Kindred Spirits: Harvard Business School's Extraordinary Class of 1949 and How They Transformed American Business - Hardcover

"Harvard Business School is a unique place and its Class of '49 was a unique class, which produced a wide array of leaders in all parts of our society." -John C. Whitehead, former Co-Chairman, Goldman Sachs

They stormed the beaches of Normandy and the islands of the South Pacific, but the exceptional generation of Americans that won World War II also produced the greatest group of business leaders of the post-war era. Harvard Business School's class of 1949 consisted mostly of military veterans who came to Cambridge thanks to the GI Bill. Molded by the hardships of depression and war, few 49ers sought fabulous wealth as an end in itself. Their conscientious leadership would forever change the course of American business.

By the standards of the go-go '80s and '90s, and today's corporate scandals, the values that defined the 49ers seem quaint; that wealth is created patiently, without cutting corners; that successful companies are those that make real things of real value; that integrity is an end in itself; and that greed is not good.

Those values guided the 49ers to the pinnacle of business success. Leading 49ers helped orchestrate a profound transformation of business in the decades after World War II: The rise of consumer products and services as a key engine of growth; the growing role of technology in spurring innovation and profits; and creative changes on Wall Street that leveraged wealth in extraordinary ways. From the heights of power-28 percent of the class retired as CEO or president of his company-the 49ers shaped trends in nearly every sector of American business.

Based on extensive interviews with class members, Kindred Spirits profiles this amazing group of leaders in a rich and evocative narrative. Critically acclaimed author David Callahan examines the intense bonds of friendship that kept them close for half a century, and reveals their influence on the landscape of modern American business.

Among the legendary figures of the Class of '49 are Marvin Traub, who turned Bloomingdale's into a fashion trendsetter; James Burke, who built Johnson & Johnson into a household name; Peter McColough, whose Xerox Corporation spearheaded the personal computer revolution; and William Ruane, who helped bring "value investing" to Wall Street, creating one of the most successful mutual funds of all time.

As David Callahan explores the legacy of these visionaries in contemporary business, he draws lessons from their timeless values and exceptional leadership-lessons to be heeded by today's troubled corporate world. A sweeping look at the changing face of American business, Kindred Spirits is more than just the story of a single class. It's a story of American innovation and reward.

It Was a Time When Values Had Meaning, with Lessons We Can Learn from Kindred Spirits

"David Callahan has written a compelling and timely history of a special cast of characters from business past. Their stories are a valuable reminder that success and sound personal values don't have to be mutually exclusive in the world of business."
-Mitchell Pacelle, author of Empire

"If you're interested in the personal stories of what makes great managers and how they got that way, this book, so readable, so fascinating, is for you."
-Jack Valenti, Chairman and CEO, Motion Picture Association

"We didn't care about money in the same way."
-Marvin Traub, former Chairman and CEO, Bloomingdale's

"After the war, we all believed that good can prevail. We went to school with a set of values forged by the war, and life has reaffirmed those values."
-James Burke, former Chairman and CEO, Johnson & Johnson

"Many of the great new industries are not developed by the big companies. Rather, they come from unexpected places and from people who don't know any better than that they can't succeed."
-Peter McColough, former Chairman and CEO, Xerox