Jeff Lawton

Jeff Lawton
Name	Jeff Lawton
Chapter	Alpha Omicron University of Virginia
Date Inducted	1992
Roll Number	ΑΟ 73
Alumni Chapter/Assoc	Capital Alumni Chapter
Honorary Member
Major	Environmental Science & Economics
Birthdate	August 2, 1973
Spouse	Keri Lawton
Nicknames	Caesar
Awards	Chapter Service Key (Capital Chapter)

Jeff Lawton (born 2 August 1973) is an Active Member (Chapter roll 2) of the Capital Alumni Chapter and an alumnus of the Alpha Omicron Chapter (ΑΟ 73) at the University of Virginia.

Early Fraternity Life and Career

Jeff Lawton attended the University of Virginia in 1991. In the spring semester of 1992, he received an invitation in his mailbox to rush Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity.

Collegiate Years at Alpha Omicron Chapter

The Alpha Omicron chapter was only one year old by the time he joined. In the fall of 1992, Jeff attended his first National Convention in Pittsburgh. The experience inspired him to assume the office of Pledgemaster and run the rush and initiation of the four-person Delta class. For this class, he began mandatory pledge pin wearing (of course) and started mandatory testing from [The Scholar's Province]] (before this became a National rule).

In the spring of 1993, Jeff continued his role of Pledgemaster with the rush for the Zeta class. The first rush meeting was the largest in our chapter's history at the time, with over 300 students attending, largely in part to a massive on-Grounds advertising campaign. We started with over 40 rushees and, by the end of the initiation period, retained just over 30 rushees.

In the spring of 1994, Jeff spearheaded the first chapter composite, which has continued each year since. Jeff was pleased to see all of the composites, including the first, on display in the chapter's house a few years ago in 2005 while down for a football game.

In the fall of 1994, Jeff assumed the office of Social Chair, which he continued through the spring of 1995.

During graduation that year, Jeff and other alumni posed for a group picture in front of the main library. Jeff had put his letters on his cap, and somehow that picture made its way to Nationals, where it was used for almost ten years as the de facto alumni photograph (e.g., Scholar's Province, www.phisigmapi.org).

Alumni Years to Present

In 1995, Jeff worked with Kim Salmon (née Smith), Jeff Carter, and Laurie Howard to found the Capital Alumni Chapter, Phi Sigma Pi's oldest alumni chapter. He assumed the role of President for the first couple of years, and has been a brother-at-large since.

At the 2002 National Convention in Pittsburgh, Jeff and a handful of alumni formed Caesars Palace, the Underground Alumni Fun Club. Cross the threshhold and receive your call sign. See the Facebook page for more detail. Caesars Palace remains an alumni institution.

Jeff received a Chapter Service Key in 2003 from the Capital Alumni Chapter.

National Involvement

• National Technology Commitee (late 90's)
• National Convention (92, 93, 94, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 07)
• Alumni Convention (05, 06, 08)
• Caesars Palace

Bigs and Littles

Alas, I have no big brother. I made up for it by beginning the big brother program at my chapter in the fall of 1992, but it was too late for me.

I have 3 Little Brothers:

• Melissa Salva, Alumnus
• Kris Gregorio, Alumnus
• Chrissy Mattey, Alumnus

Further Resources

Facebook has a lot of stuff about Capital and Caesars Palace.

Other Interesting Facts

• I am a second degree black belt in Hapkido and hold a Level II in Krava Maga.
• My canoe was almost swamped by an A-10 Warthog attack jet as it thundered over the Silver Bay Lake in New York at low level.
• I have held a shark.