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Russo Family

Scholarship

Established:
2012
Annual Award:
$500
Fund Amount:
$10,800

Paul and John Russo established the Russo Family Scholarship to honor their parents, Marie and Anthony Russo, back in 2012.


Paul is a past district governor for the Ohio District. He pledged Beta Omicron in 1988.


John's career in service to the fraternity has been lengthy, having pledged in 1972 at Psi Chapter. He has been an active member of the Pittsburgh Alumni Club since his graduation in 1974, serving in all four major positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. He is currently the historian.


On the national level, he served as District Governor back in the 1980s. He first served as Kleos Editor from 1984 to 1990 and was elected as National Vice President for two years in 1990. In 1994, he was selected to serve as a trustee on the Foundation. In 1998, he was reappointed as Kleos Editor, a position he held until 2022, making him the longest-serving officer in the fraternity's history with a total of 30 years.


In 2004, he stepped up to resurrect the National Convention, which had only 30 attendees the previous year. As Convention Chairman for 20 years until 2023, he saw attendance rise from 30 in 2003 to over 500 in 2014 for the centennial celebration. In recent years, convention attendance has averaged about 250. Resurrecting the convention is his proudest accomplishment in the fraternity.


The fraternity honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023, making him only the seventh recipient in the fraternity's 110-year history. He previously received the Outstanding Alumnus Award in 1993.


He retired after a 42-year career in manufacturing in 2018 but was offered a job as a part-time professor and director at his alma mater, Duquesne University, three weeks later. In his first semester, the director of Greek Life appointed him as faculty advisor to Psi Chapter. He is beginning his seventh year at Duquesne and enjoys working with students.


John and his wife Mary raised three daughters, all of whom have won Alpha Phi Delta Scholarships. They have always wanted to give back, and the scholarship is one way they have done that. They hope to establish another scholarship soon.

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