In Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, 13 TKE brothers marked their 15th year of annual, summer gatherings, originally devised to celebrate their collective 50th birthdays. Shown (front row, from left) are Jerry Gustafson'63, Andy Boesel'63, Garry Griesser'63, Rod Paolini'62, and Bob Adams'63. Center row: Gerry Kuechle'63, Jim Moon'63, John Buckland'62, and Rich Rosenberg'62. Back row: Perry Sells'63, John Ryerson'63, Dave Flagler'63, and Tom Benenson'63. Pete Lillie'63 (not shown) is also a part of the group, as was Jim Westin'63, who died in 2003.

Since we graduated from Beloit more than 40 years ago, a group of 15 Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity brothers from the classes of ’62 and ’63 has maintained friendships by staying in constant touch and meeting in various combinations whenever possible.

In 1991, the year of our 50th birthdays, we decided to establish an annual summer reunion to celebrate and perpetuate the bond we have valued since meeting in 1959 as Beloit first-years and sophomores.

This August, we marked the 15th anniversary of that first event, when 13 of the “Boys of Summer” met in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

The original and regular meeting site is the summer home of Dave Flagler’63, on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. For the sake of variety (and to give Dave’s place some relief) reunions have also been held in Jackson Hole, Wyo., Lake Chautauqua, N.Y., the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, Sun River, Ore., and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Our knowledge of and connection to Beloit College today is strengthened through one of our members, Jerry Gustafson’63, who has been a professor of economics at the College since 1966. Jerry’s career-long involvement and interest in campus life have helped us realize that Beloit in 2005 is every bit as special—and possibly more so—as it was for us during the ’60s.

In recent years, within the department of economics, Jerry has focused his efforts on teaching entrepreneurship, an endeavor which culminated in the establishment of the Center for Entrepreneurship in Liberal Education at Beloit in the city’s downtown. This project now receives annual financial support from the TKE group.

Although many years have passed since our undergraduate days in the TKE house, each summer gathering produces an instant rekindling of the same camaraderie and humor that existed from the beginning.

Each year’s reunion produces provocative discussions of politics, religion, and work, as well as the chance to share news and talk about personal issues. The latter exchanges are characterized by candor and compassion, and these “psychotherapy” sessions are often as helpful as any professional consultation and notably more cost-effective.

At all of our reunions, we are reminded of how much our Beloit education positively shaped our lives. Our Beloit experience continues to be a blessing in many ways, most of all by bringing us together as lifelong friends.

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RELATED LINKS:

Alumni & Parents home page

"Entrepreneurship Center Opens Downtown," Beloit College Magazine, Spring 2004


EMAIL:

Jane Armitage - Director, Alumni Affairs

Jerry Gustafson'63 - Professor of Economics and Management and Coleman Foundation Professor of Entrepreneurship

Susan Kasten - Editor, Beloit College Magazine