Alumni
Alumni Association

Regional Clubs and Affinity Groups

Regional Clubs

The Lawrenceville School Regional Clubs are located all around the country and the world. Regional clubs offer alumni the opportunity to stay connected to both the School and fellow Lawrentians. The primary goals of the Clubs are to:
  • Create a local sense of self-sustaining energy and enthusiasm for Lawrenceville.
  • Engage alumni on the local level with each other and in School affairs.
  • Build dynamic Lawrenceville leaders and volunteers who will have an impact on Lawrenceville's future.
Alumni, parents and friends are welcome and encouraged to get involved with their local club. The list of active alumni clubs recognized by the Alumni Association is located below.

List of 5 items.

  • Starting a Club

    Gather a core group of interested alumni, parents, and friends representing a broad spectrum of graduating classes and generations. Once you have established a local initiative, follow the steps below.
    1. Contact the Alumni Relations Office to obtain a current list of alumni and parents in your area. The School can provide you with lists containing addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. Ask questions, bounce around ideas, brainstorm with the experts. We can help you create a timeline of attainable goals.
    2. Plan to speak with presidents of the established clubs. The club presidents have worked with the Alumni Relations Office and they will help you understand the time commitment and energy it takes to establish a new club. Presidents will also be able to give you tips on effective leadership.
    3. Draft a letter and questionnaire to identify local interests, resources, and potential members. We have a sample questionnaire that you may use. The Alumni Office will mail your questionnaire to alumni in your area. Some clubs have sent their questionnaires via e-mail. You can have the replies sent directly to you or back to the Alumni Relations Office.
    4. Ask for volunteers to help organize the club. Form a Steering Committee composed of 6-12 alumni and parents. It is important to have diverse representation, which will appeal to a broad spectrum of alumni – this will encourage greater involvement and a higher level of participation and commitment.
    5. Schedule a planning meeting with the new Steering Committee to determine the club's calendar and goals for the upcoming year. Make sure to ask your group the following questions: 1) Who is your audience? 2) What are your main goals? 3) How active do you want the Club to be? In this meeting, begin to outline the areas of responsibility. Define key volunteer roles and positions and outline the expected commitments. Plan to elect a president, vice president, and secretary by vote at the next meeting.
    6. Keep your Steering Committee and constituency informed of plans, meetings, and events. Some effective tools are an email newsletter, a yearly newsletter, and a phone tree. Make everyone feel included.

  • Planning an Event

    Plan ahead. Give yourself and the School plenty of time. In June or July, hold a Steering Committee meeting that will allow you and your team to discuss the events you would like to host during the upcoming year. In your first year, you should try to hold one successful event. In the second year, try for two. Remember, it is better to have quality over quantity.

    Summertime

    Consider the basics: the location, date and time, faculty and administration presence, guest speakers. Direct the volunteers' energy toward that goal.

    Three Months Before the Event

    Select a facility. Does the desired location suit your purpose? Is it convenient? Is it available for the desired date? Is it a private club that requires a sponsor? Is it cost effective? Is there nearby mass transit? Is parking nearby? Think about the type of weather you can expect. For example, our Philadelphia Club reserved the Union League nearly three months before its alumni reception. Our Northern California Club purchased tickets six months before a picnic and ballgame in the San Francisco Giants new ballpark.

    Ten Weeks Before the Event

    Tell the Alumni Office what decisions the club has made concerning the venue and the type of event. Include as much detail as possible (associated costs, menu, caterer name, etc.).

    Eight Weeks Before the Event

    Design the invitation, or send the information to the Alumni Office and we will design it. We need a date, time, location, RSVP info, directions, and parking info. Confirm reservations and arrangements with the host, sponsor, restaurant, caterer, etc. Get a copy of the contract for the facility and fax it to the Alumni Office.

    Five to Six Weeks Before the Event

    The Alumni Office sends the final proof to the printer. Invitations mailed from the Alumni Office.

    Three Weeks Before the Event

    Encourage attendance. Call, write personal notes, and send e-mail.

    One Week Before the Event

    Make final arrangements. Check details such as nametags, banners, cups, and other Lawrenceville items. Confirm menu with host or caterer. Confirm if podium and microphone are necessary.

    Event

    Attend and enjoy! Get an accurate list of those who attended. Take pictures for the Lawrentian magazine. Make a pitch for volunteers. Get phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

    Day After Event

    Complete final accounting. Send attendance list to Alumni Office.

    Within 1 Week After

    Send thank you notes to sponsors and volunteers. Send article and pictures to the Alumni Office for the Lawrentian.

  • Event Suggestions

    Who do you want to attend your gathering? In addition to the usual crowd, consider new students, parents of current and past students, recent graduates, and area college students.

    Want to have a party? How about at an alum's house, a gallery/museum, a restaurant, a brewpub, an auction house, a ski resort, a ballpark, or a garden? What about a harbor cruise, the theater or opera, hiking, wine-tasting, a whale watch, a TV taping, a fun run, community service, or a day at the beach?

