Meet Jayson Hill: An Auburn man of many lives

If one were to look at Jayson Hill’s resume, their first response might be, “Just how many career changes can one guy have?” — a valid reaction Hill himself might even understand.

From graduating from Auburn University to joining the United States Army, obtaining a law degree, passing the bar exam, passing up a career using said law degree and dabbling in politics, public relations and even gaming, Hill eventually made a full-circle journey back to the Plains, where he has remained for 13 years.

The once nomadic Hill has worked with Auburn Libraries since 2010 when he was first tasked with a 20-page newsletter to help attract donors. He became a permanent fixture at the university in 2011, and his official title now stands as director of communications and marketing.

When asked about his adamance in staying within the familiarity of the library, Hill said, “Well, why would I leave?”

“As someone once said, ‘A university is just a bunch of buildings around a library,’ and I’ve found that to be true,” Hill said. “The library is the heart of the university, so why would I move from here? Your research happens here. Your studying happens here. It is truly the center of campus — the heart of your education.”

Hill remembers the building as completely different than it is now, but his fondness for the Ralph Brown Draughon (RBD) Library has only grown since his return.

“Back in 1977, I came to the library for the first time as a first-year student at Auburn,” Hill said. “The library was about a third of the size it is now. There were about 500 study seats.

“It was crammed floor-to-ceiling with books, and you couldn’t have brought a bottle of water in here without getting killed by a librarian. It was a completely different place, but it’s grown over time. Now, you can pretty much do it all here. All your resources are right here.”

A break from Auburn

Hill graduated from Auburn in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in secondary education, initially intending to pursue a career in teaching history. However, the Iranian hostage crisis also occurred during that time, prompting him to do whatever he could to help. Immediately after graduation, Hill joined the U.S. Army and served as an active-duty officer for eight years, rising to the rank of captain.

He began as a maintenance planning and training officer at Anniston Army Depot. He then moved to Europe for three years, first as an intelligence officer in supply chain management then as a force structure officer.

After leaving the military, Hill enrolled at the University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville and earned a law degree. While awaiting his bar exam results, he was introduced to politics after volunteering for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign in 1992. He then worked for two years as a field representative for Sen. Harlan Mathews, who filled Albert Gore Jr.’s senate seat when Gore became vice president, before deciding against pursuing a career in the law field.

“I realized law is a little like buying potatoes — if you’re wealthy, you can buy a lot of potatoes,” Hill said. “If you’re poor, you can’t buy many potatoes. Justice is also the same way, unfortunately. If you’re rich, you get away with a lot, if you’re poor, you don’t get away with much.

“Someone floats a $5 bad check and goes away for five years. Someone steals millions in a Ponzi scheme, and they get probation. I became rather disillusioned with the law after finding out how it really worked, so I just kept looking for other things.”

Passion for video games

His search for an occupation more reflective of his passions led Hill to several companies. That included a few gaming corporations, such as Hasbro Interactive and Atari, where he worked as a public relations manager, writing press releases and marketing materials and managing other public and media-related activities.

Hill has always had a passion for gaming, so the years he spent working for gaming companies didn’t seem like work at all.

“I played my first video game in 1973 and bought my first console in 1981,” Hill said. “I’ve collected video games ever since. My collection stands at 145 consoles and almost 3,000 games.”

Because of his generous assortment of consoles and knowledge of all things gaming, Hill was recently approached by the Special Collections & Archives department within the library to showcase gaming artifacts for the 50th anniversary of the home video game. The exhibit was displayed in 2022 at RBD Library and featured pieces from 1972 through 1984.

A couple of the more notable relics from Hill’s collection were the first Atari home console signed by Nolan Bushnell, one of the founders of Atari, and Bob Brown, the engineer who designed it, as well as a Magnavox Odessey console signed by Ralph Baer, the inventor of the first home video game console.

“As you can see, I’m a little more than a casual collector and not a novice video game historian,” Hill said.

Working with Auburn Libraries

Another project Hill had a hand in involves something many Auburn affiliates are acquainted with and have probably seen around campus. Whether lounging at the library, perched on a student’s computer or maybe situated on the dash of someone’s car: Ralph, the stress toy tiger, is currently the “face” of Auburn Libraries.

“Establishing Ralph as the [library’s] signature promotional piece has been one of the most gratifying things I’ve done here,” Hill said. “We have people from almost everywhere who know about Ralph. I recently had a parent who works at the Birmingham Public Library approach me and say, ‘We follow Ralph on social media. He is the greatest marketing tool we’ve ever seen,’ and I’m going ‘wow’ because nobody has ever said that to me before.”

Ralph is a product of Hill’s attempt to get students more involved with the campus library. He wants students to know there are many assets worth utilizing, and he works constantly to shed light on the support the facility can provide.

One of the ways Hill relays this information is by hosting the library’s presence at “Tiger Tables” annually during Auburn’s first-year orientation, or “Camp War Eagle.” Hill started working at Tiger Tables in 2011, a program consisting of himself and another employee attending the Camp War Eagle informational session and answering questions about the library and the resources offered. While Ralphs aren’t given away at Tiger Tables, other promotional items are, including sewing kits, stickers and bags.

“Ultimately, we want students to feel comfortable coming to the library and know they have access to things like the [Miller] writing center, study partners and research help — all the things we have here, even just places to sit and study rooms they can reserve,” Hill said.

“Everyone is welcomed here, nobody’s turned away. We want students to know this is their library, and we will help them with whatever they need if they just ask. Tiger Tables is the first step toward building that connection with them.”

What’s next?

Hill will be retiring next February after setting a personal record. He’s been with Auburn Libraries longer than anywhere else he has worked and wouldn’t have had it any other way. That longevity has even led to some slight reservations about his leaving.

“I have great trepidation about retiring,” Hill said. “I’m doing Tiger Tables right now, and I think, ‘Once I leave, I won’t be involved in this anymore.’ That’s what I’m going to miss the most — being around the students, the energy level here. It’s unmatched.”

However, he finds himself also excited about what retirement may hold for him, and the possibilities seem endless.

“My wife [Laura] has been encouraging me to do something with video games and history — and yes, it is my passion,” Hill said. “Another part of me wants to work at the Humane Society and socialize feral kittens.”

Whatever Hill decides to do after Auburn, there is no doubt he’ll continue to impact the lives of those around him as he has at the university.