Robert Pfeifle

During the 1920s, the south side of Bethlehem grew notorious for its increasing criminal elements,[2]: 30–49  developing a reputation as a weekend retreat for New Yorkers to commit vices such as drinking, gambling and prostitution.

[2]: 30–49  On November 12, 1927, officer Charles Fenton was shot and killed attempting to apprehend a robbery suspect from one of the south side's 35 brothels.

[3] Amid suggestions from friends and allies, Pfeifle decided to run for mayor in 1929 on a campaign of eliminating crime and corruption within the city.

[2]: 30–49  Once he took office (in 1930), he immediately set himself on shaking the city's perception as a weekend retreat for New Yorkers to commit vices such as drinking, gambling and prostitution.

[2]: 30–49  In collaboration with the Secret Service, mayor Pfeifle launched a series of raids within six months of taking office that shut down the brothels and destroyed every known moonshine still.

[4][5] Pfeifle led the city through the Great Depression,[1] during which he personally traveled to Washington D.C. to petition the government for more Works Progress Administration jobs.

[2] Almost immediately after his death in 1958, his house was purchased by a straw buyer for Lehigh University and was demolished to make way for the Sinclair Laboratory.

The dedication ceremony was attended by local political leaders, including mayors Kenneth Smith and Don Cunningham and Pennsylvania State Representatives Jeanne McNeill and Steve Samuelson.