When Rob Nelson ’69 attended Penn State in the late 1960s, he says Lambda Chi Alpha was known around campus for having the “best bands and the deepest bluebook files.”
He recalls that, as fraternity president, he had the best room in the house, called The Spaceship. The big hangout at the time was “The Pit.”
A favorite memory from his time in the house involves a potentially contentious incident with the housemate that turned out alright in the end: “Jim Rush ’68 threw some of my clothes out the window because I threw his weights out first. I got sick of tripping over them. He played football for PSU. He also served in my wedding party along with Jan Jeffries ‘68 and Jeff Wren ‘70.
Looking back on his Lambda Chi experience, he most values the “deep lifelong friendships with many brothers” that spanned generations. “Duane Doty ‘44 was a Lambda Chi and USMC Lt. Colonel. We recruited him as our new chapter advisor. We were close for years. His Doty Insurance business is well known in State College.”
Rob received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State and then earned an MBA from Duquesne University in 1973. As president of Hawk, a brake business, he opened offices in Munchen, Tokyo, and London, and he now owns his own business serving a portfolio of brands ,with 11 brands carried by AutoZone due to the efforts of his team members. In his words, he has been “blessed with health and global clients,” noting a recent trip to London to attend the board of directors meeting of his newest customer.
He has been married for 54 years to his high school prom date and Lambda Chi Alpha pinmate. They have two sons and are expecting their first great grandchild in a few months.