A Half-Century Perspective: A Class of 1975 Alumnus Reflects on Babson’s No. 2 Ranking 

When I was a teenager in the early 1970s, just beginning to think about college, I remember touring Babson College, tucked away in Wellesley, a school with a growing reputation for business and entrepreneurship. I also visited Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts. At that time, it was known as a strong accounting school.  

Both schools had their merits, but what tipped the scales for me was Babson’s willingness to let me complete my degree in an accelerated three-year program. And, there was something else.  

Babson had ivy on its brick buildings. It wasn’t an Ivy League school back then, but it sure looked the part. To my young eyes, that meant something.  

How could I have known then that 50 years later, Babson would be standing shoulder to shoulder with the Ivy League, right up there alongside Stanford and Yale in the latest Wall Street Journal rankings? 

For a young man eager to move quickly into the working world, Babson was the right choice. I chose it, not fully knowing at the time what that decision would mean for my life, my career, and my identity. Now, standing a half-century later, mere weeks after my 50th class reunion at Back to Babson, I can say with absolute conviction what a great decision it was. 

Meeting Naomi 

Back in the 1970s, Babson was respected, but it was still a relatively small, specialized school—not yet in the same league as the big-name universities.  

Yet the spirit of entrepreneurship, of practical learning, and of being willing to do things differently was in the air even then. Choosing Babson felt like taking a chance on something nimble and forward-looking, rather than established and traditional. 

Fast forward half a century, and Babson is now ranked No. 2 in the Journal for the second year in a row. To see my alma mater reach such heights is not only surprising but also profoundly gratifying. It validates not just the decision I made as a young man, but also the entrepreneurial vision Babson has carried forward for generations. 

Babson also gave me more than just a degree. It gave me Naomi. At Babson, I was lucky enough to meet my best friend, my partner in life, and the woman who would become my wife. That was a wonderful gift. 

The path for Naomi (Shotten) Lufkin ’75 to Babson was especially pioneering. At that time, Babson had been an all-male school through nearly its entire history. She started at Babson in 1971, only the second class of women ever admitted.  

Imagine what that was like: 50 women among 1,000 men. It took real resilience and bravery to step into that environment. And luckily for me, she did. 

Part of a Legacy 

For me, the Journal recognition resonates on two levels. On one hand, it adds prestige to the degree I earned so many decades ago, elevating the value of what Babson has stood for all along. 

On the other hand, it’s personal. It feels like vindication for having placed my trust in a school that wasn’t yet widely known but had the courage to chart its own course.  

“It adds prestige to the degree I earned so many decades ago, elevating the value of what Babson has stood for all along.”
Bob Lufkin ’75, MBA’76 on The Wall Street Journal ranking

At the 50th reunion at Back to Babson, I looked at my fellow classmates and saw them as the “early believers.” We were part of the era when Babson was still growing into its identity. To now witness its rise to national prominence is like watching your child succeed far beyond your expectations. 

The ranking is not just a headline. It is a milestone in Babson’s story—and, by extension, in mine. It connects the eager young student who toured Babson all those years ago, the young man who met and fell in love with Naomi and embarked on a rewarding career, with the proud alumnus I am today. Babson’s success has become part of my legacy, too. 

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Tagged Alumni, Ranking

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