When alumni gather for Milestone Reunion Weekend June 5–7, they’ll bring stories of college days gone by. Many alumni making their way back will have more in common than just their alma mater. Each reunion welcomes graduates with family ties: husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, parents and their sons and daughters—eager to mark the milestone.

Loyola magazine asked one father-son pair—Dennis Morton, Sr., ’74, MBA ’83, and Dennis Morton, Jr., ’99—to reflect on their Loyola experiences.

Dennis Morton, Sr., ’74, MBA ’83:

What was your major?

Accounting

Who was your favorite professor and why?

Dr. Thomas Scheye. I took a mini-mester course on Kurt Vonnegut, a very popular writer at the time. Dr. Scheye referred to the class as “Vonnegutians.” I, along with a handful of fellow senior accounting majors, took his course in the “American Dream.”

Where did students go on campus to relax?

In my freshman year, the library was the place to be, i.e., the old library. After women arrived in our sophomore year, for some reason the cafeteria became more attractive, and it wasn’t due to the food.

Where did students go off campus to relax?

Alonso’s

What extracurricular activities were popular?

Intramurals, football and basketball were very popular. And, again, beginning in sophomore year, the mixers were more interesting. (Full disclosure here: I met my wife at a Friday night mixer). Also, you could not beat a Loyola basketball game on a Saturday night, in the old gym, against a Mason Dixon Conference opponent, preferably Mount St. Mary’s.

Can you recall any particular student prank during your student years?

Streaking became a rage. I do not claim participation, but for those that did, you know who you are.

What was your proudest Loyola moment?

Seeing my oldest son, Dennis, graduate in 1999, and having him receive the honor of being designated as the 1,000th officer commissioned by the Loyola College ROTC Program.

Dennis Morton, Jr., ’99:

What was your major?

History major, business minor

Who was your favorite professor and why?

Dr. Scheye. He was one of a few professors that Dad and I both had. Hans Maier was another. Dr. Scheye’s lectures were always interesting, but the term paper for his Shakespeare comedies class was memorable for me. He told me I had a good paper and if I made small revisions it would still be a good paper. But if I wanted to write a great paper, I would take my ideas, throw away the paper, and write it over again. I reluctantly did it and he was right to show me that my best work was not always my first effort.

Where did students go on campus to relax?

As a freshman, you couldn’t beat the common area between Butler and Hammerman. There was always some- thing happening. The most underrated quiet place was the third floor of the Humanities building—lots of great places to catch a nap or cram before class. Computer labs at the dawn of the Internet were very popular. People would sit in the labs and send instant messages to people seated across the room from them.

Where did students go off campus to relax?

York Road was popular on a regular weekend, but we did a good job exploring Baltimore. As seniors, we spent a lot of nights at Craig’s, which I don’t think was ever called Craig’s in our tenure but that’s what we called it. Fell’s Point—on Halloween in particular—was a blast. Canton was really coming into its own. There was always a lot of interest in O’s/Yanks games at Camden Yards.

What extracurricular activities were popular?

Softball was great, although I still have turf-burn from that field. Nowhere else in America could you hit a ground ball past the shortstop and run all day. All of the intramurals were fun. Our Swedish exchange student roommate convinced his non-soccer playing roommates to form an indoor soccer team and in the course of appeasing him we had a blast. We were more like a hockey team without skates and sticks.

Can you recall any particular student prank during your student years?

I remember a couple of guys, who later went on to be excellent Army officers, streaking the Powder-Puff Football game with the greyhound in tow. Despite it being a cold night, the dog still outran the guys.

What was your proudest Loyola moment?

My proudest moment was when my parents were able to pin gold bars on my shoulders when I was commissioned as an Army officer the day before graduation. The ceremony was held in the Chapel and was a very special moment for all of us.

Share your memories

Were you a regular at Loyola’s Rathskeller? Do you remember siblings who played on the same Greyhound teams during college? Did theses memories spark others you hadn’t thought of for a while? We invite you to share your memories as comments below, or e-mail them—with photos if you have them—to magazine@loyola.edu.