    Don't forget to support current Lawrenceville student teams! Alumni clubs in the Philadelphia, New York, and Boston areas can schedule an event around a Lawrenceville athletic contest. Our teams play many schools in New England, suburban New York City, and the Philadelphia area. Check out the athletic schedules on the School web site. For example, you can have a cookout or tailgate party and support our field hockey team when they battle Germantown Academy in Pennsylvania, or you can cheer on our football team as they compete against The Taft School in Connecticut.

    Try to schedule events at convenient times. Saturdays and Sundays are often good choices. It is easier to get childcare on weekends and there are fewer schedule conflicts. Weekday evenings often find parents shuttling kids to scout meetings, religious education, music lessons, and athletic team practices and games. On a weekday evening when our alumni must juggle a business schedule, commuting, and their children's schedules it is nearly impossible for them to attend an alumni gathering.

    If scheduling a cocktail reception in a city, think of access to mass transit, proximity to the business district, parking, and the time. Our list of suggestions could go on forever. Give us a call and we can talk about your alumni club's plans.

  • How We Can Help

    1. Details: The Alumni Office will help you get a faculty guest speaker for your event. With enough lead time, we will publicize the event on the School website and in the Lawrentian magazine. We will send out e-mail reminders to local alumni. We will provide you with Lawrenceville cups, nametags, pins, banners, and door prizes for most of your events.
    2. Invitations: The Alumni Office will help you design your invitations. We will also address them, put them in the mail, and pay for the postage.
    3. Tracking Responses: The Alumni Office will handle the RSVPs unless directed otherwise.
    4. Budget: The School has a budget for the Regional Alumni Clubs. The School will subsidize part of the expenses for an event. In order to attract alumni to an event, we must keep prices reasonable.
    5. Share Information: Club presidents receive all Lawrenceville club mailings. You will receive postcards and invitations inviting you to other club events. We know that if you are in California, you will probably not attend a Boston or Philadelphia event. Regardless, we want to keep you informed. We want you to see what the other clubs are doing. You may get an idea for a gathering or reception from another club.

  • Clubs


    Kansas City/St. Louis

    Kentucky/Tennessee
     

    Texas - Houston Chapter

Affinity Groups

Lawrentians maintain their ties to the School in many ways. Alumni Associations are customarily organized around classes and regions. Over time, as demographics have changed, alumni seem to appreciate the opportunity to gather around age, race, gender and sexual orientation.

List of 5 items.

  • Crescent: Lawrenceville’s Alumni Group

    The Crescent was launched in the summer of 2007. Through the Crescent, the school identifies and cultivates alumnae as Lawrenceville supporters and volunteer leaders through a variety of approaches with the goals of increasing the number of women serving as volunteer leaders and strengthening ties among Lawrenceville alumnae and students. The group’s signature event is The Crescent Coast-to-Coast Toast held the third Thursday in October. In addition, the Crescent organizes and hosts book clubs, networking events and more. If you would like to get involved, please contact the Alumni Office.

    Stay Connected

    Follow us on Facebook – Join The Crescent.

  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Association

    The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Alumni affinity group (LGBTQ) was launched in the spring of 2007. The mission of the LGBTQ is to identify, cultivate and strengthen connections to the School through a variety of approaches to directly address the needs and concerns of LGBTQ alumni, students, faculty and staff.

    The LGBTQ hosts a cocktail reception each Alumni Weekend and plans a variety of events with current Lawrentians throughout the year, including lunches, book discussions and guest speakers. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or in helping to plan events, or to be sure you are receiving LGBTQ news and invites, please contact the Alumni Office, alumni@lawrenceville.org.

    Message from the LGBTQ Leadership

    The idea for the Lawrenceville LGBTQ began with Michael Barret Jones ’91 and Russ Gibson ’81. We believed the School needed to reach out to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Alumni who may have felt that being gay and a Lawrentian were incompatible, and thus had no connection with the School. As the world has changed and become much more inclusive, Lawrenceville has changed with it. Assisted by a very supportive Alumni and Development Office and some of our fellow alumni, the LGBTQ planned and held our first cocktail reception during Alumni Weekend 2008. Over 70 alumni, faculty members, friends and senior staff attended the inaugural event, many more than anticipated and a surprise to the event organizers. The following year, the cocktail reception was moved to a larger venue, and attendance increased significantly, reaffirming the need for a LGBTQ affinity group. Former Head Master Liz Duffy H’43 ’55 ’79 ’15 P’19 spoke at the first cocktail reception, voicing the School’s enthusiasm for the LGBTQ and its desire to welcome all alumni.

    Since then membership has continued to grow as more alumni, family, faculty and friends become aware of Lawrenceville’s commitment to diversity and inclusiveness. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Alumni now feel welcomed back to campus and part of the larger alumni body. The Gay-Straight Alliance is a highly visible and active student group on campus, and select faculty members’ offices serve as Safe Zones for students who may be questioning their sexuality. Lawrenceville continues to evolve.

    Please let us know if you have any questions, comments or suggestions. This page is a “work in progress,” and any constructive feedback will be appreciated.

