A Half Century Of Wisdom: Harvard’s Class of 1963 On Life & Happiness

Inside a Harvard Business School classroom in the early 1960s

Inside a Harvard Business School classroom in the early 1960s

JOAN O. ROTHBERG

  • Decide you like what you do, and do it better and smarter than anyone else.
  • If you can’t, change your career.
  • Don’t create an expensive lifestyle — living modestly frees you to make appropriate choices.

JOHN A. FABIAN

The most successful lives are those people who have had a very positive impact on a great many other people.

JAMES H. SCHATTINGER

Be passionate in whatever you do, and focus on the outcomes of your efforts. From that, other things seem to follow: fulfillment, success — however you define it — and perhaps even money. Take time during the process to enjoy yourself and to care about others.

PAUL G. HINES

At 25, I did not realize how important a happy life with a great partner is. I never thought anything would happen to end my first marriage — until it did. I expected our children to follow the same course in life, and have similar abilities and ambitions — most of which turned out not to be true. You must learn to adapt when your expectations are not realized, and take life for what it is and not what you dreamed.

My definition of success:

• Enjoying what you do

• Enjoying the people you do it with

• Having a great relationship with your wife and family

• Having reasonable but not excessive resources

• The ability to give back through gifts and service

JOSE M. FAUSTINO

I switched fields twice in my academic career — I believed the entire experience was part of growing up. The lesson here for young people: Do not hesitate to switch interests, majors, or fields of concentration. Find your preference or your passion, then focus on it to your heart’s content.

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