 2013, when he returned to Lehigh for a ceremony in his honor, a smile came to his face as the sounds of the band filled the air on that brisk fall day. As he sat outside Packer Memorial Church with his family and friends, the band marched up hill to the Alumni Memorial Walkway playing songs that filled Yonkovig’s heart with joy as he reflected on how lucky he was to attend Lehigh.
“It was an honor to be a part of Lehigh, and still is,” he said.
The Ceremony at Packer Memorial Church
In 2013, Yonkovig’s son, Dr. Michael John Yonkovig, wrote a letter to Lehigh University’s president explaining his father’s service to our country and detailing how he did not officially graduate from Lehigh as a result of issues stemming from having post-traumatic stress disorder. He asked if there was anything the university could do on behalf of his father.
During a ceremony at Packer Memorial Church on November 22, 2013, Yonkovig was recognized for his military service, for being a Lehigh student, and for being part of the Lehigh family.
Surrounded by about two dozen family members, he was presented with a Lehigh University Certificate of Attendance. It was one of the proudest days of Yonkovig’s life.
“Having the ceremony and considering myself a graduate of Lehigh is an honor for me. It was so beautiful. It was the biggest honor…and here is my whole family…and here I am being considered a graduate of the college. It was so incredible,” he said.
After becoming an alumnus, Yonkovig started receiving alumni publications including the Bulletin, Lehigh’s alumni magazine. He decided to reach out to Lehigh to submit his own story of his time overseas and as a Lehigh student. He wanted to share his stories of military and family life with his alma mater.
A full story of his experience was printed in the fall 2016 issue of the Bulletin.
— Photos by Christa Neu
Thank you for sharing Mickey Yonkovig’s story. Life after Lehigh can go in many different directions. It is nice to hear about some of the more unusual paths.