Bucking the Trend: Bethlehem’s Successful Fight Against Epidemic Influenza 1918-1919

“Bucking the Trend: Bethlehem’s Successful Fight Against Epidemic Influenza 1918-1919”

James Higgins research on the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 led him to a detailed study of Bethlehem's experience as well as those that specifically targeted Lehigh University. His lecture will examine why Bethlehem, a mill city with poor, dense housing and high rates of mortality from infectious disease, was able to keep deaths from influenza lower than any similarly situated mill community in the nation. The experience of Lehigh University, especially the deaths of a dozen students on campus, will be highlighted.