No, it isn't what you're thinking. There were no fevers, coughs or sneezes. This house call was to 501 S. Allen Street. It was Alumni Weekend at Penn State, and Doc Lamberton '49 had decided to share a Phi Sig Friday night with his grandchildren. "We went to the house and rang the door," Lamberton recalled. "The actives answered the door and invited us in. We found them to be very nice young men, and we enjoyed ourselves very much." Read on to find out about the Kappa experiences of Doc Lamberton, his life as a physician and more.

Why did you join Phi Sigma Kappa?
I am from Erie, Pa., and am the first generation of my family to join a fraternity. I had friends who belonged to Phi Sig - friends like Al Benjamin '48, Ernie Nagy '47 and Walt Zadam. I lived in a house near campus and didn't know much about fraternities before they introduced me to Phi Sigma Kappa.

Tell us about your favorite memory of the fraternity.
I made some really good friends. I always thought premed was tough. But I had some architecture brothers, and I remember them always having these incredible projects that would take all night. We always had one big party during the year. The goal was to bring an "import" - a date from outside Penn State. And dinner meant a coat and tie.

What kind of influence has the fraternity had on your life since graduation?
It is always nice to have some place to come back to. And I have met others who are Phi Sigs. One of my patients was a Phi Sig from PSU. His sister and I were high school classmates. Besides the friends, it is in the fraternity where I learned important social graces.

With whom do you still stay in contact? Who would you most like to find?
I stay in touch with Al Benjamin '48. He lives in Ocala, Fla. We exchange Christmas cards every year. I come to a lot of football games. We were at the house at the 100th anniversary. Two of my grandchildren were freshmen at PSU then. It was a lot of fun. It was because of the reunion that I got to know Mike Vereb '91, also from Erie, Pa. He got me interested in the reunion. His grandparents were patients of mine. My roommate during my senior year was Bill Hill '50.

Tell us about your family.
My first wife passed away in 1989. I have been married to Judie since 1990. My older son, William, is a physician in Erie. He is married and has two children. His wife is a surgeon. They both attended the Penn State Medical School in Hershey. My son, Richard, works for an organ company. He is married and has three children. My daughter, Patty, is married and lives in Columbia, Md. I met Judie 35 years ago as a patient. She has three children, all in Erie.

What activities or organizations are you involved with today?
Judie and I travel and play some golf. She is an outstanding bridge player. I now work a little in a nursing home as part of a four-man partnership. As the medical director, I go in almost every day. I have been associated with the nursing home for 40 years. I am active in the Shiners as a 32nd Degree Mason. And I am now the drum major (soon to be retiring for the third time) for the Pipes and Drums.

Doc Lamberton can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..