    Russ Gibson ’81
    Michael Barret Jones ’91

  • Lawrenceville Black Alumni Association (LBAA)

    The Lawrenceville Black Alumni Association (LBAA) was launched in the summer of 2007. The mission of the LBAA is to strengthen connections to the School by directly addressing the needs and concerns of its Black alumni through establishing productive interaction among Black alumni, students, faculty and staff. To be sure that you are receiving LBAA news and invites, please contact the Alumni Office.

    A Message from the LBAA President

    Fellow Lawrentian,

    It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Lawrenceville Black Alumni Association (LBAA). LBAA was established to celebrate the unique experiences of Black Lawrentians, both past and present, while addressing the double consciousness of people of color within the gates of Lawrenceville and beyond. Our shared experiences and timeless memories create a unique bond that relatively few members of the Lawrenceville community truly understand. It is because of this bond that we continue to expand the LBAA for many years to come.

    As a member of LBAA, you will have the opportunity to participate in several key events throughout the year including after-work happy hours, on-campus events, our Black History Month celebration and the annual LBAA Alumni-Student Reception during Alumni Weekend. Please visit the Events Calendar to learn more about our upcoming events. We look forward to having a successful year filled with engaging, informative, and impactful experiences that further strengthen your connection to the greater Lawrenceville community. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any comments or suggestions as we strive to better serve all LBAA members.

    Kalifa Waugh ’04, President
    Lawrenceville Black Alumni Association

  • Lawrenceville Finance Society (LFS)

    The Lawrenceville Finance Society (LFS) was founded in Fall 2013 by Tom Tesauro ’08.  The group has hosted numerous Lawrentians in finance as keynote speakers, including Glenn Hutchins ’73, Co-founder and Chairman of North Island, and John Waldron ’87, President & Chief Operating Officer at Goldman Sachs.   

    A MESSAGE FROM THE LFS PRESIDENT
     
    Welcome Lawrenceville Alumni and Friends,
     
    The Lawrenceville Finance Society “LFS” is an alumni affinity group that strives to create a platform whereby alumni, parents and friends can come together and hear from various Lawrentians in finance, some of whom are considered to be the most influential thought leaders in the world. In addition to keynote speaker events that take place twice each year, the group aims to provide opportunities in finance and the ability for all to “pay it forward” to the future generations of the School. The Executive Committee works diligently to showcase various financial strategies and ideas through alumni events, with the goal of providing guidance and an invaluable understanding of finance to the broader Lawrenceville alumni community. The group’s most important endeavor to date has been creating opportunities in finance for recently graduated Lawrentians. Yes, that’s right – even after graduation, Lawrenceville alumni are here to lend a helping hand. If you are a freshman or sophomore in college and interested in learning more about the complex world of finance, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out directly to me or the Alumni Office.
     
    All the best,
     
    Tom Tesauro ’08
    tesauro@gmail.com
    Join the Lawrenceville Finance Society
    Executive Committee

    Tom Tesauro ‘08, Vice President, Goldman Sachs
    Kelly Johnson ’97, Vice President, Goldman Sachs
    Carter Cikovic ’14, Analyst, Goldman Sachs
     
    Former Keynote Speakers
    2013 Fall Reception | Cornell Club, New York City
    Dan Tapiero ’86, Co-Founder of Gold Bullion International
     
    2014 Winter Reception | Yale Club, New York City
    John Waldron ’87, Partner & Head of Investment Banking Services at Goldman Sachs
     
    2014 Alumni Weekend Reception | Noyes History Building, Lawrenceville
    Lawrence Tondel ’64, Senior Counsel at Sidley Austin LLP
    Wesley Brooks ’71 H’09 P’03 ’05, CFO/COO of The Lawrenceville School
    Adam Mervis ’79, CEO of Mervis Industries
    Paul Reilly ’79 P’09 ’11, Head of Central Region Institutional Sales & Trading at Bank of America Merrill Lynch
     
    2014 Fall Reception | Harvard Club, New York City
    Wes Brooks ’71 H’09 P’03 ’05, Chief Financial and Operating Officer, The Lawrenceville School
     
    2015 Summer Reception | Harvard Club, New York City
    Glenn Hutchins ’73, Co-Founder of Silver Lake Partners
    For more information please email us at alumni@lawrenceville.org or contact Tom Tesauro ’08 at tesauro@gmail.com.
     

  • Young Alumni Council

    The years after graduation include many significant milestones, such as graduating from college, joining the workforce, moving to a new city, or starting a family. In turn, Lawrenceville is continually adapting to the changing needs of its Young Alumni. Lawrenceville’s Young Alumni Council (YAC) was created in 2006 as a bridge between Lawrenceville and its young alumni, defined as the alumni who have graduated from Lawrenceville in the past fifteen years. Young alumni currently make up 20 percent of the total Lawrenceville alumni population.
Through House and Harkness, Lawrenceville challenges a diverse community of promising young people to lead lives of learning, integrity, and high purpose.  Our mission is to inspire the best in each to seek the best for all.