In 1963, the year Lloyd Morgan earned his MBA from Northwestern University, the business school hadn't yet adopted the Kellogg name.

All classes took place on the school's downtown Chicago campus, where much of the work was done individually — and without a laptop computer or Internet connection. There was no Special K Revue, no Allen Center, no Dean Dipak C. Jain and few programs for corporate executives.

What was the same then as today is the excellent business education Morgan received and the lifelong connection to the school that has served him well for the past 40 years.

"Being active in the leadership of alumni activities has kept me involved with some very bright Kellogg grads," reflected Morgan during this year's Reunion. He has maintained a strong connection to the school since graduation and still stays in contact with many classmates. "A number of them have remained friends all the way through," he noted.

Those connections were evident at Reunion 2003, where some of the Kellogg School's most loyal alums celebrated a bond that has lasted 40 — even 50 — years.

Alfred Jackson '53 of Evanston marked the 50th anniversary of his graduation with a Reunion visit. Jackson earned undergraduate and graduate business degrees from Northwestern after an aptitude test revealed he had a head for business administration. The GI Bill footed the cost for Jackson's education, since he was a World War II veteran with four and a half years of service. It took 10 years of part-time study to earn both degrees, but Jackson said it proved good preparation for running his family's Chicago-based warehouse storage business.

Also present was Wayne Parsons '63, who attended his first Reunion since leaving the school 40 years ago. Parsons listened to Dean Jain's welcome address and sat in on an ethics lecture. His impression about the class: "It really wasn't that different other than the fact they had laptops."

But some alums said the smaller class sizes of the past, combined with the turbulence of the Vietnam War and an inability to connect instantly through email and low-cost phone service, made it more difficult for the graduates of yesteryear to stay in touch.

"Today's new alums are more closely knit," said Richard Doege '63, who attends alumni functions as a Regent for Northwestern. Doege said he was pleased that 10 members of the Class of 1963 attended their 40-year reunion.

As a member of the organizing committee, Doege made dozens of calls to fellow graduates before Reunion.

"I got to talk to a lot of folks that I hadn't talked to in years," he said. "Whether or not they showed up at Reunion, it was a great opportunity to renew our acquaintance."

Reunion is always an excellent way to rekindle the passion for the Kellogg School, and for lifelong learning, according to Dean Jain.

These connections are always helpful, but they are especially important today, during times of economic uncertainty, noted Jain.

"The Kellogg School is built around the concept of team leadership and a genuine passion for learning," Jain added. "At Reunion, we see how powerful the Kellogg network is, and how committed to each other and the school our alumni are."

— KR